I have a 2001 Accord EX V6 140k. I was told by the dealer during last oil change to replace brake pads and rotors. I don't usually believe my dealer and get most work (other than oil change and tire rotation) at a local shop where the guys lets me buy the OEM parts on my own and charges only labor at reasonable prices. This mechanic is also recommending changing brake pads (at the least) and even rotors to get that out of the way.

I keep my car in good shape and want to keep using it in the near future. What are my options for buying OEM (or OEM quality) brake pads and rotors. The dealer has the brake pads for $75 (set) and each rotor for approx. $125. With this math, I will be paying close to $650 just for parts. There has to be a better way as I know dealer has NGK iridium spark plugs for $26 (I bought them off advance auto for $7).

Is buying OEM parts off amazon a good idea? Rockauto has OEM quality parts but I have never tried that website. Any ideas where to buy OEM brake pads and rotors?

Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, there are better alternatives. Order the OEM pads from either Benardi or College Hills (there are others too) but don't use OEM disks as they are prone to warp. For disks, if your driving is daily street use, get a quality set of OEM equivalent disks like Brembo from Tire Rack, other suppliers, or even eBay.

 

Brake components are like oil recommendations on here where everyone will have an opinion.

For the rotors, you may want to find out if they can be machined if the rotors are still thick enough to allow machining.

So I'll give my opinion for aftermarket parts. I'd say brembo makes solid OEM quality rotors. Akebono brand OEM-style for the brake pads.

 

I put Wagner ThermoQuiet pads on a couple of Hondas over the years. Good pads for daily drivers.

I've gotten rotors resurfaced with good results (assuming they have enough thickness). But more recently, that is becoming almost equal to the cost of new rotors. I've gotten Brembo and Centric rotors and been happy.

One time I got rotors from a local place, and while they worked OK, they didn't have all the same holes as the OEM. Theres a pair of threaded holes that seem to be useless. But you can stick a pair of bolts into those and use it to push the rotor off of the hub. GOOD for those of us who live where they use salt on the roads in winter...