Hi All -

Not being a mechanic nor having the skills or desire to change my own brakes, I priced out front and rear brake jobs including new pads and rotor turning at Lexus, Toyota and a local, well respected independent shop specializing in Lexus and came up w/ the following:

Lexus Dealership - Front $365 Rear $365
Toyota Dealership - Front $275 Rear $275
Local Independent - Front $190 Rear $190

Whoa, that's quite a variance! I expected Lexus to be more but just how much of a better product (if any) could justify the variance? Do these prices sound about right?

TIA for any feedback -

Will and the Fur Crew

 

Seems to match the logic around here. The dealer has a bunch of overhead to pay on the cars sitting out front and margin on sales is down so they make it up in the service dept. My car is out of warranty so there is no reason to return to the dealer until shopping for another car, or a recall repair, or the local radio station is out front giving away food.
Check out "right to repair" legislation in your favorite search engine and formulate your own opinion.

 

I'm sure you could go even lower, simply by buying the parts yourself and giving them to the 'Local Independent'. That removes his 20-40% mark-up.

 

If you go with the indy shop, just make sure they use OEM pads. Other than that, the end result should be the same.

 

First, if your brakes are not grabbing (no warped feel), I wouldn't bother turning them. Turning them (removing material) means they will warp sooner since there's less metal to sink the heat. Second, use OEM LS430 pads. I bought pads from irontoad in PA for $100 for both front and rear axles. Third, you need to also replace the little metal clips that retain the pad wear sensor. Those are like $6/each on discount. They are on the front right and rear right wheels. Fourth, you do not need to replace the shims, but do need to grease them with the special disc brake grease.

I did my pads a few months ago without turning the rotors. The LS is the easiest car to replace the pads. You don't have to unbolt anything other than the wheels! After removing the wheels, you just need a small C-clamp to compress the pistons and needle nose pliers to remove the pad bolts and retainer clip, plus a small screwdriver to remove the pad wear sensor clips.

Also, I bedded the OEM pads for extra measure. To do this, drive on a long, straight road (no traffic lights, no cars). First lightly brake to warm up the rotors & pads. Then accelerate to 60mph, then slam on the brakes firmly (but not so much as the ABS turns on) and slow to about 10mph. Immediately accelerate again to 60mph and brake. Do this about 6 times. Now drive home without coming to a complete stop (at traffic lights, put the tranny in neutral or use the e-brake), let the car sit overnight. You are now ready to drive.

Three months and 2K miles later, the rotors/pads are still true (no warped feeling), brakes work great (flushed the brake fluid; old fluid was 5 yrs old).

If you have the dealer do the work, I'd just have them install the pads and replace the pad wear sensor clips (since to remove them, they get bent out of shape and don't grab very well). I bet the toyota dealer and the independent have never even heard/seen the pad wear clip! BTW, the big factory service manual says the pad wear sensor clips are NOT a reuseable item. Mine had only 26K mi on them but didn't look that great.

 

I brought my pads from a local parts store for like 90 fronts 80 rears lifetime pads, just change them after like 32,000 miles on them without even spending a dime. I would invest in some quality lifetime brakes.

 

Why not Midas?

 

Called the local Midas shop and they quoted me approx. $250. each, front and rear w/ rotor turning. All estimates in my original post including Midas may not include any unforeseen problems they run into once inspected.

Still looks like the independent, using oem pads and specializing in Lexus is by far the best deal.

Thx for yours and others input -

Will and the Fur Crew

 

The ls430 is one of the easy brake jobs to do on a car. If you can change them yourself and save some money. But if you can't independent shop will do.

 

I agree, changing the brake pads are very simple on the LS430. All you need is the tire iron, needlenose pliers to remove the little pin on the spring plate bolt, the back of a screwdriver to push the pistons in, and synthetic brake grease. I didn't use any brake cleaner and reused all other parts when I did mine, no problems that I can tell.

I did have to replace both front rotors several months later due to warping/rusting caused by wear past minimum thickness, age, and salty Canadian winter roads.

Front and rear OEM pads are $50 each at Irontoad, $52 at parts.com, $53 at Lexus of Pembroke Pines, $54 at Sewell.

 

+1 These days it is always best to go OEM pads. I had my fronts replaced (OEM pads)and rotors turned (steering wheel shutter) by an independent for $259 including tax.

 

Pohanka Lexus in Northern VA just qouted me $520 per axle or $1040 total to replace the brake pads and to resurface the rotors!