‘How much is too much for new brakes?’
The Car Doc weighs in.
Boston.com Cars is your go-to resource for coverage of local car news, events, and reviews. In the market for a car or truck? Check out our new car specials and used car specials curated by our local dealer network.Q. I have a 2015 Audi Q5 with approximately 50,000 miles on it. The Audi dealer indicated that the rear brakes will need to be changed in a year. The estimated price I received from the dealer was $750. I feel that this is quite expensive — in other cars, I’ve had brake and rotors replaced for half that price. Is $750 reasonable? My follow-up question is: Can other car mechanics perform the same job with factory Audi parts?A. The brake rotors on your vehicle are pricey at $175 each, and the brake pads are about $100 for the set. Add in two hours of labor to perform the work, and it’s easy to see how $750 is possible. Certainly any competent technician can perform the repairs, but your only real savings would be the difference in the labor rate between an independent shop and a factory dealer. Now, you could save a little more money with aftermarket parts, of course. If you’re tempted to go that route, use only a high-quality part to prevent any brake noises.John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years experience in the automotive business and is an ASE certified master technician. He answers readers’ questions each Saturday. You can tune in to his radio program Saturday morning from 8:30-10 a.m. on 950AM WROL or wrolradio.com. Email your car question to [email protected].
