Question -- Highlander Brake Pads

[Jeff Kleb]

My girlfriend has a 2002 Highlander (V6, 2wd) with 78,000 miles on it. It passed VA state inspection this afternoon, although the stealership service department said that the front brakes "just barely" passed inspection.

They were at 3/32 and the law requires 2/32 of an inch. With the mileage on the car and the fact that it is still riding on the original brake pads, it is nothing short of a miracle - especially with a female driving it!
:bash:

Anyway, they said that it would be $290 for new pads & to have the rotors turned. To me, that sounds very high for a brake job - especially for only the front wheels. I was guessing $140 to $150 at a place like Midas, Meineke, Goodyear, etc., etc.

Does the Highlander have semi-metallic brake pads? I have been told that 4Runners do - and her black brake dust looks the same as the dust that shows up on the wheels of my 4Runner.
I realize that semi-metallic pads are slightly more expensive, but they should not make the parts and labor both so much more costly.

Is $290 way too much? Should I have the brake fluid flushed out as well? It still looks pretty good, but I would spend the money if I thought it would help the brakes work better.

Anyway.....thanks for any replies.

 

[Fourty-four]

Are you sure you're not confusing the tire tread depth with the brake pads? Here in NY, the tire tread depth must be a minimum of 2/32 of an inch to pass the state inspection. There is not such measurement for brake pads. Basically, as long as there is not metal-to-metal contact of brake components, then the vehicle will pass.

By the way, I'm a licensed NYS DMV inspector.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Are you sure you're not confusing the tire tread depth with the brake pads? Here in NY, the tire tread depth must be a minimum of 2/32 of an inch to pass the state inspection.

No sir! The tires (second set on the car) have at least half of the tread remaining -- much more than 2/32 of an inch. They definitely referred to the brakes - which are soon due for replacement. Remember that they are the original pads!

I know they need replaced, but I question the price quoted by their service department.

Anyway....thanks for your kind response.
:awais:

 

[Jeff Kleb]

BUMP!!

Come on, folks. Can't anyone here at the T4R.org Brain Trust come up with an answer? I know more than a few of you have replaced Highlander brakes before.

Inquiring minds want to know!


{This is the Highlander Forum, right?} :arrow: :awais:

 

[99t4rweos]

Front brake job price

Depending on the demographic of the pads, shims and labor of your dealership, pads can be around $65.00 to$75.00 and with labor rates around $70. - $85. /hr , and with a flat rate around 2.0 hrs. including machining the rotors for the job. They do seem a bit high, but you generally get what you pay for.
Quality in brake parts do greatly vary , and that is generally were the "cuts" are made for discounted prices. BTW I'm not avocating dealership repair service.

 

[BROOKLYN]

did they say that it includes shims.
if they say that there replacing the pads and shims and cut the disc then that a pretty decent price for a stealer

 

[Fourty-four]

Well, in that case, you should consider installing the pads yourself. There are a bunch of good brands out there, such as Bendix, Raybestos, Wagner etc...

If you want to minimize the brake dust, get a set of ceramic pads. The Raybestos Quiet Stops are great. No noise and no brake dust. You can pick them up for around $60/set and they are very easy to install yourself.

If the rotors need to be cut, most auto parts stores have a machine shop that will cut them for under $20. Be sure to compare the cost of new rotors also. Depending on the model, new rotors can be very inexpensive these days.

 

[sharp4runr]

Jeff,

Do the job yourself and save a ton of money. Buy a Haynes or Chiltons manual for about $20, pads for about $60 and getting the rotors turned shouldn't be too expensive. Brake jobs are super easy especially with disc brakes. Drum brakes (not sure if highlander has drums in the rear) aren't that much harder.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Jeff,

Do the job yourself and save a ton of money. Buy a Haynes or Chiltons manual for about $20, pads for about $60 and getting the rotors turned shouldn't be too expensive. Brake jobs are super easy especially with disc brakes. Drum brakes (not sure if highlander has drums in the rear) aren't that much harder.

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

I had thought about changing the pads myself, but I think I had best leave this task to a professional. I can change my own oil and stuff like that, but I did front disc brake pads (with a friend) on an old Ford van I once had; and we really had quite a time with it. Murphy's Law seems to come around looking for me way too often!

I also am a little short on time these days, so we will use a shop for the work. Oh, and her Highlander also has disc brakes on the rear - but they do not need replaced yet.

I have used the local Meineke outlet for brakes on other vehicles, so we may give them a shot. I still don't know if the Highlander has semi-metallic pads or not, though.

 

[Thai]

{This is the Highlander Forum, right?} :arrow: :awais:

Where did you get this crazy idea??:

 

[Casper]

actually 4runner pads are ceramic, and upgraded ceramic pads can be had from tirerack for about 50-70 per axle.

It should take no more than about an hour or so to do a front brake pad swap. I wonder i the dealer is including turning the rotors as well?

None the less, that price is insane.

 

[charlier180]

Anyway, they said that it would be $290 for new pads & to have the rotors turned. To me, that sounds very high for a brake job - especially for only the front wheels. I was guessing $140 to $150 at a place like Midas, Meineke, Goodyear, etc., etc.

Is $290 way too much?

Jeff, look on the bright side, your GF does not own a VW Touareg.
I have seen some Touareg owners cry pretty loud about their front brake jobs (replace pads and rotors) costing $700-$900.

Another owner was very lucky that the compressor for the air suspension on his Touareg died just 20 miles short of the warranty running out. The compressor itself cost $1,350 just for the part. Boy was he glad it was covered under warranty.

When I was shopping for my 4Runner I compared the cost for normal manitenance for the 4Runner and Touareg. No big suprise that the Touareg costs literally DOUBLE that of the 4Runner when done at the dealer. Just one more reason why I bought the 4Runner.

When it comes to brake pads and rotors the job is not that difficult. Have you gotten quotes from other dealers for this job?

IIRC my dealer charges $199 for front brake pad replacement and turning the rotors for a 4Runner.

 

[BROOKLYN]

I have used the local Meineke outlet for brakes on other vehicles, so we may give them a shot. I still don't know if the Highlander has semi-metallic pads or not, though.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

please dont use meineke they maybe cheap but they do cheap work, they use cheap aftermarket pads and in the long run you will spend more. im a big fan of the do it yourself thing im also a big fan of using oem toyota pads i know they are expensive but there made for that specific truck not that truck and every other truck and im pretty sure they are semi-metallic cause they are expensive for toyota pads the part#04465-48030 i know cause my little sister drives a highlander and i did the front brakes on it a month ago

 

[tcpoob]

Re: Re: Question -- Highlander Brake Pads

what does it mean to "turn" a rotor - is it to turn the rotor inside out and outside in?

A rotor is a disc, right?

IIRC my dealer charges $199 for front brake pad replacement and turning the rotors for a 4Runner.

 

[Casper]

turn a rotor is the slang used when speaking about resurfacing or taking out the high and low spots that occur in rotors over time. By doing this you also take off all the old pad deposit allowing a new clean surface for your new pads to deposit too, giving you better performance and also longer pad/rotor life due to the decrease in chance of rotor warp due to hot spots.

 

[jharris2]

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

I had thought about changing the pads myself, but I think I had best leave this task to a professional. I can change my own oil and stuff like that, but I did front disc brake pads (with a friend) on an old Ford van I once had; and we really had quite a time with it. Murphy's Law seems to come around looking for me way too often!

I also am a little short on time these days, so we will use a shop for the work. Oh, and her Highlander also has disc brakes on the rear - but they do not need replaced yet.

I have used the local Meineke outlet for brakes on other vehicles, so we may give them a shot. I still don't know if the Highlander has semi-metallic pads or not, though.

If you choose to have a shop do it, I'd suggest looking for either a local brake specialty shop or have a trusted mechanic do it.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

If you choose to have a shop do it, I'd suggest looking for either a local brake specialty shop or have a trusted mechanic do it.

Okay, but aren't brake jobs pretty much the same wherever you go? What's different about Midas, Tuffy, Meineke or the stealership? Perhaps OEM parts might make the difference, huh?

With every brake job I have ever had done to any vehicle, turning the rotors was always "part of the deal" with regard to a price I was quoted. To me, it should always be done.

Should I have her brake fluid flushed as well? It still looks pretty good -- much cleaner than the dark stuff in my '02 Sentra.

 

[jharris2]

Okay, but aren't brake jobs pretty much the same wherever you go? What's different about Midas, Tuffy, Meineke or the stealership? Perhaps OEM parts might make the difference, huh?

With every brake job I have ever had done to any vehicle, turning the rotors was always "part of the deal" with regard to a price I was quoted. To me, it should always be done.

Should I have her brake fluid flushed as well? It still looks pretty good -- much cleaner than the dark stuff in my '02 Sentra.

The job should be basically the same, the difference is the care and quality put into it.

The chains generally want to get you in and out -- I've used them occasionally for minor stuff, but never anything major. A local shop is someone that should care more. But as with any industry, there are some you can't trust.

Then again, I usually do my own brake jobs.

I know some will disagree strongly with me, but I have never regularly changed the brake fluid.

 

[BROOKLYN]

i think anyone with the will to learn can change brake pads, people should learn to change brake pads and minor stuff cause you will always have cars and cars will always need brakes, air filter and oil changes and thats MONEY out of your pocket than can be saved, given that said it really doesnt matter where u bring it, cause any mechanic should know how to change brakes but its important to get the right parts even if u have to buy it yourself and bring it to them (not a bad idea)

 

[sharp4runr]

Yeah I wouldn't trust my vehicle with the In-N-Out shops, but I also do a lot of vehicle maintenance on my own especially with the high costs of some easy jobs. Also hearing some of the horror stories really make me weary of these places.

They say to replace the brake fluid every two years as the fluid tends to soak up moisture thus reducing braking performance.