Replace front brakes,rotors shims..OEM or Not? $469.00??

A little over two years ago a Toyota dealer told me the same thing on my 2005 Prius. That was when I had 85,000 miles on the vehicle. I now have 110,000 miles and had gone to a different Toyota dealer this spring and was told the front brakes are fine with lots of brake pad left. They even gave me a written report with the amount of thickness. Obviously I was being "upsold" to do brake work on a oil change. I am glad I rejected it.

 

I wonder if this is the "deal of the month"? I just took my '07 Prius in for it's 90K service today. No symptoms of any problem, other than the regular light grinding of the brakes for a minute after a rainstorm. Unfortunately, it does stay outside a lot, since it's garage spot was taken by my Solstice.... And it gets about a 50/50 mix of local and highway driving.

Anyway - got a call, told that the rear brakes should be adjusted to improve the parking brake ($50), and more importantly, that the front brake pads are down to 3mm, and they and the rotors need to be replaced because of "rust". My understanding of brakes has always been if you don't over-wear the brake pads, you don't need to replace the rotors...? Maybe it's different with newer brake systems, but it seems odd.

Their price - $499. Just for the front.

Is it typical now to replace the rotors along with the brake pads? Is this price a bit, shall we say, "high"? I don't want to be stupid (kids are driving from NJ to Chicago with it in 10 days), but I don't want to be ripped off, either.

Thanks!!!
Aletia

 

Aletia, If there are 3mm left on the pads they are fit at the past rate of ware for 25,000 miles, but allowing a safety margin 15,000 miles. Rust on the rotors is the main reason for changing Prius rotors, they do not get used enough. If you can post pictures of the front rotors "these can be taken through the front wheels" we can give better advice on there condition.

John (Britprius)

 

My problem with this advice is that I've had rotors that looked reasonably good through the wheels that were down to a 1" wide stripe on the blind side.

That's not an inexpensive brake job but it's probably replacing parts that need replacing (outdoor car parked in NJ for that many years).

 

Thanks for your thoughts - the week slipped by, and I wasn't around the car during daylight hours (when I remembered to take photos). But I did this morning, and I'm attaching what I've got. Hope I got the right spots to give a sense of the status of things! Except ro the edge that is clearly rusted, the rotor itself appears generally smooth/shiny.

For what it's worth, it was an "inside" car for the first 3 years, and then about 70% parked outside since 2010. It does go inside typically in Jan/Feb, when the Solstice goes to my mom's barn for the winter...!

I appreciate your thoughts!
Aletia

 

I would leave those alone till after the winter. The other face of the rotors "that you cannot see" are probably a bit more rusty, but there is still some life left. Putting new rotors on for the winter will only start them rusting faster in particular when it is parked in the barn.

John (Britprius)

 

Thanks, John... good to know. Given the age of this car now, and the fact that it's finally out of the 6-yr extended warranty, I need to find a local mechanic who doesn't ratchet up the maint expenses.... Argh.

But at least I know it's not a panic...

 

What css28 said is exactly what I found on mine when I first looked at the blind side around 210,000 miles. That 1" stripe in the middle was worn way deeper into the rotor between the twin rust stripes. The blind-side pads were worn to match, they stuck out in the middle, in a patch about an inch wide.

So after machining the rotors flat again (still well above minimum thickness), there was no choice but to put on new flat pads, even though the old ones still had (I kid you not) no less than 4.72mm lining still to go!

-Chap

 

Wow thats some crusty stuff there. Probabaly going to be very difficult getting the wheel off the hub.

 

Typical of a 5+ year old car up here.
A few rabbit kicks at the wheel after the lug nuts are off and it's good.

Ask me about how many days it took to take the front rotors off of my 13 year old Mercury Mountaineer though .

 

Michigan winters. Horrible.

Rabbit kicks...lolllol

 

what place/where in nj?

 

paramus? princeton? camden?