Unlike brake pads and rotors, brake calipers are one of those non-maintenance items on your vehicle that don’t get replaced on a regular basis. You only need to fix them when they fail. Unfortunately, failing brake calipers are not an uncommon occurrence. They are the hydraulic pistons which clamp your brake pads to the rotor when you step on the brake pedal. Being hydraulic, they have rubber parts which are very susceptible to temperature changes. The amount of heat that is built up when braking is intense. That constant temperature change causes quite a few caliper failures every year. The cost of replacing them may not be a bad number to keep in the back of your mind.

How Will I Know if Brake Calipers Fail?

What Gets Replaced With Brake Calipers?

That depends; there are a couple of variables at work here. The first variable is, what exactly is wrong with the caliper? Is it leaking or did it simply freeze up? Either way it will need replaced, and in all likelihood so will your brake pads. However, if the caliper locked up, chances are it scored your brake rotor to the point that it will need replaced as well. These are typically replaced as a pair just like brake pads. The second variable is how much heat was built up if the caliper did lock up? An excessive amount of heat can damage not only the brake parts, but the rubber boots and seals on the drive axles, electrical parts like ABS sensors, and steering and suspension parts as well.

What If Nothing Extra Was Damaged?

What Else Might I Need to Replace?

(Please remember that these repair prices can also fluctuate based on geographic location, as well as vehicle make and model; and that these numbers represent averages, not actual prices offered at any specific repair facilities.)

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