Jay Li

Long story short - my car has been garaged, but otherwise not much done to it for the last 10 years. It's a 2001 with 25k miles, and it's now going to be my daily driver since I'm moving out of NYC to CA. I took it to the dealer yesterday and noted that the brake pedal went to the floor and it's clearly not in driving condition in its current state.

They are charging me $500 for new rear calipers (each) and installation and another $1500 for parts and labor to replace the rear brake lines as they said they were blown out. I'm just buying new front and rear rotors rather than having them machine them. All in, these costs added up to $4k including all sorts of fluids, AC recharge, etc. I get most of the charges but the brake line estimate seemed particularly egregious, and the rear calipers also high but less so. I have zero mechanical abilities and only slightly more knowledge, so some advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance!

datadr

Brakes are one of the easiest things to do yourself. I know you say your aren't mechanically inclined, but I used to feel that way but just started doing things because I couldn't imaging it being that hard and wanted to try. Now there's little I won't attempt with patience and YouTube. Not saying you should take this on, but don't sell yourself short. While some mechanics are truly skilled, they aren't rocket scientists. It's really a large scale erector set.

If the car is driven occasionally, I would be suspect of bad calipers. 25k is nothing for calipers. The lines may be dry rotted if it has sat for 10 years, but I would start with new lines and fluid and see if the calipers are fine. Also, $500 a piece is a little high... Dealers will always cost more for both parts and especially labor. At the very least I would find a local private (trustworthy) mechanic and have them look at it.

$4k for brake work is outrageous. At the most it should be half that for everything you mentioned, including parts and labor. Labor can't be more than 4 hours for a skilled mechanic.

Jay Li

Thanks - the mechanic said that the calipers were seized up, which led to the brake lines being blown out and the pedal going all the way to the floor. The car was driven VERY occasionally, say once every 6 mos, for a while but I don't think much in the last couple of years. I should note that all of the brake-related work totalled $3k, not $4k. But your point is still taken that it seems high. I was wondering if perhaps there was something about the brake line work that I might just have been underestimating.

Perhaps at some point I'll try my hand at repairs, but for multiple reasons now is certainly not that time. I should note that it was in a car park rather than garage, and there's a decent amount of humidity (coastal NJ) where it was stored. Would appreciate any other feedback you or others may have. Thanks

datadr

Hi Jay, if it was left to sit for a few years without driving, then yes, calipers could be siezed. If it's 3k, that's certainly better. If you are unsure of doing the work, by all means enlist pros for it. At the very least, the dealer will stand behind the work and will use genuine parts.

I'm also in NJ, but west side by PA. But I definitely understand the climate challenges and what humidity can do. Good luck with it... Patch her up and get her back on the road.

Car Analogy

The dealership? Find a good local mechanic. The dealer is overpriced and largely incompetent.

Billman isn't that far from you, outer end of LI. For an overpriced $4k repair its worth the trip.

Jay Li

Thank you! I first joined this forum back when it first started and was even a mod at one point - never thought I'd be in NYC for 15 years or else I'd never have gotten this car to begin with. Now that I'm on my way to Santa Monica, it'll finally get proper use and have great weather! Even after all these years I still love this car.

outeiroj

i would def recommend a good local shop. look at yelp and google reviews, you shouldnt have to pay more than 1500 for all that stuff tops. cardone makes rear oem calipers for our cars that are less than 100 a piece with a lifetime warranty. had them on my 06 for 3 years with zero issues

rpg51

Definitely go to Billman.

B serious

The mechanic's statement that a seized caliper causes blown out lines does not make sense to me.
How and why?

Are they proposing that a line is broken; or is it a hose?

$3000 sounds high, but you are also dealing with dealer pricing for parts. The calipers themselves are, as you said, a few hundred dollars each.
If they are indeed replacing metal LINES, then the labor charges would be pretty high. The reason as to why the lines went bad just seems like a mystery to me.

But why all this corrosion damage? Seized calipers and busted lines? Was the car parked in a way that it was still exposed to a lot of salt water?

I suppose I could understand the seized caliper due to humidity...although, it's still a bit unlikely. But the broken lines...?? Rats? Those damn kids with their line cutters?

Billman250