Shop recommended maintenance, your opinions please

If it needs it. I've never seen a place offering removal of calipers and lubing everything.
There's a thing called caliper service, you don't just throw new parts at something unless profit is the primary aim.
One of my cars, it's the most dear to me for just this reason, is 33yrs old, 21yrs owned by fastidious me.
Original brake parts, front rotors skimmed once, other than that pad slaps, rear drums seem to coincide every other.
Original rotors and drums. What I've found was, if you let brakes get past the pads/drums you have a problem so never ever let them grind.

Be proactive, pads are cheap, a quick spin on a lathe is cheap, buy your tech lunch, don't try to advise him, let him work.
In and done in 2hrs and he'll be happy if the car is clean and cool when the wheels come off :cool:
 
I have a 2019 - same car but mine is FWD.

If they actually remove the calipers and lube everything that doesn't seem like a bad price. Its not a service in the manual. If you get lots of salt might be worth it. If not I would pass as you will likely need new pins when you need new pads anyway.

The rear diff is a required service as posted. I am not a big fan of BG but its just diff fluid so sure. I think the price is in line.

Aside from that 40K for diff service is appropriate, cleaning and lubricating contact points is appropriate for the mileage, I would go a step further being 40,000 miles get the transmission serviced, however I do not suggest using multi-vehicle ATF in these transmissions and considering they are a BG service provider that is exactly what they will use unless you can get them to agree otherwise.
I agree with this, there have been a few failures of the 8 speed supposedly. I did a fill and spill on mine at 50K and the fluid coming out looked as good as the new stuff going in, but I think its worthwhile.
 
Take your shop’s recommended up sell to different independent mechanics for second opinion. The ones who say “you don’t need that” are generally ones to trust.
At the prices given it’s not a tremendous upsell but I get it every additional buck raked in counts. After all they have to pay for that BG machine like I mentioned earlier the lack of following the manufacturers use of fluids or using ceramic brake grease in place of Toyota’s spec for a 100% silicone lubricant is bothersome.
 
I have a 2019 - same car but mine is FWD.

If they actually remove the calipers and lube everything that doesn't seem like a bad price. Its not a service in the manual. If you get lots of salt might be worth it. If not I would pass as you will likely need new pins when you need new pads anyway.

The rear diff is a required service as posted. I am not a big fan of BG but its just diff fluid so sure. I think the price is in line.


I agree with this, there have been a few failures of the 8 speed supposedly. I did a fill and spill on mine at 50K and the fluid coming out looked as good as the new stuff going in, but I think its worthwhile.

At the prices given it’s not a tremendous upsell but I get it every additional buck raked in counts. After all they have to pay for that BG machine like I mentioned earlier the lack of following the manufacturers use of fluids or using ceramic brake grease in place of Toyota’s spec for a 100% silicone lubricant is bothersome.
What's fair for a square brake job on your cars?
Only asking to get a baseline.
 
What's fair for a square brake job on your cars?
Only asking to get a baseline.
Not sure have never needed to price this out I do my own brake work. But $130 out the door tax and shop supplies sounds very reasonable especially all four corners shops my way I want to say from talk I hear could charge upwards near $120/hr. $65 per axle is cheap for a shop but you pay for what you get. If that brake maintenance goes skipped ceramic grease = no bueno MIL will be buying a brake job and possibly calipers much sooner.
 
All 4 wheels? Full job or pad slap?

What car? This one? Probably $1000 +/-. @AutoMechanic might know?

Not sure have never needed to price this out I do my own brake work. But $130 out the door tax and shop supplies sounds very reasonable especially all four corners shops my way I want to say from talk I hear could charge upwards near $120/hr. $65 per axle is cheap for a shop but you pay for what you get. If that brake maintenance goes skipped ceramic grease = no bueno MIL will be buying a brake job and possibly calipers much sooner.
You're beyond fair.
Was just asking.
I get front discs and rear drums done for very cheap.
I'm easy on brakes so it's always been pads and shoes, occasional light skim to resurface.
 
You're beyond fair.
Was just asking.
I get front discs and rear drums done for very cheap.
I'm easy on brakes so it's always been pads and shoes, occasional light skim to resurface.
Don’t buy a 20+ Nissan I never seen vehicles eat through rear brakes not necessarily the rotors the pads are undersized and over worked
 
I don't think it's too early for diff service. Most break-in occurs in the first 5K. It should ideally be changed shortly after 5K to remove break-in debris.
 
If you're in the rust belt cleaning and lube of the brake pins is not a bad idea yearly. Depending upon the price of the service it may not be cost effective at a shop. But definitely a DIY good thing to do.

Change of diff gear oil is not a bad idea. Hopefully they use a synthetic gear oil.
 
I won’t comment on the brake service, but did they only do the rear differential?
I believe the rear differential and transfer case combined hold 1 quart. So 1 quart would be enough to service both. (Gear oil 75W90 - 3 = $50.97. 3 quarts @ 16.99 each? Where’s all of that going? 🤔)
If that’s just the rear being done, that’s too much. Pop a couple of plugs loose, drain, refill with 1/2 quart, replace washers, done. (Easier than an oil change.)
 
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Don’t buy a 20+ Nissan I never seen vehicles eat through rear brakes not necessarily the rotors the pads are undersized and over worked
My 2002 Jeep WJ did that. Every 30K mostly highway miles. Known problem for some reason.

My Nissan's last 100K under same use - but there older Nissan's

Which models, just because I am curios?
 
My 2002 Jeep WJ did that. Every 30K mostly highway miles. Known problem for some reason.

My Nissan's last 100K under same use - but there older Nissan's

Which models, just because I am curios?
2020 Sentra and 2024 rogue the vehicle’s stability program can not be turned off the trace control as on my older no longer owned rogue.
 
Recently, my Toyota Venza AWD transfer & rear differential gear oil was changed for $60 cash. I supplied the Mobil 1 Delvac 75w-90 oil with gaskets.

Toyota AWD systems don’t have a transfer case.

Rear diff? Yes!

You have a transfer case if you have one of their trucks that has 4WD.
 
I definitely would not do the brake clean and lube service, unless there is massive, and I MEAN massive, rust. Otherwise, those things should be done when the pads are replaced. There's no way that I would pay $130 to have that done without the pads, which if they're removing the calipers, takes literally single-digit minutes to do while they're doing that much, though then I'd expect them to overcharge for pads too, so I'd wait and get the brakes done with at least pads if not rotors at a later date - this assuming she has no braking issues at present.

The BG rear diff service is over-priced for what it is, but that's about what you'd expect from shops these days, not so unreasonable in this context. Research in an owner's forum, what mileage the real recommended change interval is - some can't go more than 30K mi and some can go past 100K (arguably, depends on driver, severe service level, and climate too)

I suppose one way of looking at it is how much you are going to participate in this vehicle's maintenance. Everything she has done at a shop is less work for you, even if that work is only to find a different shop. On the other hand, there is much savings to be had by DIY and doing your own inspection and based on that, the decision of what really needs done now vs later, if at all.

Would I get those things done, paying a shop premium at 40K mi? No, I don't pay for elective maintenance before the due mileage or state of needing it. I would have at least consulted you or planned to wait till the next oil change if you were busy at the time.
Very true. One can always save $$$$ if-when a DIY is possible. I did my own and family & friends for years until health issues put a stop to my home shop work.

A local shop had given my M-I-L a worksheet for brake work (since I was tied up working overtime) once that was over $1000. It was not a must do now job. This was very long ago. Those days normal brake jobs with no special needs could be obtained for less than $300 front or rear. Today? What is it .... $1200 they try to charge per axle?

So I went to the shop and walked around her vehicle with the (clearly-non-mechanic) service writer. When I got thru with him "we don't need this.... we don't need to touch that etc..." the job went down from his estimated $1000 to $1200 to less than $300. I told him "thanks, I think I will be taking the car home now - don't touch it." I ended up doing her brakes myself that time for less than $200.
It is a shame but it is the way at some places. When service writers suddenly assume the customer does not know much about their vehicle .... the price and job scope seems to always expand. What is really sad, every time I have found shops with fair service writers who do not pad the jobs, somehow they do not end up lasting long.
 
Insanity. Since when does a Rav 4 have a :LS diff? Cost way out of line. Should be $60 add if on the lift.

Pre service brakes with no trouble indication? Maybe if you do a lot of steep mountaneous driving in severe winter weather - and they did what they say but they should bleed out the calipers also. Reads like - MONEYGRAB

Last fall I crawled under my wife's Subaru and drained the rear diff and squeezed a juice bag of Valvoline synthetic in there for 15 bucks parts and 15 mins of my time. Easier and cheaper by 50% than an SS oil change.

Wife was at the Subaru dealership last Thursday for other factory rec maint. They said she needed spark plugs.
Advanced O.E Ir/Ruthenium fingernail plugs at 60k? That' reads like an old Pt plug interval.

Push to 90K? is my tendency here. We passed for now.
 
@dishdude
Now that some of us have weighed in, what are your thoughts on it? Where does this Rav4 live? It's not down in the valley since they swapped snow tires for all-seasons.
 
What dealer? The one here in the Cleveland area quoted $150/axle to clean/lube the brake calipers. I think they identify vehicles that need it when the wheels start to stick/not turn freely.
 
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