rxlex300

I own a 2002 Lexus RX300. One of the rear brake calipers on it has frozen and needs to be replaced.
The Lexus dealer said they can get me a cheaper after-market part and total cost of replacement is $865. Includes one brake pad and nothing else.

Has anyone had similar work done at a dealership?
Does the price seem reasonable or are they just planning for a nice summer vacation for themselves?

hypervish

Welcome to Club Lexus!

Ok, your dealer must be smoking something if he thinks someone would pay $865 for one caliper not to mention it's not even genuine parts.

Go to an independent shop. You can get the caliper for $125 and to install it should be no more than 1 hour labor. It really only takes like 20 mins.

Did they tell you why you need a new caliper? Are the brakes sticking? If so, grease the caliper pins.

rxlex300

Thanks hypervish.

Wow! That is quite a difference. It felt unusually high but was not sure.
The brakes are making screeching sound as I drive (not just when braking). They said the caliper has "frozen" pressing brake pads on the rotors, that wore the pads and now it is making the screeching sound.

hypervish

If he said the caliper was "frozen" then that means it's the caliper pins that are stuck. You can grease those, and it should be good, that is after you replace the pads.

rxlex300

Update: Just in case anyone else faces the same situation.
In addition to the caliper and one pad they also changed shims. Forgot to include shims in my original post. So I got the full breakdown as this:

After market rear driver side caliper = $250
Labor for caliper = $130
Brake pad = $99
Shims = $58
Labor for one brake pad and shims = $328 (Not a typo)
Total = $825

Bottomline: My Lexus dealer took me for a ride. Between the huge (double) margin and possibly unnecessary replacement. I don't know if shims had to be replaced or even the entire caliper (as hypervish said).
But as the dealer said "we do not repair anything, if it is not working we replace it" I did not have much choice (time) to take my RX anywhere else. Lesson learned for next time.

JAB

You say brake 'pad.' Are we to conclude that the dealer only replaced the 'pads' on one side in the rear and not both sides?

JAB

The best example of Lexus dealers refusingi to 'repair' anything but simply 'replacing' things is the starter motor. Dealer price for a new starter (including installation) is around $700. A back yard mechanic with the most basic of skills can accommplish the same result with one hour of time and a $7 part. I did about 60K ago; been working fine ever since.

rxlex300

Yes one brake pad... that is because just last month I had all four brake pads replaced at a different shop. And other three are all still fine.

thomas1

funny found an aftermarket caliper loaded with pads for under $60....that means no shims etc needed....

hypervish

Pads come in pairs, for both left and right. Plus even the good one's don't cost $99.
But, at-least you know the job was done right.

AlexusAnja

I don't know how good a "job" he got, but it was some job alright...

And on pads. They comes in pairs of both rear or both fronts, and they are like $60 at Irontoad, so what did they do with the other side, throw it out? So, you got 1/2 as much almost double !!!

ugh... dealers.

rickpark

the tools to do most repairs short of engine and tranny rebuilding.

$865 to replace a single caliper - I can't imagine myself ever paying that much to a dealer since I could probably replace all 4 calipers, rotors and pads for that much.

Once the car is off warranty, not much incentive for me to go to the dealer for anything other than that special part that is not available elsewher.