How Long Does It Take to Replace Brakes on a Car? Labor Times

Maker labor-time guides put front brake pad replacement at 0.4 to 1.6 hours and rear pads at 0.7 to 0.9 hour, depending on the vehicle and whether rotor work is included. Those figures come from warranty bulletins written for professional technicians, so they describe a shop allowance, not a DIY stopwatch. Below: the published times side by side, what changes them, and the jack and electric parking brake cautions to read before any wheel comes off.

Table of Contents

How Long Does It Take to Replace Brakes?

The honest answer is a range that depends on the car and the job. The only published hours read for this guide come from maker service bulletins, listed in the next section. A bulletin gives one allowance for one named job on named models, so treat each number as a sample, not an average.

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Time Comparison Table

Five maker bulletins on NHTSA’s site list brake pad labor operations with hours. Every row is a warranty allowance for the repair named in that bulletin, on the models named.

Maker bulletin	Vehicles	Job named in the bulletin	Labor time
GM 21-NA-142 (Feb 2023)	Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Blazer, Cadillac XT5	Front disc brake pads replacement and scuff both front rotors	1.1 hr
GM 21-NA-142 (Feb 2023)	GMC Acadia	Same operation	1.2 hr
GM 21-NA-142 (Feb 2023)	Cadillac XT6	Same operation	1.6 hr
GM 17-NA-326 (Dec 2019)	Buick LaCrosse	Rear disc brake pads replacement	0.9 hr
GM 17-NA-326 (Dec 2019)	Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain	Rear disc brake pads replacement	0.7 hr
FCA 05-002-14 (Apr 2014)	2013 Dodge Dart	Replace front disc brake pads	0.4 hr
FCA 05-011-15 (Oct 2015)	2013-2015 Dodge Dart	Replace front pads and rotors, set	0.8 hr
FCA 05-009-15 (Oct 2015)	2015 Ram ProMaster City	Replace front pads, set, right and left	0.7 hr

Source documents: GM bulletin 21-NA-142 (the others are GM 17-NA-326 and FCA bulletins 05-002-14, 05-011-15 and 05-009-15, all on NHTSA’s technical service bulletin pages). One caution from the arithmetic: on the Dart, 0.8 hour for pads plus rotors is twice 0.4 hour for pads alone, but the two bulletins fix different noise concerns, so that is a comparison of two allowances, not a rule for all cars.

Two mechanics working under a car raised on a two-post lift in a shop — A car raised on a two-post lift in a shop. The GM bulletins read for this guide say they are written for professional technicians.

What a Labor-Time Allowance Is and Is Not

It is a warranty figure. The FCA bulletins say the repair is reimbursable within the provisions of the warranty, and the Dart pads-only line is rated skill category 4, Chassis Systems, level 2 (Skilled).
It is tied to one bulletin. The GM bulletin states its labor operation is unique to the bulletin and for bulletin use only.
It is not written for DIY. The GM bulletins say they are intended for professional technicians, not a do-it-yourselfer.
It can change. GM’s revision history for 21-NA-142 lists an April 14, 2022 revision that increased the labor time and replaced the labor operation number. The allowance was raised after the bulletin’s June 2021 release.
It may include more than the pads. In the GM front pad operation the hours cover replacing the pads and scuffing both front rotors, and the bulletin’s procedure also calls for a burnishing procedure of at least 20 stop events.

None of the five bulletins gives a figure for waiting-room time, appointment time or how long a first-time DIY job takes, so this guide does not either.

Front vs. Rear Brakes: Why Rear Jobs Can Take Longer

The bulletins above do not show rear pads taking longer: the rear pad allowances (0.7 to 0.9 hour) sit below the GM front allowances (1.1 to 1.6 hours), though the GM front figure also covers scuffing the rotors and the vehicles differ. Where rear jobs do add work is the electric parking brake, or EPB.

Volvo’s technical journals TJ 27500 (2013) and TJ 27500.6.0 (2016) say that on a car with an EPB it is required to retract the rear caliper pistons by a special service command in VIDA when replacing the rear brake pads.
The same journals say the pistons may not retract at all, or may not retract completely, which makes it impossible to remove the rear pads from the caliper. They name an electrical or communication fault or a seized piston as causes.
The 2016 journal adds that replacing the rear brake pads before they are totally worn down reduces the risk of a seized caliper piston.
The 2013 journal lists a Volvo Standard Times Guide operation, troubleshooting parking brake, at 0.2 hour, and says the parking brake module shuts off current to the caliper actuators if the draw is above 1 amp for more than 5 seconds.
Hella’s brake pad assembly page says some pad sets come with product-specific instructions that point to the necessity of a diagnostics device.

These are Volvo and Hella statements. Other makers do it differently, and none of these sources is a procedure for your car. Your owner’s manual and your maker’s service information are the authority on the method, and a shop with the right scan tool is the other route. The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu manual also notes that when electrical power is insufficient the EPB cannot be applied or released, which is one reason to read how to check car battery health before a rear brake job on an EPB car.

What Else Changes the Time

From the sources read, these are the documented factors, not a full list:

Rotor work. GM includes scuffing the front rotors in its front pad operation, and FCA lists pads and rotors together as a separate 0.8 hour operation on the Dart.
Hardware that comes with the kit. FCA 05-002-14 says to install new spring clips, and the pad kit includes them. FCA 05-011-15 says the brake caliper adapter bolts are one time use only, so they are discarded and replaced with new ones.
Electric parking brake service. See the rear brake section above.
Pad condition. The Malibu manual says brake pads should be replaced as complete sets, and that continuing to drive on worn-out pads can lead to costly brake repair.
Brake fluid level. The Malibu manual says the reservoir level drops with normal lining wear and goes back up when new linings are installed, and to add or remove fluid only when work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
Bedding in. The GM bulletin’s procedure includes at least 20 stop events for pad and rotor burnishing.

Heavily rusted brake rotor lying among scrap suspension parts — A rusted brake rotor from a scrap pile. A rotor’s surface condition is something the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu manual says to inspect with the pads.

None of the maker documents read here puts a number on rust or a seized caliper, so ask a shop what its quote includes.

Safety First: Jacks, Jack Stands and Brake Parts

This part is safety-critical. It comes from an owner’s manual and a jack maker’s manual, not from habit.

The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu owner’s manual says getting under a vehicle lifted on a jack is dangerous, that if it slips off the jack you could be badly injured or killed, and never to get under a vehicle supported only by a jack.
The same manual says a jack supplied with the vehicle is designed only for changing a flat tire, and that lifting a vehicle to do maintenance or repairs is dangerous without the appropriate safety equipment and training.
The Harbor Freight floor jack manual (item 64543) says a floor jack is a lifting device only, to support the vehicle immediately after lifting, and never to work on, under or around a load supported only by the jack.
That manual says to use hard, level surfaces, set the parking brake and chock the wheels that are not being lifted, and to lift only at the locations the vehicle maker specifies.
It says to use a matched pair of jack stands per vehicle to support one end only, with the vehicle support points fully seated in the saddles of both stands.
The Malibu manual says to always replace brake system parts with new, approved replacement parts, and that the wrong or contaminated brake fluid could lead to loss of braking. For that car it specifies GM approved DOT 3 fluid, and its schedule says to replace brake fluid every five years. Your manual names your fluid.

When the brake wear warning sound is heard, the Malibu manual says to have the vehicle serviced. If you are unsure at any step, stop and ask a qualified technician.

Related Brake Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Replace Brakes on a Car?

The maker labor-time allowances read for this guide run from 0.4 hour for front pads on a 2013 Dodge Dart to 1.6 hours for front pads plus rotor scuffing on a Cadillac XT6, and 0.7 to 0.9 hour for rear pads on three GM models. Those are warranty labor allowances for professional technicians. Your car, your shop and your own experience set the real time.

Can I Replace Brakes Myself?

Maker and parts sources read for this guide are cautious. GM states its bulletins are for professional technicians, not a do-it-yourselfer, and Hella says the information on its brake pad page is for suitably qualified personnel only. If you do the job, the jack and jack stand cautions above come first, and your owner’s manual and service information are the authority for your car.

Should I Replace Rotors with Pads?

The sources read give no universal rule. The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu manual says to inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors for surface condition. In FCA bulletin 05-011-15 the maker replaced front rotors and pads together on the Dart for a noise concern, with a labor allowance of 0.8 hour.

Why Do Rear Brakes Sometimes Take Longer Than Front Brakes?

With an electric parking brake, the rear pistons may need a scan-tool command before they can be retracted. Volvo’s technical journals say retracting the rear pistons by a special service command is required when replacing rear pads on EPB cars, and that the pistons may not retract completely or at all. That is a Volvo statement; other makers differ, so follow your own service information.

How Do I Know When to Replace My Brakes?

The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu manual says disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning sound when pads are worn and new pads are needed, and that when the sound is heard the vehicle should be serviced. Your own manual describes your car’s warning signs.

What This Guide Does Not Cover

Repair prices; ask a shop for an estimate.
Step-by-step brake procedures, torque values and scan-tool commands for a specific car; use your owner’s manual and your maker’s service information.
DIY timing for a first-time job; none of the sources read gives it.

Conclusion

Published maker allowances put front pad replacement between 0.4 and 1.6 hours and rear pads between 0.7 and 0.9 hour on the models listed, and those are shop allowances, not a DIY clock. Rotor work, an electric parking brake and replacement hardware are the documented reasons a job runs longer. Whatever the clock says, support the car on jack stands at the maker’s support points, never on a jack alone, and use your owner’s manual as the final word.