I want to get brakes and rotors on my car replaced. I would prefer buying the parts myself and then having a mechanic replace them.
You can certainly do that, but most shops will not use your parts, and if they do, they may not warranty the work done… Most repiar shops already know what is the best brand and level (good, better, best) of parts for your vehicle, if they install you parts and there is an issue with the parts, are you willing to pay them again to do the job again when it was not their fault? Or if the parts you got were wrong and they have a bay tied up waiting on you to go get the hopefully correct parts this time, are you going to pay them extra for them loosing money over your wrong parts?? It is best to almost always let the shop do everything… Turn key job…
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Thank you both for the excellent advise. I wish I had a diy’er near me that I could rely on for these little things that cost way too much at the shop. I suppose for the headache involved in getting some neighbour to do it vs the shop, its worth it to take it into the shop.
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Is it that you want a particular brand of brake parts to be used?
Brakes are pretty important. Going is optional, stopping is not!
It is best to have a knowledgable shop buy the right, high quality parts and install them properly if you are not the DIY type.
By the way… those much cheaper parts sold on Ebay or Amazon might be counterfeit or just plain junk. That is why they are cheap.
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do not . . . UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES . . . have anybody install Wagner Thermoquiet brake parts
Sadly, it’s a very popular option, but I would make absolutely sure they’re not going to use it
Ask questions beforehand
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Find a shop you trust, and trust them to install good parts.
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Concur, that’s the only way to go. Or stop.
I wouldn’t buy parts unless I do the work myself. If a shop accepted your parts, they wouldn’t guarantee them even though they would guarantee their work. If you have a problem and take it back to them and they tell you it was the parts, what do you do then?
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The ONLY time it makes sense to ask a professional mechanic to install parts which you would supply is if the vehicle in question is rare, and parts must be ordered online with a long shipping delay. For example, I drive a 2002 Daewoo Lanos. Certain parts for this car must be ordered online from far-away countries, and take a long time to arrive. For example, when I had the struts done, I ordered the strut mounts online…from a company in eastern Europe. When I needed an OEM radiator (which I installed myself), I ordered that online…from a company in Korea.
For a super-common model such as a Toyota Sienna, I’d trust the pro’s to purchase good quality parts. They have access to suppliers who offer good quality parts, since their customers (professional repair shops) depend on the quality and performance of these parts.
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I get why you’d want to buy the parts yourself as sometimes Indy shops install very cheap aftermarket parts on customers vehicles. I was the victim of this when I had Mavis replaced brake and rotors on my 2010 Camry.
In a matter of days the rotors changed from beautiful chrome to hideous orange ( brown ish ) color. So much rust that I had to bring back the car to Mavis and demand a refund.
But like the guys on here say: having the shop provide parts will most likely result in your favor should things go south.
Btw: I tried another Indy shop when I had a 2012 Camry and the shop installed the brake pads incorrectly which resulted in squeaking. Since then I just stick with the dealer.
I guess my warning about Mavis came too late for you to avoid that joint.
Mavis is a chain store, not an independent shop.
#1 - If you’re not qualified to do your own brake job, then why do you think you’ll know more than the mechanic doing the work and what components work best. A good independent mechanic usually buys quality parts from a trusted parts supplier.
#2 - If you still think you know better than the mechanic, then instead of buying the parts ahead of time - Ask him to use these parts (or at the very least what he thinks of those parts).
I’ve used Thermoquiet many times on my vehicles with ZERO issues. With that said - I’m just a back-yard mechanic who only works on my own cars and some relatives. db4690 is a REAL mechanic with more experience. And thus the reason you should listen to him instead of me or your friend(s). db4690 isn’t making any money on any parts you buy or don’t buy.
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I used the Thermoquiet pads in my 2005 Accord and they worked well for me with no noise.
+1
Nuff said.
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Bringing your own parts is typically not going to fly with any chain shop and is usually not happening with independent shops. Some will allow it with the understanding that there is no warranty involved. Some may allow if they are okay with the quality of the parts you’re bringing in. I use a shop that usually doesn’t allow people to bring in their own parts. But they usually allow me to be an exception because over the past 20 years, the parts I’ve brought in are either equal or superior to OEM, and there’s never been an issue. I’m not bringing in white box crap from Ebay or whatever. And they understand that I’m a bit more knowledgeable than the typical customer, plus my employer has a business relationship with their shop, and I leave a box of doughnuts for them whenever I bring a vehicle in.
In your case, I would asking the shop(s) you’re considering using if they’ll allow you bring your own brakes in before you purchase the parts.
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My shop knows I do a lot of my own work. I have on occasion intended to do something that I ended up not having time to do, so the part was turned over to my shop. They have never done anything more than mark the invoice “customer supplied part”, and we have never had an issue. If there is any question about the quality or fit of your part, don’t do it. If you have some reason to want a particular part then I’d talk about it before the work begins. I get it if a shop doesn’t want to stand behind or even use a customer supplied part.