If you’re hearing a squeaking sound or experiencing difficulty braking, then it may be time to bring your vehicle to an automotive repair shop. When it comes to making a big purchase, or investing in the maintenance of your vehicle, a lot of people want to ‘shop around’ and compare prices for a brake and rotor replacement.
If are the kind of customer that wants to search for the best value, it’s important that you take a minute and make sure that you’re actually doing an even comparison of automotive services and prices. In order to look at this further, we reached out to dealership to comparing pricing and services.
We contacted the Hyundai of Alexandria dealership, and we found that the brake job they quoted us for was $325 dollars, which included resurfacing of the front rotors, and replacement of the brake pads. Resurfacing rotors is an option, but it’s not necessarily what’s best for the life and safety of your vehicle. Resurfacing rotors actually shorten the lifespan of your braking system and cause early, premature wear on the rotors that will give you a pulsation in your brake pedal.
That’s why at HomeTowne, we replace pads and rotors as a set, and the replacement of the pads and rotors costs $450 dollars. We did a comparison shop, to do the same job at Hyundai of Alexandria, and it was $600 to replace the pads and rotors. So when you are comparing brake jobs, make sure you’re comparing ‘apples to apples’ and not ‘apples to oranges’.
In addition to looking at a cost comparison, a factor in your decision making should be the brake replacement quality. When having your brakes replaced you can opt for an original equipment replacement pad, like what you’d find at a dealership, or you can opt for aftermarket upgrade brake pads. The aftermarket pads are actually a full ceramic pad that gives you a longer pad life, and we all know those Friday traffic days around here, that stop and go, which is really hard on your braking system. These upgraded pads perform better, last longer, and that’s why we use them here at HomeTowne.
Finally, think about the brake service options you have, and their warranty. Here at HomeTowne, we carry a 2-year, 24,000 mile parts and labor warranty. On the flip side, many dealerships, like the one we contacted, only offer a workmanship defect warranty. So that tells you right there, there’s a big difference in quality. If you want the best product on your car, that’s what we provide here at HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire.
HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Michelin and BFGoodrich tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.