Below are a few questions and answers related to brake pads price and the costs of replacing them.
Do brake pads replacement costs vary by brand or model?
Yes, there’s a price variation in brake pads replacement based on the make and model of your car. You can expect to spend more on brake pads for a luxury car than a cheaper vehicle. When going for a brake pad replacement, the mechanic will ask about your car’s manufacturer, model, and model year.
Brake pads for a BMW could cost around $150-$400 or even more. In comparison, Toyota brake pads price will be no more than $80- $100. Below are average brake pads price range (per axle) for popular car brands in Australia:
- Toyota brake pads price: AU$100
- Volkswagen brake pads price: AU$130
- BMW brake pads price: AU$225
- Subaru brake pads price: AU$150
- Mini Cooper brake pads price: AU$175
- Mercedes brake pads price: AU$500
The prices mentioned above are for each axle and don’t include labour charges or mechanic’s fees.
The cost of replacing brake pads is affected by several factors, such as:
- What’s the make and model of your vehicle?
- What type of vehicle is it?
- What type of material do you prefer? (metallic, ceramic, organic)
- What’s your driving style?
The brake pads replacement cost also depends on the brand that you go for. Expect premium price for top-notch brake pad brands like Bosch, Wagner, and TRW. In Australia, Bendix brake pads is also a leading brand. You can expect to spend something like $80+ on Bendix brake pads, but you can save $20-$40 if you go for less-known names.
How much do brake pads cost to replace in Australia?
The average brake pads replacement cost in Australia isn’t the same in all locations. Below are cost estimates of mechanic or labour charges for brake pads replacement per the following capital cities and neighbouring suburbs:
- Perth: $180-$600
- Brisbane: $195-$720
- Sydney: $180-$450
- Adelaide: $180-$525
- Melbourne: $170-$490
- Canberra: $200-$620
- Hobart: $250-$870
What’s the huge variation in the prices about? There are many factors to that. Reputation, demand, and availability of mechanics in a locale all play together to create this price difference.
The actual amount you pay for labour will also depend on the job complexity, especially if there are other issues to fix before the brake pads can be replaced.
If you own a luxury car, the mechanic's fee will automatically go north, too. Getting all the brake pads changed at once will be significantly more expensive than partial brake pads replacement because labour fees are charged by the hour.
Please do bear in mind that the prices stated above are only ballpark figures of the total job cost. It's quite possible that buying brake pads directly from the mechanic (if they sell them) would lead to a decent discount on their service charges.
Should you replace all four brake pads at the same time?
Getting a complete or partial brake pads replacement depends on the situation. If your brake pads have undergone natural and general wear-and-tear, you should get all four brake pads changed at the same time.
The front brake pads tend to wear down quickly since they experience more tension than rear brake pads.
In case of unusual wearing down of brake pads such as damage to the brake pads during a mechanical job or something else, get the damaged brake pads changed. Upon inspection, if the mechanic confirms the need of partial replacement only, it’s quite possible to skip spending for all four.
Conclusion
While we’ve mentioned earlier that it’s more expensive to have all brake pads replaced than one or two brake pads, we still advise getting all four brake pads changed in one visit.
Cost-wise, it’ll still be smarter to get a complete replacement in one visit than to get the same job done in multiple appointments. This is true especially for brake pads that are somehow similarly worn out. Also, some mechanics give a decent discount if you get all four brake pads changed at once, so why not?
Whether you opt for a complete or partial brake pads replacement is up to you, of course. But here’s the thing – always replace brake pads in pairs. One wheel uses two brake pads, that’s the reason why brake pads are sold in sets of 2.
Aside from that, you’ll likely need to replace the brake pads on both wheels in an axle, so the minimum you should expect to buy is two sets of brake pad replacements. Two sets for both front wheels (or two sets for both rear wheels) because these pairs experience the same load and tension.
It can be quite stressful if you're new to replacing brake pads, or maintaining cars in general, but it can also be exciting. If you’re the type who enjoys learning, tinkering in the garage, or talking to your mechanic, then there’s one more resource you need to know – Carpart.com.au!
You’ll find many answers to your questions, and there are even answers to questions that you may not have thought about!
Need cheap car parts? We’ve got just the thing for you! All you need to do is request the part you need and wait for reputed auto parts sellers to send you their best price quotations! What could possibly be easier or better than that? Try it now!