Buying Honda Accord brake parts

cabriggs

I just had my '05 Accord EX-V6 at the dealer and they told me my rear calipers are frozen. The pointed out that the rotors are covered in rust, as are the calipers themselves. I can post pictures if it helps. They quoted me $1300 with Honda parts or $1100 with non-Honda parts and I nearly barfed. I called a local mechanic and he asked for $775. Obviously much better but I think I want to do this one myself.

So I found one of Eric's videos where he replaced pads and rotors on my generation of Accord, and another where he shows how to bleed brakes by yourself. I also found a video where the guy does the calipers (and pads and rotors) on my exact car. So I figure I now know enough to do this job. I have the tools and jack stands.

What I haven't figured out is how to know which parts are good. It's easy enough to find listings for calipers, pads and rotors but it's hard to find reviews of them. I found some where the low-cost options have a few reviews where half the people say they're fine and the other half say they rust quickly. I'm in the northeast so we get plenty of wet weather.

I don't need top of the line high-performance parts, but I don't want to buy junk either. How do I find the middle ground of decent parts at a reasonable price?

I don't mind ordering online, but I also happen to have several major parts stores near me, including Advance Auto Parts, Autozone, Carquest, Consumer Auto Parts, NAPA, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Pep Boys, and US Auto Parts. If nothing else, a local store is more convenient for returning the cores after.

So, any advance on which parts/lines fit my range (not crazy expensive, will last a while)? Is my best bet to go to a few stores and ask what's good?

Thanks for any info.

-cb

queenll77

Pep boys. Advanced auto is junk!

winsan

I normally always try to buy OEM parts, especially if the price difference is only 20-30% compared to aftermarket items. You don't have to go to your local dealership. There are plenty of online stores that are actually an arm of a Honda dealership. It's cheaper than if you buy it locally. You can compare total cost of buying the item by going to Amazon, Parts.com, etc.