Rick CarltonYour car’s braking system is a critical part of the driving experience and is a key component to stopping safely. Brakes pads are as critical as tires. If budget permits, don’t go cheap when it comes to purchasing brake pads, rotors, or tires for your vehicle.
Brake pad prices vary because of several factors:
- Vehicle brand, model and version (such as 2WD vs AWD or Type R or Type S models)
- Typically, the heavier or faster a vehicle is, the more expensive brake pads will be.
- European cars tend to require more expensive brake pads.
- Semi-metallic, organic, or ceramic materials come at different price points and offer varying noise, performance, and dust-producing properties.
The top quality brands for performance and quality include StopTech, Hawk, Centric, EBC, and Brembo. Each of these brands offers a few choices for your specific model of vehicle that will allow you to choose pads best suited to your driving needs.
Some people just need basic budget-priced brake pads that are nice and quiet for every day commuting. Others like a quicker stopping brake pad, but they’ll have to be ok with a bit more dust output. Some truck and SUV owners tow heavy loads or trailers. They choose a brake pad that is suited to towing. These brake pads perform well while also handling higher heat loads.
Installation Tip And Money Saver
Instead of driving to your local auto dealer where hourly prices are typically north of $180/hr, go instead to Yelp.com and search for “brake repair.” Ignore the top “paid for ads” and look for only 4- and 5-star rated “Brake Repair/Mechanics.” Be sure to read the reviews before calling your favorite three places. Tell them you found them on Yelp (they’re likely to treat you with more respect) and ask for a quote on labor only. This way, you can purchase affordable brakes on BuyBrakes.com and have the mechanic install them for a fair price.
Fair installation pricing ranges between $80 to $125 for a front set or rear set of brake pads on an average vehicle with 5 or 6 lugs. Costs are slightly higher for 7 or 8 lug trucks or expensive European makes.
In Summary
Brake pad replacement costs vary a great deal. The type of vehicle you drive, what you use your vehicle for, and what kind of performance you want will determine the final price. But, generally speaking, the cost for a new set of brake pads for the front or rear of a vehicle starts around $30, averages about $79, and can go up to $300+.
John Butler
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