Did i get ripped off?

So I just got the brake drums and brake shoes on my 1998 honda crv changed (in Montreal, Canada). It is a LX model 4wd. What I don't get is how come each brake drum costs $164.71. They changed both drums in the back so the total drum costs was 329.42, plus the costs of the brake shoes, labour, taxes and some other fancy stuff, bringing the total cost to 659.89 cdn. Yes, rear brakes only! Now, I don't know a whole lot about car parts and their costs - but that sounds like alot to me. So car connaisseurs - did I get ripped off (by Honda)?Did i get ripped off?Dealer prices are higher than those charged by independent shops. The Honda factory parts are more expensive than comparable aftermarket parts.



I can buy the brake drums (retail) for about $43 USD each from an aftermarket parts store. A shop would charge more, but the drums would be about $60 each.



You paid more because you took the car to the dealer.Did i get ripped off?Regardless of the model car a drum brake is a drum brake. They usually don't need changing unless you damaged them in some way. One way is to drive with worn out brake pads this would dig deep grooves into the otherwise smoother inner surface of the drum. If you damaged the drums to the point where they could not be repaired but had to be replaced you probably paid on average what that job is worth considering the cost of auto repairs. If they replaced good brake drums to hike the price then I would say you were ripped off. If your in doubt about the old drums ask them if they are still around, and look at them yourself the inside should be smooth.Did i get ripped off?Yes,you got ripped.Go to a local parts store and have them give you a printed price of the items.The shop will use the retail figure,not the parts store price to you,but these drums are around $50 at most.Then take it to a lawyer.Did i get ripped off?parts for Hondas are expensive. I'd say (without knowing the exchange rate) that $660-canadian is just about right but I don't know what %26quot;other fancy stuff%26quot; is. sometimes %26quot;fancy stuff%26quot; may be necessary for the repair.Did i get ripped off?Don't blame honda...dealerships aren't owned by corporate (usually). It's really you're fault for taking an old vehicle to the dealership to get work done. Any grease monkey can install brakes in just about any car. But yeah...you got hosed for a drum brake job.Did i get ripped off?Yes, you did. Here in the states you can buy the drums for $42.99 at autozone. and the shoes for $14.99, Even if you add in a couple hours labor at $75.00 per hour that ends up being less than three hundred dollarsDid i get ripped off?you should have shopped around for different quotes. The shop usually will add $$$ onto the parts even though they purchase at wholesale. Next time get several quotes. You could have probably saved $200 if you shopped around.Did i get ripped off?Never get your car worked on at a dealership unless it's still under warranty,it would cost 1/2 that at a repair shop.That is a LOT of $$$ for 2 brake drums.Did i get ripped off?isnt that like $4 us LOL just kidding...no it sounds like you got hosed.

Rear brakes on my Civic have a squeal noise now when i go to brake hard. How much will it cost to fix?

Does this sound like an issue of pads or could it more likely be the drums going bad? I just recently had just the front pads replaced and i dont have a lot of money to spend. I go to a regular mechanic who is good and trustworthy.



So how much labr time would it take if the drums do need to be changed? I know the front pads only took like 45 minutes for him to do. What should i expect the cost to be? Assuming i have him use the least expensive drums? THanksRear brakes on my Civic have a squeal noise now when i go to brake hard. How much will it cost to fix?Unfortunately, if you are getting a bad squeeking noise from the rear drums; they pads don't have wear indicators on them to let you know when they are going bad so there is a good chance you wore through them and it is the metal backing rubbing on the drums. You might get lucky and it is just dust or other problems like rusted/worn linkages. If you don't trust mechanics; go to a shop that can show you what it looks like when they remove the drum. You'll be able to tell and they'll point out the problem areas. Should be around $100 - $150 for parts and around $125 - $200 for labor.

Dumb question about DIY servicing?

OK, now i've been doing my own car maintenance for a few years now, thought I had the basics down pat. Difference is, coming up for the first major milestone (ignoring 5000 mile oil change due to %26quot;extreme%26quot; i.e. intra-urban conditions) since I treated %26quot;new%26quot; car (and myself) to a dealer service, i've discovered the service book lists a great number of things to look for compared to what i thought was the norm, and it's making my head swim trying to follow down all the columns for all the different models/engines at different mileages...

Roughly what would the experienced spanners out there reccomend I do for a 10000 mile self service? Past oil, filter, airbox, plugs/leads, battery/fluid levels checks, belts, making sure tyres/wheelnuts are OK %26amp; a decent scout around the less commonly seen bits of the body?



(esp. how exactly would you check the front disc/rear drum brakes, previously i've just waited til they squealed/juddered... oops :)



Cheers... you'll help keep a guy safe!

MPDumb question about DIY servicing?The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask!



You didn't mention what year/make your car is. A LOT has changed. Many cars are now built needing very little until mileage is rather high. At 10k miles, I doubt if you need anything but oil change, check air filter, tire pressure, rotate (of course).



Call or go by a dealership and let them highlight which maintenance schedule you should be following.



P.S. - ALWAYS log date/mileage and receipts for warranty purposes...just in case.Dumb question about DIY servicing?Well its an old one, itd be false economy for me to DIY it at 10k from new when most come with 3 yrs free service now. '98 Vauxhall Astra if you must know, coming up on 59k miles now. Already had to do head gasket at 35k... May ask again, with full details, ~June/61k (next checkup approx due then)

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Dumb question about DIY servicing?BTW I know the sched to follow from my logbook, %26amp; can do the big jobs laid out in workshop manual (oil change %26gt; piston rings). Was wondering what %26quot;soft%26quot; checks may be sensible (in general motoring terms), like if shocks need tapping with spanner to see what they sound like, tracking checks etc, lol

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Dumb question about DIY servicing?As for your brakes, you can pull the wheel off the front and check how much pad is left. There is a wear indicator on it that rubs the rotor and makes the squealing sound. if it is touching the rotor, then they need to be changed.Dumb question about DIY servicing?i own a repair shop,and the front brakes have little wear indicate-rs on them,you can look and see how far they are from the rotors,and on the back breaks look and do the same ,if there drum brakes,look and see how much wear is left on them,and as far as the other stuff,just check everything on it,check for loose bolts and grease hinges good ,clean the engine area real good ,just go over the whole thing,you can spend a whole day on it ,and still not get done with all of it,just take your time and look it over real good,im sure you,ll find things to do on it,,,good luck i hope this help,s.Dumb question about DIY servicing?Apart from the mechanical stuff, take a close look at areas that are vulnerable to rust like the underside of the fenders. Clean out the mud and see if there is any rust starting. If there is, remove as much as possible (sandblasting is about the most effective way, but phosphoric acid solutions like Naval Jelly and Ospho will work), then apply some magic rust-converting and protective stuff like POR-15.