The last time I was at the dealership getting my oil changed, they advised me that my brakes pads were nearly worn out, and that I’d need to have them replaced soon — the next oil change visit was probably a good time to do it.
Calling the local Midas shop, I asked for an estimate on all four sets of pads; the polite man on the other end of the call gave me a number one third as much as the dealer.
Here I sit in that man’s shop — the franchise owner — waiting for my car’s pads to be changed. Surprisingly enough, Midas offers lifetime replacement on the pads. I had to ask the owner, John, three times, “I get free pad replacement for the life of the car?” “Yes. It’s our way of earning your return business,” he explained. In most cases, the pads are about half as much as the labor charge on installing them, but in my case, the opposite is true. In any case, it’s still much, much cheaper than going to the dealer.