About how much should I expect a front brake job to cost at the Infiniti dealer? '11 coupe NOT sport

Another other option is to take it to a Nissan dealer I don't particularly like but trust their work.

Pads look pretty well worn, and very slight vibration when I'm braking in my "spirited driving" mode...

 

too much. you can count on that. but why go to a dealer in the first place? if it's just the pads you need, that is a 45 min job to DIY, including wheel removal. 2 out of 10 on the difficulty scale, 1 being the easiest like changing air filters. fronts are actually easier than the rears because you can turn the wheels to get better access to the calipers.

between buying your own parts online and DIY, you'll save hundreds. online pads are about $50-$70 (for the set) and rotors are about the same each. dealer will at least double this, if not more. plus their labour rates using the book will add another ~$150.

alternatively, just buy the parts online and take it to a trusted independent. their labour costs will be a fraction olf the dealers and they'll charge actual time spent, not the book time. count on $30-ish each corner just for pad re+re. if you need rotors too it'll be more like $40-$50 each corner for labour.

 

my dealership asked for around 300 each for the front set and the rear set. obviously i said no. I have the non sport. The pads cost about 70 dollars without tax and the rest for labor. If i were you i'd get the pads from the dealer and get it installed by another mechanic. same exact job. you can do it yourself but if you're not comfortable doing it yourself get the pads from the dealer and get the pads from the dealership and get it installed by another mechanic

 

^ like other members said... dealer = stealership.....they would charge the most if you shopped around for parts and labor before. buy clean used set(aftermarket ones) or brand new one and DIY or take it to a shop. But if you have a good G club ask them for help, pizza and beer and few hours of DIY and talking and chilling... it would be priceless.... ^^ make sure you get used set honed before installing. GL!!!

 

I am still new to the G37, but I would not even consider a pad replacement without replacing/resurfacing the rotors. My last car was a Nissan 350Z and on that the wear allowance on the rotor was 1/32 inch. When it was time to do the pads, the rotors were worn out.

I will also chime in and recommend oem pads. These are the ones the manufacturer tested and approved.. Unless you only drive the car in competition, these have been tested for street driving. My last two cars were performance cars and I wanted to be sure the brakes were up to the car's performance potential.

Regarding the rotors, cast iron is cast iron. IMO, aftermarket is OK. Stay away from drilled rotors, they are weaker and can break.

If you do the job yourself with oem pads I would budget a bit over $150

 

On the G37 I definitely want original Infiniti pads. And I definitely want the rotors resurfaced, since it is vibrating a little bit now when braking. If the infiniti dealer will surface the front rotors and change the front pads, for $300 or less, honestly I will be OK with that. What I fear is that they will say I need a $500 front brake job with rotor replacement like they wanted to do in the past. Then I will probably just go to Nissan.

On my old G35, the infiniti dealer used to tell me that the rotors had to be REPLACED with each brake pad replacement, supposedly because the specification said anything thinner than original was no good. I did not fall for that, and i got the pads replaced and rotors surfaced at a nissan dealer, but they assured me they put nissan/Infiniti [edited for clarity] pads not other brand, and the brakes felt great, like original.

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will get a price quote from them before driving all the way to Infiniti dealer, then $ee if I want to consider other options.

 

i thought drilled rotors were better for stopping power... i was thinking of getting drilled rotors for my next set.... should i stay away?

 

Infiniti pads = Nissan pads. There is no such thing as Infiniti pads. The pads are made by an OE Manufacturer for Nissan.

Often pad deposits are what cause vibration, but I agree that it can be a good idea to have the rotors skimmed when putting on new pads. Any brake shop can do this.

If you don't want to do the pads yourself, the most logical route would then be to buy the parts either online or from a parts shop and take your G in to an independent. It just doesn't make sense to pay dealer labour for such a simple and routine job. It's a job they give the new techs anyways since it is so routine, similar to oil changes almost.

Many online OEM Infiniti parts store are actually rebranded Infiniti dealer parts stores. Take InfinitipartsUSA.com for example. That is actually Infiniti of Scottsdale. Everything comes in OEM packaging as you would get if you went to your local dealer. Check around for pricing if you want OEM stuff. I'm sure you'll be able to realize savings.

 

Most independents will not provide a labor warranty of any kind for customer supplied parts. If your pads squeal you'll be paying additional labor to swap pads out again, even though the pads themselves carry a warranty. IMO, either do it all yourself, or have your laborer provide the parts too.

Also, $300/axle is not bad at all.

 

Of course, I just meant that I want infiniti/nissan parts, and I can trust that a Nissan dealer will use nissan parts, so my brakes work like new.

 

About the only thing "better" than standard cast iron rotors is cryogenically treated (iron) rotors. This process alters the grain of the iron (in a good way).

Drilled rotors were designed years ago with the brake compounds at the time to allow the gases to escape. That isn't much of a problem. Trouble is the holes weaken the rotors. Today it is mainly a "gangsta" thing.

 

Regarding drilled rotors: Drilled rotors are mainly for looks. They do improve initial bite for sure though(with the right pad combo) They are not for heavy track use. I have had drilled rotors for almost 4 year. I have experienced no cracking on any if them. Just be sure to go with a reputable brand. The only time you might worry about cracking is if you are using them for heavy track use or if you go cheap with a company that doesn't drill them properly.

 

infiniti of kirkland once quoted me $2300 for a brake job on some akebonos. i laughed and walked away. haha

 

Do it your self, it takes 1hr at most to do all 4 wheels.