Local Toyota shop wants around $850 to replace four brake pads and resurface the rotors.
A local independent shop wants $300-$340 to replace four rotors. They say the no longer resurface rotors, that few shops do, because of the labor price involved—that it is cheaper in the long run to simply buy new pads more often.
What do you think?
You have omitted some information.
New rotors for most cars are inexpensive enough that it doesn't make economic sense to resurface the old ones. Also the rotors on a lot of today's cars are pretty thin and don't really have enough "meat" on them to resurface, which of course involves grinding away a layer of metal.
The Toyota dealer price is just stupid. Go with the independent shop.
Just buy new ones.
On modern cars, it’s usually more cost effective to replace with new rotors. But please get them done at an independent mechanic if you are not comfortable doing them yourself. Never go to a Toyota stealership for work that you have to pay for.
It's a Lexus RX350. No idea what new rotors will run. My question is very general, however. I'm just trying to get a consensus as to the general practice these days.
Any good brand of rotor should be fine, you don't necessarily need to use OEM. Brake rotors are virtually all made in China now but the difference is in the materials specified and the company keeping close tabs on what the factory is doing, so you don't want to use some no-name white-box part. (I mostly use Brembo rotors, a European brand but they are made in China.)
Last shop I saw that did resurfacing charged $3 if you brought them in....that was 20 years ago. For $17 more you can buy a rotor.
If you really want to save a ton buy some duralast "lifetime warranty" rotors/pads & replace them yourself. It'll cost maybe 1/4 of the cheaper quote, if that.
There's TONS of model specific videos on YouTube & it's any easy job for just about anyone unless you're crippled with arthritis or missing a hand.
You can also rent the tools at AutoZone.
I resurfaced them on my camaro (2000), it was cheaper than buying new rotors & still got alot of life out of them. So, it depends.
It's a Lexus RX350. No idea what new rotors will run. My question is very general, however. I'm just trying to get a consensus as to the general practice these days.