[pkancel]

My wifes car service indicator light came on at 19k miles that the rear brake pads were due. Not a big deal but this is the first time I hadnt spent more to get the upgraded maintenance. In the past, brake pads were covered and rotors not and I remember back when even rotors were covered as standard part of the maintenance coverage. Now apparently only oil service is standard.

We always service our cars at Irvine BMW but that wont be the case any longer except for warranty items.

Any guesses to how much they quoted for rear brake pad service? I was going to do a poll but lets just get to the chase. I am pretty car savvy but clearly since its been a few years since I had to pay for a service, I had no idea that inflation and cost of doing business has gone thru the roof this much. $625+ tax for a rear brake pad service. Holy hell, what is their hourly rate because it sounds to me like they are charging for 2 hours minimum plus parts and we all know that this job can be done in 30 to 45 min. The good news is I went up the road about a mike from Irvine BMW to an independent shop. The owner used to work for Crevier years ago and started his own shop. $330 for the same service. Appt Friday and he told me I could wait since it will only take about an hour. I know Irvine BMW has huge overhead as do all dealers but thats ridiculous.

[prostcfc]

Honestly that's not bad from a dealer considering an OEM rear overhaul package from Bimmerworld is $420. Dealers in Chicagoland are over $200 an hour now.