During regular service, nissan dealer told that my murano’s brake pads and rotors need to be replaced. One option is to to get it fixed with dealer which i think will give me peace of mind.
But if i want to go to independent mechanic shop, how to make sure he is using quality part and not some cheap product. I am new in NJ and can’t trust anybody though get some clues from yelp. There are so many options available on carparts.com/autozone for brake pads/rotors…starting from $80-$300. Are there auto shop which can replace parts of my choice/or i bought it myself ? (like some do for oil change)
Some shops will let you bring parts, but they won’t guarantee them. You could ask them what parts they use, and why the shop thinks theat those parts are right for your car. If they want to stay in business, the shop should use the parts that generate the fewest complaints. In the case of brakes, it is unlikely customers experience failure. More likely they will have short life compared to the last set of pads and rotors, or noises that weren’t there before.
There is a button at the top of the page called “Mechanics Files”. Visitors to Car Talk provide reviews of repair shops, and you might find a good one there. You can also ask everyone you know for an indie shop. Eventually, one or two will show up most and you could try them.
Whenever I’ve replaced brake pad I go to the local auto parts store and ask what the options are, and buy the one in the middle of the price range. Not the least expensive, not the most expensive, one in the middle. That’s my pseudo-scientific approach. But it has always worked for me. So you could surf over to rockauto.com and see what they have available there, taking note of the brands and prices. Then take that list to your shop and ask which options they’ll provide. If they offer one in the middle of the price range list you brought with you, go with it. Suggest not to provide the parts yourself however. When you do that you break the chain of responsibility, and should a problem develop, the shop can blame the part you brought to them, and refuse to fix the problem under their shop-work warranty policy. The shop is probably going to charge you more for the part than you could buy it from rockauto, just accept that is part of the cost of the warranty.
If your Murano is out of Nissan factory warranty, suggest you have this done by a local inde shop rather than the dealership. You’ll probably save some money. Ask friends, coworkers, family which shops they use for their cars, and choose one from that list that specializes in Nissan’s or at least Asian cars.
The other option is that the OP can insist on the most expensive parts. That is no guarantee that those parts are any better, but the Op will feel more in control…until he gets the bill!!!