The time I tried to fix my own brakes vs paying a shop, and the math just doesn't add up.

Last month my 2013 Civic started squealing so I figured I'd do pads and rotors myself. Watched a 20 minute YouTube video, bought parts from Autozone for $120, and spent 4 hours in my driveway fighting rusted bolts. A local shop quoted me $450 for the same job with a warranty. I saved $330 but my back hurt for 3 days and I used a whole can of PB Blaster. On the other hand my buddy says shops always overcharge and you need to know your own car. Which side do you lean on for medium level car repairs like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinna891mo ago

Gotta disagree with you there man... I mean yeah you saved money but time is worth something too. Busted knuckles and a sore back for three days ain't free, plus the risk of messing something up if you don't catch a mistake. Shops have lifts and air tools and do this every day so they can knock it out in an hour or less. And if they mess up they fix it on their dime, while if your pad falls off on the highway that's all on you. Ive done brakes myself too but honestly for $330 difference I'd rather pay the shop and have my Saturday back.

tarabell1mo ago

Yeah but at least my mistakes teach me things... like how to curse real good.

karen_sanchez491mo ago

In my experience, those little life lessons from messing up stick with you way better than anything you'd learn from a manual. You really don't forget how to torque something right after you've had a brake caliper rattle loose on a test drive, trust me. And the cursing part is spot on, there's some kind of muscle memory that develops when you're lying on cold concrete and a socket rolls under the car. Plus, you start to notice things about your car that a shop would never mention, like a weird vibration or a rusty line that's about to go. Yeah it takes time, but that knowledge carries over to the next brake job and the one after that, so you're really just investing in your future cussing ability.