How Much Does it Cost to Replace the Front Brakes?

In this article we are going to take a look at front brakes and help you find out how to replace them and how much this can cost.

Why Do You Need to Replace Brakes?

On any car there are parts that will likely never need replacing and ones that will need to be replaced almost routinely. Among the parts that need to be replaced a few times during the life of a car will be the brakes.

Brakes generally rely on friction to bring the wheels to a stop and this friction can gradually wear the brakes down. They are not designed to work for the full potential life of the car and are usually rated for a specific distance driven.

Once brakes wear out they can become ineffective and as a result may not stop your vehicle quickly enough. This can lead to a potentially deadly accident. Imagine the scenario that someone runs out into the road ahead of you but your brakes can not stop you in time to prevent you hitting them. Aside from the guilt you would feel for the rest of your life, your failure to maintain your brakes could also land you in serious legal trouble.

How Much Does a Front Brake Job Cost?

This is the type of question that will rely on a number of factors. Firstly, you'll need to determine whether you need to replace the whole brake setup or just elements of it. Cost can also depend on the type of car you have, the type of brakes you are fitting and if you have the skills to perform the work yourself.

Self Replacement Parts Costs

• Brake Pads $35 - $100
• Rotors $25 - $85
• Calipers $125 each
• Labor Costs
• Brake Pads $75 - $150
• Rotors $125 - $250 per axle

These prices are just an average, some places may charge more or less for labor and there may be bargains available on parts. Roughly speaking however new pads, rotors and calipers on your front wheels fitted by professionals might run you $250 - $900.

To perform the job yourself assuming you have the right equipment already the parts alone might cost $310 - $435. Obviously if you do not know how to make this replacement use a mechanic as brakes are not something to replace if you don’t know how. Improperly fitted brakes can fail you and this can lead to a bad accident.

What Can Affect the Cost?

As mentioned a few things can drastically change the cost of a front brake job including:

Vehicle Type

Not all brakes are made equal, some are designed for specific types of cars. The needs for brakes to stop a compact car are very different from those needed to stop a heavy duty truck. If you fitted compact car brakes to a heavy duty truck they would be next to useless.

Obviously bigger stronger brakes will cost more as will the associated parts. Also mechanics will likely charge higher labor costs for larger vehicles because the job is frankly bigger. So be aware when buying a car that big and fancy is great but it usually translates into more expensive parts and higher labor bills with the mechanics.

Vehicle Brand

Domestic brand vehicles tend to cost less to repair than foreign imports. This is because the parts are made in the U.S. so they are more readily available and most mechanics are more familiar with the American models.

Foreign imports also mean that the parts are imported which increases their general price. You may also need to go to a specialist mechanic with experience in the foreign models. Many “imports” are actually made in the U.S. but parts can still be a little more expensive than the U.S. brands.

Your Mechanic

Who you give the work to can also have an impact on the price for example going to the dealership for this replacement will get you quality work but will cost you more if it is not covered under a warranty. An auto repair shop will likely be cheaper but make sure they are well rated as not all of them are reputable.

Location

It seems that no matter what it is, everything is more expensive in the metropolitan areas. If you are at an auto shop in a small town you will likely find labor costs to be cheaper. However you will also find they might have a more restricted range of parts.

Big city mechanics charge more and often have more varied parts at hand or a connection nearby to get the parts. You might also find that certain states allow mechanics to charge more in labor than others. Basically a small town auto shop in Arkansas will likely charge less for the same repair than one in a large Californian city.

The Type of Brakes

There are different types of brakes you can choose from including organic, semi-metallic and ceramic. They all have different price points and some may last longer than others. A longer lasting set of brakes may be worth the additional costs but if money is tight in the short term you may have to go with the cheaper option.

How Often Should You Change Your Brakes?

On average front brakes should be changed every 30,000 – 70,000 miles depending on the type you have. You may need replacements sooner if you have a tendency to brake hard. In general though you should watch out for signs that you need a brake change.

The big indication is if the brakes start to grind, squeak or squeal when you press the pedal. This is an indication that your brake pads are wearing out. As a result you may start to damage your rotors in addition to the pads and ultimately you will have to replace both.

You may only need to replace the brake pads as long as the rotors are still in good condition which will save you money.

What Affects Brake Longevity?

There are certain things that can make your brakes wear out faster or last longer which may be important for you to be aware of. These include:

Materials

As mentioned, what the brakes are made of can affect how long they last. So for example high carbon severe heavy duty brakes last much longer than regular semi-metallic pads. Obviously the better long lasting brakes will cost more money but they may last two or three times longer than the cheaper version.

How You Drive

If you have a tendency to ride your brakes you are likely to wear out your pads more quickly. As a result you will probably change the pads more frequently. This also may occur if you often push hard on your brakes.

In order to lengthen the life of your brakes, coast to a stop when possible and use them as sparingly as you can. Rather than sharp hard pressing on the brakes try to use a consistent gentle force and slow down more gradually.

Be aware that towing heavy loads or carrying heavy cargo puts extra strain on your brakes so if possible limit excess loads on your vehicle.

Environment

This is harder to control but the types of roads you drive can have an impact on your brake wear. For instance if you tend to drive mainly on freeways and brake less then they will last longer. In more mountainous terrain where you have to ride the brakes going down hill you will use your brakes up more quickly.

Conclusion

Brakes are important to the safe operation of your vehicle so they should be replaced when they wear out. This can be a costly repair depending on your vehicle, type of brakes and who you get to do the work. On average you might spend between $250 - $900 but it may be more for large vehicles with specialized brakes.

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