The Lemon Index$700 middle bill · most between $370 and $1,400
1,861 owner reports on 203 models
Chevrolet Silverado, Honda Accord, GMC Sierra
Owners reported paying a median of $700 for a brake repair, with the middle half of bills between $370 and $1,400. That's 1,861 owner reports on 203 models (1,774 complaints to NHTSA and 87 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $50036%
- $500–$1,00025%
- $1,000–$2,50028%
- $2,500–$5,0008%
- $5,000 and up3%
Share of the 1,861 owner reports in each price band.
Cars where it comes up most
Owner reports per model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more reports.
Every model, what owners paid
| Model | Reports | Middle bill | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Silverado | 233 | $1,000 | $652–$1,600 |
| Honda Accord | 100 | $250 | $200–$476 |
| GMC Sierra | 94 | $1,100 | $685–$1,600 |
| Chrysler Town & Country | 51 | $400 | $338–$649 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 50 | $908 | $502–$1,500 |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 44 | $1,000 | $775–$2,000 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | 42 | $429 | $299–$768 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 41 | $420 | $200–$600 |
| Toyota Camry | 40 | $958 | $412–$2,700 |
| Ford Escape | 39 | $1,200 | $440–$4,800 |
| Toyota Prius | 37 | $2,500 | $1,700–$3,400 |
| Dodge Journey | 36 | $425 | $300–$610 |
| Hyundai Sonata | 32 | $462 | $395–$1,100 |
| Toyota Tundra | 30 | $1,400 | $450–$2,000 |
| Chevrolet Avalanche | 29 | $1,200 | $550–$1,500 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 29 | $453 | $378–$600 |
| Dodge Dakota | 28 | $400 | $170–$800 |
| Ford F-Series | 28 | $775 | $500–$1,100 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 27 | $2,400 | $1,200–$4,400 |
| Ram pickup | 26 | $950 | $295–$1,200 |
| Ford Fusion | 24 | $1,000 | $390–$1,800 |
| Honda Odyssey | 23 | $400 | $226–$720 |
| Toyota 4Runner | 22 | $1,200 | $652–$2,800 |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 20 | $566 | $338–$925 |
| Honda CR-V | 20 | $500 | $386–$1,600 |
| Ford Edge | 19 | $802 | $450–$1,500 |
| Ford Focus | 19 | $483 | $400–$500 |
| Toyota Highlander | 19 | $2,000 | $700–$3,300 |
| Honda Civic | 18 | $284 | $200–$1,100 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 18 | $312 | $120–$619 |
| GMC Yukon | 17 | $1,000 | $509–$1,700 |
| Ford Windstar | 15 | $600 | $350–$1,100 |
| GMC Yukon XL | 14 | $1,200 | $675–$1,500 |
| Ford Freestyle | 13 | $385 | $300–$475 |
| Toyota Sequoia | 13 | $2,000 | $1,000–$2,400 |
| Acura TSX | 12 | $275 | $224–$338 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 12 | $800 | $519–$2,100 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 12 | $1,200 | $750–$1,600 |
| Chevrolet Impala | 11 | $500 | $250–$728 |
| Jeep Cherokee | 10 | $700 | $525–$1,600 |
| Jeep Liberty | 10 | $446 | $350–$575 |
| Nissan Titan | 10 | $728 | $600–$1,200 |
| Honda Pilot | 9 | $600 | $478–$700 |
| Nissan Altima | 9 | $400 | $309–$650 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 8 | $750 | $475–$1,000 |
| Chevrolet S-10 | 8 | $198 | $158–$312 |
| Dodge Durango | 8 | $625 | $412–$1,200 |
| Ford Explorer | 8 | $900 | $397–$1,100 |
| Ford Mustang | 8 | $618 | $324–$962 |
| Toyota Corolla | 8 | $697 | $500–$2,400 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 8 | $988 | $338–$1,400 |
| BMW 5 Series | 7 | $800 | $562–$1,700 |
| Buick Century | 7 | $900 | $568–$1,200 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 7 | $500 | $410–$1,100 |
| Hyundai Elantra | 7 | $600 | $450–$925 |
| Kia Optima | 7 | $695 | $231–$750 |
| Lexus RX | 7 | $475 | $331–$5,200 |
| Nissan Maxima | 7 | $150 | $120–$1,200 |
| Subaru Forester | 7 | $600 | $478–$846 |
| Chevrolet Blazer | 6 | $850 | $335–$1,300 |
| Chevrolet Cobalt | 6 | $425 | $175–$465 |
| Chrysler 300 | 6 | $375 | $238–$726 |
| Ford Ranger | 6 | $375 | $312–$700 |
| Kia Sorento | 6 | $522 | $281–$730 |
| Kia Soul | 6 | $1,000 | $625–$7,300 |
| Lexus ES | 6 | $605 | $502–$3,900 |
| Mazda6 | 6 | $426 | $317–$769 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 6 | $2,200 | $1,300–$2,900 |
| Nissan Armada | 6 | $400 | $165–$575 |
| Nissan Sentra | 6 | $275 | $175–$332 |
| Subaru Outback | 6 | $1,400 | $400–$2,700 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 6 | $700 | $288–$1,000 |
| BMW 3 Series | 5 | $450 | $400–$6,500 |
| Cadillac CTS | 5 | $800 | $600–$1,000 |
| Chevrolet Cavalier | 5 | $348 | $250–$400 |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 5 | $380 | $200–$700 |
| Ford Taurus | 5 | $1,200 | $1,100–$1,500 |
| Mazda Tribute | 5 | $700 | $485–$877 |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 5 | $900 | $570–$1,100 |
| Toyota Sienna | 5 | $970 | $235–$1,000 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 5 | $330 | $200–$800 |
| Chrysler Pacifica | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Charger | 4 | too few for a range | |
| GMC Jimmy | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Honda Fit | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Genesis | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Lincoln MKX | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mazda3 | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mini Cooper | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Mitsubishi Montero | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan 350Z | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Murano | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Acura RDX | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Audi A4 | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Buick Rendezvous | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Cadillac DeVille | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet Express | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Chevrolet HHR | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Dodge Neon | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Expedition | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Fiesta | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Kia Sedona | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Lincoln MKZ | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mazda CX-5 | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Mitsubishi Galant | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Nissan Frontier | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Saturn Vue | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Volkswagen Atlas | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Volvo XC90 | 3 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 94 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Related repairs
Steering rack replacement $2,000 · ABS module replacement $2,000 · Steering column repair $1,100 · Strut and shock replacement $900 · Brake booster replacement $1,000 · Wheel bearing replacement $600 · Control arm replacement $850 · Brake master cylinder replacement $1,000
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11776370, 11766969, 11766629, 11766522, 11764312, 11763607, 11762184, 11760935, 11757161, 11756700, 11754477, 11752674 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $50 ▶ · $50 ▶ · $50 ▶ · $50 ▶ · $60 ▶ · $65 ▶ · $70 ▶ · $70 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a brake repair cost?
Owners reported a median of $700, and the middle half paid $370 to $1,400, from 1,861 owner reports on 203 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a brake repair most?
The most owner reports come from the Chevrolet Silverado, Honda Accord, GMC Sierra. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do brake repair costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 1,774 complaints to NHTSA and 87 YouTube videos: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.