Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Brake repairs can take anywhere from 15 minutes to eight hours. They’re usually going to take around one to three hours on average.
There are a variety of brake repair types to consider, with some taking longer than others. Replacing brake pads or shoes is usually (but not always) relatively easy while fabricating new brake lines or replacing the brake master cylinder usually takes longer.
Some cars are harder to work on than others. Stripped lugs or rusted parts may need extra work to remove. And some shops will perform extra services too, like lubricating calipers or carefully inspecting rotors to see if they need replacing.
Something like a simple pad slap—quickly swapping out brake pads—doesn’t take much time. But you don’t just want the pads swapped. A
will inspect the braking system and make sure the car is safe to drive otherwise.
How busy is the garage that day? If they have lots of cars to work on, handling them in the order they were received, you might end up waiting a bit. And the on-hand availability of parts is important to consider too. They might need to order more parts, and that can take time.
Always try to get two quotes when you’re taking your car in for service: how much it’s going to cost, and how long the repair is going to take. And don’t be afraid to shop around for a better deal!
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