Avensis Brakes

[bellymonster]

Just had to take my car in to the garage because the brakes were squealing.

I've never had them changed before so I was expecting new pads and discs all round.

In the end just needed pads and front discs but I was horrified at the price.

Total came to £378. Is this normal or am I being had.

It's a 2000 plate 1.6 VVti.

Thanks for any info.

[igormus]

Just had to take my car in to the garage because the brakes were squealing.

I've never had them changed before so I was expecting new pads and discs all round.

In the end just needed pads and front discs but I was horrified at the price.

Total came to £378. Is this normal or am I being had.

It's a 2000 plate 1.6 VVti.

Thanks for any info.

hello bellymonster

you'd note the braking system is YOUR safety during drive and do not hold money for safety (!).

but some factories manufacture OEM spares with very good quality. check with their prices, as well.

the comparison will answer your question.

sheers/igor

[gazza1286]

Avoid Main Dealers for this type of work.

From the top online site:

http://www.car-brakes.co.uk/

Copy discs are £26 each and a set of pads is the same. If you include VAT you're talking about sub £100 for top quality copy parts. Cheaper parts can also be found on the likes of eBay. Fitting these is significantly less than 1 hour labour. (but that's what you will probably be charged at any garage).

[bellymonster]

Avoid Main Dealers for this type of work.

From the top online site:

http://www.car-brakes.co.uk/

Copy discs are £26 each and a set of pads is the same. If you include VAT you're talking about sub £100 for top quality copy parts. Cheaper parts can also be found on the likes of ebay. Fitting these is significantly less than 1 hour labour. (but that's what you will probably be charged at any garage).

This wasn't a main dealer (National Tyres) but I guess they are using pukka Toyota bits.

I don't mind if that is what they cost but I don't like to think I'm being charged more than I should be.

I was kind of desperate for it to be done and National were the only people who reckoned they could get it done on a Sunday. As it happens they didn't have the bits anyway but once they have hold of your car it's gets inconvienient to go anywhere else.

Getting a quote from the main dealer, hopefully they will quote £500 and it'll make me feel like I got a bargain.

[Lusty]

Avoid Main Dealers for this type of work.

From the top online site:

http://www.car-brakes.co.uk/

Copy discs are £26 each and a set of pads is the same. If you include VAT you're talking about sub £100 for top quality copy parts. Cheaper parts can also be found on the likes of ebay. Fitting these is significantly less than 1 hour labour. (but that's what you will probably be charged at any garage).

This wasn't a main dealer (National Tyres) but I guess they are using pukka Toyota bits.

I don't mind if that is what they cost but I don't like to think I'm being charged more than I should be.

I was kind of desperate for it to be done and National were the only people who reckoned they could get it done on a Sunday. As it happens they didn't have the bits anyway but once they have hold of your car it's gets inconvienient to go anywhere else.

Getting a quote from the main dealer, hopefully they will quote £500 and it'll make me feel like I got a bargain.

Yup!I was quoted a similar sort of price.The front discs were minimally worn and will go another set of pads and a set of front pads cost £24:99(plus a couple of pints)and took my mate 30mins to do the job.

The back ones are a bit more involved though as you have to wind the pistons back.

[gazza1286]

You will find that only the main dealer will use genuine brake parts. All multi-chain outlets will use copies. They may use 'branded' copies such as Mintex - but they will be copies.

That said, the original parts used by Toyota are actually manufactured by specialist companies on their behalf.

[Parts-King]

Avoid Main Dealers for this type of work.

From the top online site:

http://www.car-brakes.co.uk/

Copy discs are £26 each and a set of pads is the same. If you include VAT you're talking about sub £100 for top quality copy parts. Cheaper parts can also be found on the likes of ebay. Fitting these is significantly less than 1 hour labour. (but that's what you will probably be charged at any garage).

A very sweeping statement with little bearing on the truth I'm afraid. I usually find the words "top quality" "cheaper" and "copy" rarely go together. With the OEM product you have the knowledge that a great deal of research has been done to provide a top quality product, genuine parts and Toyota dealer labour charges are never going to be the same as Fred in the shed, but as already mentioned, this was NOT at a Toyota dealer, but a tyre shop. I can bet you any money that copy parts were used, and as cheap as possible to make maximum profit, so who is the stealer on this occasion?

I could buy discs and pads from Asia for peanuts, (and I mean PEANUTS) all with the words OEM manufacturer, and quality emblazened on them, I'm just not sure I would like my life to depend on them when hitting the anchors from 70mph to zero in a few seconds. OEM manufacturer does NOT mean they are the same quality as genuine. It means they make discs/pads for manufacturers but I can tell you they will NOT be the same specification

ANYBODY wanting new discs and pads, let me know. We only provide GENUINE parts at discounted prices, if I'm to expensive fine.......at least you will be making an informed decision if you decide to buy a cheaper product

Kingo

[gazza1286]

True - however parts from that web-site are 'branded' from a reputable european manufacturer. I have used Mintex parts for 20 years without difficulty.

Also this forum is littered with threads commenting upon problems with poor disc quality from genuine Toyota parts for vehicles (particularly the Avensis) of this vintage.

Hence original doesn't necessarily mean better.

[Parts-King]

Dont get me wrong, I'm not saying all cheap brakes are poor brakes, far from it. Mintex are a quality company and nobody could deny that. In fact most brakes made in Europe are going to be better than most made in Asia

This forum is littered with disc and brake problems, but to be fair, most refer to newer models where pad hardness/wear rate is the problem, something being suffered by ALL manufacturers at the moment. This wasnt Bellymonsters problem as he hadnt had any fitted before, his problem was the extreme cost, and who knows what discs were fitted?

I could have supplied genuine discs and pads, delivered, sub £150, Yes £50 is a lot of money but you do have a product backed by Toyota, with a warranty to match

Kingo

[uumode]

The brakes might start squeeling again, since it's not really the pads, it's the brake dust build up.

There is a Toyota service bulletin that instructs dealers to fit anti squeal shims on 2003+ anyway.

The price of 378 sounds steepish and about the same from Toyota dealer in 2007 when I had a quote.

- how much was the quote from the main dealer in 2008?