As you could probably guess, how much it costs to replace the brakes in your car depends on how old they are. If you keep taking care of them and replacing them when needed, then it should cost close to nothing. However if they are past due for replacement or have been neglected, then you will be dealing with a more expensive problem.

In this article we’ll show you how much it typically costs to replace brake pads and rotors on some popular cars, how long they may last under normal conditions, along with how important healthy brakes are.

The Costs to Replace Brake Pads & Rotors

Brakes can seem complicated but there’s a lot of information that is helpful in knowing how much your job will cost & how long it will last. Let’s start by how your brakes work, how they need to be replaced and how you can keep them healthy.

How Brakes Work

When you push on the brake pedal in your car it goes down a tube and sends brake fluid up another tube to the brakes at each wheel (or drum). The fluid puts pressure on pistons at each wheel which makes them squeeze together onto a metal disc (the rotor) to stop it from spinning. When you take your foot off the pedal, more fluid is released and the pads let go of the discs and float out until someone steps on the pedal again (or some other force pushes them back into contact with discs).

When to Replace

Brakes usually need to be replaced if they are worn down below 2 mm of thickness, or if they are warped and causing the car to shake when you brake. How much it costs to replace brakes depends on how many discs/pads your vehicle uses and how many wheel cylinders/pistons there are. It also depends how much work is required as a result of the old, worn parts. If one piston is stuck then that can mean replacing all 4 wheels with new ones from an auto-parts store.

Another common issue is rust build up which may mean you have to have a mechanic give you a hand in order to remove them without breaking something else off. If rust build up has taken place over time it may be more cost efficient for you to purchase new rotors rather than pay someone else to try and remove parts that are corroded like this.

Once you have all the old parts out, then how much it costs to replace brake pads and rotors depends on how many discs/pads your vehicle uses and how many wheel cylinders/pistons there are. It also depends how long they were in service too. Your vehicle has a life span like everything else in the world, how long they will last is largely determined by how well you care for them (or how bad of condition they are when you get them). If you neglect your brakes then how much it costs to replace them will depend on how severe the damage is & how much work needs to be done to fix the problem.

The national average cost of replacing brake pads ranges between

$109-$143. This price also covers how much it costs to replace rotors if they are needed.

Replacing brake pads is something that should be done on a regular basis in order to keep your car safe to drive. How much it costs to have them replaced again depends on how worn down or how badly warped they are too, how many pads/discs you need & how bad the rust build up is plus how good of shape the other parts are in. It can range anywhere from $29-$75 for front brake pads and around $30-50 for rear ones usually. Rotor replacement runs about $10-$20 per rotor but this will depend on your vehicle & how much work needs to be done (i.e how rusted they are, how thick they are etc).

Keeping brakes in good shape won’t only keep you safe but it will also save you money in the long run. If you let your Brembo brake pads & rotors wear down too much, how much it costs to replace them again depends on how severe the damage is plus how many parts need to be replaced because of rust issues or another issue that was caused by neglecting them for a prolonged period of time. Front brake pads/rotors typically cost around $70-120 and rear ones between $50-100. Most cars have 4 front brake pads/rotors and 2 rear sets which can bring the total cost up into the range of how much it costs to replace brake pads and rotors.

Last Words

Replacing your brake pads and rotors is how much it costs to replace brakes but how often this needs to be done depends how well you maintain them (or how bad they are when you get them).

Moreover, You can do this yourself or bring it into a mechanic; either way is fine as long as you don’t neglect the problem & end up getting new rotors because they are too rusted to be safe. Keeping on top of maintenance like this will keep how much it costs to replace brake pads down, which is good for your wallet!

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