Are Brakes Expensive To Fix? (Real Prices From All 50 States)


After dealing with some issues pertaining to the braking system in my car within the past few weeks, I was dreading taking it into the local shop in fear of how much it would cost. After doing some research, I realized that a lot of other people all throughout the country might be dealing with the same issue. So, I pulled together a list of real prices from all 50 states to fix brakes as a helpful reference for anyone who needs it. 

Are brakes expensive to fix? When The cost of fixing your brakes depends on your vehicle, location, and the type of repair needed.

Real Prices Of Brake Repair (From All 50 States) 

Check out this comprehensive table of real repair costs for the 5 most common brake repairs in all 50 states:

  ROTORS  CALIPERS DRUMS PADS  CYLINDERS 
AL $320 $200 $210 $150 $370
AK $410 $240 $225 $175 $380
AZ $450 $244 $230 $155 $375
AR $300 $210 $245 $150 $370
CA $600 $260 $340 $300 $500
CO $500 $200 $320 $260 $450
CT $450 $215 $245 $265 $400
DE $500 $220 $225 $260 $420
FL $415 $250 $250 $255 $480
GA $320 $225 $230 $150 $380
HI $600 $261 $335 $290 $500
ID $200 $200 $220 $120 $375
IL $375 $230 $235 $165 $390
IN $300 $245 $240 $200 $400
IA $250 $210 $230 $210 $380
KS $200 $200 $220 $130 $370
KY $300 $220 $225 $150 $375
LA $400 $225 $235 $195 $375
ME $450 $245 $250 $200 $410
MD $375 $250 $265 $230 $420
MA $400 $230 $270 $245 $420
MI $300 $215 $210 $155 $380
MN $320 $210 $220 $160 $375
MS $275 $250 $215 $210 $400
MO $200 $235 $230 $180 $390
MT $350 $230 $215 $155 $375
NE $300 $200 $225 $130 $380
NV $500 $250 $265 $265 $450
NH $450 $245 $245 $200 $435
NJ $550 $250 $260 $210 $460
NM $200 $215 $210 $145 $370
NY $650 $261 $340 $300 $500
NC $210 $210 $220 $250 $390
ND $245 $225 $215 $195 $370
OH $250 $200 $235 $200 $385
OK $275 $230 $225 $140 $370
OR $330 $210 $255 $250 $400
PA $400 $250 $260 $200 $425
RI $425 $235 $270 $240 $450
SC $300 $240 $230 $175 $375
SD $250 $235 $220 $130 $370
TN $200 $210 $235 $165 $380
TX $215 $215 $245 $220 $415
UT $245 $210 $230 $200 $410
VT $300 $240 $250 $250 $395
VA $235 $210 $245 $165 $400
WA $300 $235 $300 $220 $450
WV $250 $240 $260 $155 $430
WI $210 $220 $220 $160 $380
WY $230 $210 $235 $175 $375

Keep in mind that the information in this chart is only an average of local prices in the area. Depending on where you go to get it fixed, the individual mechanic may charge you more, less, or somewhere in the middle for each service. 

The results of your search on this chart will, instead, give you a starting point for an average amount of what you can expect to pay. Every repair shop varies, and your brakes may require one or more of the repairs listed.

If you have ever experienced any kind of problem with the brakes in your car that needed fixing, you can probably relate to the stress that comes alone with it, especially if you have never dealt with this problem before. For those who are doing this for the first time, or would just like to find out the average cost of brake repair relative to location, you have come to the right place. 

Now that you’ve got a good idea of what the cost is to fix your brakes let’s break down those prices and dive into some of the details.

Are Brakes Expensive To Fix?

When it comes to getting your brakes fixed, there are so many things that can actually be wrong with them. With tons of individual pieces and components that exist and work together within a braking system, any of them can give out or require replacement at virtually any time. 

With that being said, the individual things that can go wrong with your braking system will also affect the price that you pay to get them fixed. So, there is no direct answer to whether or not brakes are expensive to fix. 

However, there are some ways that you can be prepared for whatever the price is going to be. In this section, we will be covering the topic of the factors that must be considered to determine the price of your brake repair. 

The list down below will give you a general reference of what you should be looking for in your own vehicle. Once you find out the exact problem, you can proceed with calculating actual costs. 

Factors To Consider For Brake Repair Cost:

  • Which part/component needs repair 
  • How much damage this component has received
  • Does it need to be repaired or replaced completely?

The first factor to consider for your brake repair cost is which part or component needs to be repaired. Since each piece of the puzzle serves a different purpose within the braking system, it will also come with a different price tag. 

In other words, some parts of a braking system will be more expensive to fix than the others, which is why you should know exactly what you are looking for before you get any deeper into this process. 

Next, you should consider how much damage this component has received. This is the reason why you are getting your brakes fixed, so you should be honest with yourself about how bad the damage really is. 

Obviously, more damage will directly correlate to more repair costs, because it will take more effort and materials to get it back to normal. 

This directly ties in with the next question, which is whether the component needs to be repaired slightly or if the whole thing just needs to be replaced. It goes without saying that a replacement will incur some extra costs in comparison to a simple repair. 

With all of these things considered, you should be able to come up with a realistic expectation of how expensive it will be to fix your brakes. For some additional information on brake damage, I have outlined some of the most common issues with braking systems. 

The 5 Main Brake Repair Components:

  • Rotors 
  • Calipers 
  • Drums 
  • Brake Pads
  • Cylinders 

If you are having some kind of problem with your brakes, it might be a good idea to check for the more specific issue in this next list down below. 

Common Issues With Braking Systems:

  • Worn out brake pads 
  • Damaged rotor 
  • Low brake fluid levels 

One of the most common issues with braking systems is a pair of worn out brake pads. The brake pads within your vehicle will endure a lot of friction and scratching, so it is inevitable that they will become worn out and need replacement sooner or later. 

Similarly, you might have a damaged rotor if you are not careful with your braking system as you are driving. 

On the other hand, an issue with your braking system could be as simple as low levels of brake fluid, which will just require a quick fill up. 

Regardless of what the problem is with your brakes, you will be able to find the exact answers to your price questions that you are looking for in the next section, with specific average prices by state. 

Now that we have established the credentials that will go into coming up with an accurate price estimate for your brake repair, you probably have a good idea of what exactly you are looking to get repaired or replaced. 

Arwood

I'm Arwood, but the grandkids call me Big Papa. After retiring from teaching automotive classes for 30+ years I decided to create a blog about all the questions I used to get about brakes and anything automotive.

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