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Your car’s brake booster allows you step on the pedal lightly to create a lot of power to stop or slow your car. That means that you don’t have to do much to get your powerful, very heavy vehicle to come to a stop. It’s the booster that is sending additional power to the braking units when you press down on the pedal, giving them the extra force they need to slow the car.
To have your brake booster replaced, you are looking at a cost somewhere between $300 and $700 for the majority of cars. There are some outliers, of course, but on average, you will pay somewhere in that range. Labor costs tend to range between $100 and $170, while parts can cost as little as $150 or as much as $500.
Brake Booster Replacement Cost Comparison
Your Mechanic
| Work | Warranty | Price |
| Parts & Labour | 12 months | $210-$1313 |
Midas
| Work | Warranty | Price |
| Parts & Labour | 12 months | $245-$1265 |
Mr. Tire
| Work | Warranty | Price |
| Parts & Labour | 12 months | $230-$1399 |
NAPA
| Work | Warranty | Price |
| Parts & Labour | 24 months | $211-$1359 |
Walmart
| Work | Warranty | Price |
| Parts | Limited | $108-$699 |
Amazon
| Work | Warranty | Price |
| Parts | Limited | $99-$742 |
What Is Brake Booster Replacement?
The braking booster will need to be replaced as soon as you know something is wrong. Don’t drive it to a mechanic, but call one to come to where you are so that you don’t put yourself in danger.
It shouldn’t take long for the mechanic to figure out if it is the booster that’s causing the trouble. More than just the booster may need to be replaced, however, if the problem has been going on for a while without you noticing. You may need to have the brake pads or other parts of the braking system fixed. Even tires and other connected car parts may have suffered damage, if the braking booster hasn’t been working well for a while.
Benefits of Brake Booster Replacement
This is a major issue that needs to be fixed right away. Repairing your car’s brake booster means that you will be better able to brake. You will have more control over your car and be able to take corners smoother and slow down easier. You won’t have to fight with the car to get it to respond the way it should. You will also enjoy better fuel economy, as you use up lot of fuel braking and stopping sporadically, as tends to happen when your brakes aren’t working properly.
What Happens during Brake Booster Replacement?
The mechanic will have to diagnose the problem differently based on the kind of braking system you have. Vacuum boosters work differently from hydraulic ones, and it may take longer to determine the problem with a vacuum brake.
To replace the brake booster, the mechanic will have to take out the master braking cylinder as well as the hydraulic lines and booster vacuum (in a vacuum-based braking system). Then he will be able to remove the braking booster. Once that’s out, he can put in the new one and reattach all the parts he had to remove.
Your mechanic will then test the brakes to ensure everything is connected properly and that it works the way it should. This will almost always include a road test to see how the vehicle performs with the new braking booster.
When to Get a Brake Booster Replacement?
You do not want to drive your car if there is any kind of brake problem. That can be incredibly dangerous and put you at risk for a serious accident. You will most likely notice that there is brake booster problem if the brakes become harder to push and you have to exert more force to get your car to stop than you did before. The brake may even become unresponsive.
In less extreme cases, the engine light will come on and you will suffer from poor gas mileage. It just depends on the kind of braking system you have and the severity of the damage. Whatever the case, you should not drive while there is a braking problem of any kind. Call a mechanic to come to you instead of risking your life and the lives of those around you.
How to Save on Brake Booster Replacement
Only replace the brake booster on your own if you are an experienced mechanic. You don’t want to play around with the braking units, and it’s not a good idea to save some money by doing work yourself that has such dire consequences if it goes wrong.
Your best bet to cut your costs is to compare prices among the different mechanics around you. Check around see who has the best rates but also a good reputation before you make your decision and you can save a bit of money.
Sample Brake Booster Replacement Costs
| Model | Labor | Parts | Total |
| Ford F-Series | $81 – $103 | $138 – $282 | $219 – $385 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | $108 – $138 | $258 – $576 | $366 – $714 |
| Ford Focus | $360 – $459 | $186 – $265 | $546 – $724 |
| Toyota Camry | $243 – $310 | $176 – $956 | $419 – $1266 |
| Toyota Corolla | $252 – $321 | $328 – $676 | $580 – $997 |
| Nissan Altima | $81 – $103 | $138 – $282 | $219 – $385 |
| Honda CR-V | $216 – $275 | $315 – $617 | $531 – $892 |
| Honda Civic | $207 – $264 | $223 – $618 | $430 – $882 |
| Honda Accord | $270 – $344 | $127 – $141 | $397 – $485 |
| Ford Fusion | $360 – $459 | $102 – $186 | $462 – $645 |
