Firestone charges Front & Rear ceramic brake pads (BMW X5) - Parts @ $219.00 & Labor @ $ 200.00?
Ceramic Brake pads July 14th, 2009The mechanic said there was a minor edge lip on all rotors otherwise looked good and did not need resurfacing. He performed just replacement of all four Brake Pads. I do not know if resurfacing of the rotors was still needed and if I was ripped off for labor cost.
Updated for ‘Mark’ : The manager and mechanic took me to the vehicle while the rotors were exposed and indicated that rotors were okay, it was only the minor lip and nothing more discussion about rotors to be replaced. I believed in their professionalism and expert advise without doubt.
On a BMW the rotors are designed to wear out at the same rate as the pads and are typically replaced with the pads. This is quite normal on European vehicles. They are almost never machinable. Did the tech actually measure them for thickness to see if they were still above discard spec?
Cost-wise though you got off cheap considering the vehicle.
***EDIT****
If they told you the rotors were reusable without measuring them for thickness then there is no professionalism involved. BMW publishes a minimum or "discard" thickness at which they advise the rotors be replaced. If the rotors were at or near that point at the time the pads were replaced they should be replaced as well. You can’t tell that just by "looing". It requires a micrometer that can read to the thousandth of an inch. As I stated before, it is typical on European makes for the rotors to wear out at the same time as the pads.
Is it O.K. to have different brake pads for the front then in the rear?
July 14th, 2009 at 9:15 am
that looks about right on a brake job from a shop, your rotars are fine if they have a little lip on the edge as long as when you go to stop and your car starts shaking, then they are fine. its always cheaper to do it yourself, you proly would have spend about 40-100 bucks on pads and did them your self but alot of shops charge rediculous labor fees, thats how they make their money, because they dont make much off of parts
References :
July 14th, 2009 at 9:52 am
http://www.autozone.com/R,79061/vehicleId,2986102/initialAction,partProductDetail/store,630/partType,01234/shopping/partProductDetail.htm
would take me about 1 hour for front and 1 hour for back
References :
July 14th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Ceramic pads would cost roughly 140 if you bought them yourself, so Firestone got their parts markup…you might have gotten the brake job cheaper elsewhere, but that sounds about normal for what you got there…
The rotors don’t always need remachining, unless you feel a marked pulsation thru the pedal when stopping, or they are grooved
References :
July 14th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Bmw does not suggest turning off rotors, they suggest replacing the rotors at every brake job. If you dont believe me, call any bmw dealer and ask them. That is way too high for parts and labor, especially for just throwing pads on and nothing else. I’d say you got jipped bad.
References :
July 14th, 2009 at 11:02 am
On a BMW the rotors are designed to wear out at the same rate as the pads and are typically replaced with the pads. This is quite normal on European vehicles. They are almost never machinable. Did the tech actually measure them for thickness to see if they were still above discard spec?
Cost-wise though you got off cheap considering the vehicle.
***EDIT****
If they told you the rotors were reusable without measuring them for thickness then there is no professionalism involved. BMW publishes a minimum or "discard" thickness at which they advise the rotors be replaced. If the rotors were at or near that point at the time the pads were replaced they should be replaced as well. You can’t tell that just by "looing". It requires a micrometer that can read to the thousandth of an inch. As I stated before, it is typical on European makes for the rotors to wear out at the same time as the pads.
References :
Repair shop manager