Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $598–$1,295 · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $658–$1,415 (the headline above) · Dealership (~$175/hr) $823–$1,744. Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
Check a quote against these ranges
This sets your number beside published ranges and owner-written bills. It is not a verdict: ask the shop what the quote includes (parts grade, labor hours, fees, tax). It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How serious did it get for owners?
6% of the 1,106 complaints report a tow, the most common serious outcome; the other outcomes counted below are rarer, and an owner can file without mentioning one.
What it shows: Towed is the largest at 66, followed by Crash reported at 63; the smallest shown is Fire reported at 2.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 50,000-100,000 (46%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 50,000: 43% against 60%.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 3-5 years (45%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 26% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
1,106 owner complaints name this part.
Owners most often describe "recall mentioned", in 32% of these complaints.
Which trouble codes do owners report?
P0556 Brake Booster Pressure Sensor Circuit Range/Performance is the largest group at 6, out of 1,106 complaints.
Trouble codes owners quote in complaints about this part. P0556: Brake Booster Pressure Sensor Circuit Range/Performance: 6 complaints (1%).
What do owners say it led to?
Among the 1,106 owner complaints naming this part, owners most often say lost steering or braking followed.
What owners say happened after the problem. Lost steering or braking: 39 (4%); Loss of power: 12 (1%).
If your car shows the signs above, get it checked before it gets as far as lost steering or braking.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 1,106 owner complaints naming this part, brake master cylinder is named in 27% of them, more than any other part.
Other parts named in the same complaints. Brake master cylinder: 27%; Parking brake: 10%; Brake rotor: 3%.
Owners name the brake master cylinder most often in the same complaint, which is not proof that one caused the other. Ask the shop whether it checked the brake master cylinder too, so you are not quoted twice for one visit.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
25-44 mph is the largest group at 32%, out of 672 complaints.
Owners reported it most often at town speeds. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
2015 is the most common model year in 1,106 complaints naming this part (26%); 3 model years account for 58%.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 285 (26%), followed by 2016 at 201 (18%); the smallest shown is 2024 at 23 (2%).
What do state inspectors fail cars for?
Among 8,738,476 initial safety inspections in North Carolina in 2017, brake components caused 1.9 failed items per 1,000 inspections, fewer than any of the other three parts the state reports.
What it shows: Tires is the largest at 8.5, followed by Lights at 5.2; the smallest shown is Brake components at 1.9.
Have recalls for this part told owners to stop driving?
NHTSA recall notices for this part told owners "do not drive the vehicle" in 2 recall campaigns, covering 18,310 vehicles.
Recalls for this part that told owners to stop driving or park outside. Do not drive the vehicle: 2 recall (18,310).
Do brake booster replacement problems track share of households with three or more vehicles across states?
Share of households with three or more vehicles
Complaints against what the makes sold would predict (1.0× = expected)
left map: lower to higherright map: green fewer complaints than expected, red morefurthest from the pattern: AL, AZ, FL, MD, NM, OH, OK, TN, WIfewer than 10 complaints
This describes states, not any one car, and it does not show that the left measure produces the right one.
Every state with 10 or more complaints, most over-reported first: state, share of households with three or more vehicles, complaints against expected, complaints filed.
- NM 25 · 1.57× · 10
- UT 33 · 1.42× · 12
- MD 22 · 1.37× · 35
- WA 26 · 1.36× · 31
- AZ 22 · 1.35× · 35
- CO 26 · 1.31× · 25
- SC 23 · 1.28× · 26
- TX 23 · 1.24× · 126
- MN 23 · 1.22× · 20
- KS 27 · 1.12× · 10
- VA 26 · 1.10× · 38
- AR 23 · 1.08× · 11
- MO 23 · 1.08× · 24
- FL 17 · 1.08× · 92
- CA 26 · 1.06× · 121
- MI 20 · 1.06× · 51
- IN 24 · 1.05× · 23
- NC 25 · 1.04× · 39
- GA 24 · 1.02× · 42
- CT 21 · 1.01× · 11
- IL 18 · 0.94× · 37
- TN 26 · 0.88× · 21
- LA 18 · 0.83× · 13
- PA 19 · 0.82× · 33
- OK 24 · 0.80× · 10
- AL 26 · 0.79× · 14
- NY 12 · 0.76× · 37
- WI 21 · 0.75× · 15
- OH 21 · 0.72× · 31
- NJ 18 · 0.72× · 20
- MA 17 · 0.55× · 12
What it shows: States with more share of households with three or more vehicles tend to sit higher on the chart across 31 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
- A moderate pattern, probably real but not certain: about 1 in 18 patterns this clear turn out to be false alarms. Weak spot: hold vehicles per household equal and the share of households with 3+ vehicles pattern disappears, so it may be mostly that factor.
Do brake booster replacement problems track elevation range from lowest to highest point across states?
What it shows: States with more elevation range from lowest to highest point (meters) tend to sit higher on the chart across 31 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
- A moderate pattern, probably real but not certain: about 1 in 15 patterns this clear turn out to be false alarms. The rise shows only in the highest third of states.
Do brake booster replacement problems track quarterly job separations as a share of auto repair shop employment across states?
What it shows: States with more quarterly job separations as a share of auto repair shop employment tend to sit higher on the chart across 30 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
- A moderate pattern, probably real but not certain: about 1 in 6 patterns this clear turn out to be false alarms. Weak spot: hold share of households with no vehicle equal and only 11% of the quarterly job separations pattern remains, so part of it may be that factor.
Are the parts for this repair getting more expensive, or only the labor?
The federal producer price index for new brake systems rose 36.2% from December 2019 to August 2026, while the consumer price index for motor vehicle repair, labor and parts together, rose 55.2% (BLS, national).
Prices of new brake systems, as shops buy them from makers, since December 2019, against consumer prices for motor vehicle repair. New brake systems: +36.2%; All motor vehicle parts: +17.4%; Motor vehicle repair, labor and parts together: +55.2%.
Has the replacement part I am buying been recalled?
NHTSA lists 3 equipment recalls that name brake booster since 2015 (service brakes and parking brake), covering 170,730 items sold as parts rather than whole vehicles; the largest, by Veoneer Brake Systems, Llc in 2023, covered 137,033.
| Year | Maker and product | NHTSA component | Defect | Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Veoneer Brake Systems, Llc: Brake Booster Assembly | service brakes | certain Brake Booster assemblies with part numbers 4600A-TBA-A000, 4600A-TBA-A100, 4600A-TBF-A110. | 137,033 |
| 2024 | Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.: Mkc1 Brake Unit | pedals and linkages | certain MK C1 EVO brake systems with part number 10-1202. | 33,596 |
| 2024 | Chrysler (Fca Us, Llc): Anti-Lock Brake System | pedals and linkages | certain Mopar anti-lock brake control units with part numbers 68473794AA, 68473795AA, 68505330AA. | 101 |
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 29 foreign recall campaigns that name brake booster with NHTSA since 2015; the latest, from Mitsubishi Motors North America in 2024-10. These are recalls abroad, and they apply to U.S. cars only if the same model is sold here.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | Mitsubishi Motors. | 246 | As a result, negative pressure may not be supplied to the brake booster, limiting its assistance and potentially increasing stopping distance. |
| 2023-03 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) | 046 | 573.6(c)(5) Defect Description: The brake pedal operation data will not be recorded in the Event Data Recorder (EDR) unit in the event of a collision. |
| 2021-11 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 253 | Description of Problem: The subject vehicles use a specific mechanical vacuum pump and a brake booster to provide power brake assist to the driver. |
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 9 NHTSA recalls that name brake booster filed 2015 to 2024, 65.2% of the 1,084,052 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 377,203 vehicles still carrying the defect.
| Year | Vehicles | Recalled vehicles | Repaired | Component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mercedes-Benz R350, Ml350; | 350,294 | 45.6% | power assist vacuum |
| 2020 | Ford F-150 | 292,311 | 68.9% | power assist |
| 2022 | Ford F-150, Expedition; Lincoln Navigator | 195,864 | 73.1% | foundation components master. |
| 2023 | Honda Passport, Ridgeline; Acura Mdx | 124,077 | 85.7% | foundation components master. |
| 2023 | Kia Sportage | 98,944 | 91.6% | power assist |
| 2024 | Mercedes Benz Ml550, R320; | 15,604 | 2.8% | power assist vacuum |
| 2022 | Nissan Rogue Hybrid | 5,904 | 69.5% | power assist hydraulic |
| 2020 | Volkswagen Arteon | 732 | 97.4% | service brakes |
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 20 recall campaigns for parts matched to a brake booster replacement since model year 2015, covering about 891,008 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a brake booster replacement since model year 2015 | 20 recall campaigns covering about 891,008 vehicles |
How many miles does a car of my age really drive in a year?
In the 2022 National Household Travel Survey, US vehicles aged 10-14 years are driven an average 15,415 miles a year against 12,170 for vehicles aged 0-2 years, so 50,000 miles of brake wear comes up in about 3.2 years at the faster pace and 4.1 years at the slower one (reported mileage, survey-weighted).
What it shows: 10-14 is the largest at 15,415, followed by 0-2 at 12,170; the smallest shown is 0-2 at 12,170.
How often does this part fail a real inspection, by car age?
In 181,256 New Jersey initial inspections in 2025 of vehicles sent through the safety lane, 6.4% of cars aged 16+ years failed the brake test against 0.5% of cars under 3 years, about 13 times as often (record counts, not a sample).
What it shows: 16+ is the largest at 6.4%, followed by <3 at 0.5%; the smallest shown is <3 at 0.5%.
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25V-488 | Ford F-150 2025; Ford Expedition 2025; Ford Bronco 2025 and 2 more | 312,120 | An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. |
| 20V-332 | Ford F-150 2015–2017 | 292,311 | A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel and feel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, possibly requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. |
| 23V-458 | Honda Passport 2021–2023; Honda Ridgeline 2020–2023; Honda Pilot 2021–2022 and 2 more | 124,077 | Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash. |
| 23V-410 | KIA Sportage 2023 | 98,944 | A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 17V-063 | Hyundai Elantra 2017 | 33,803 | A loss of power brake assist can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 26V-090 | Ford Transit 2025 | 15,965 | A loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash. |
| 22V-549 | Nissan Rogue Hybrid 2017–2019 | 5,904 | A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 25V-401 | Ford F-250 SD 2025; Ford F-350 SD 2025; Ford F-450 SD 2025 | 2,345 | A sudden loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash. |
12 more recalls name this part, on smaller fleets. The car finder at the top checks yours.
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIA | Telluride 2027 | TSB_SC377 | Aug 4, 2026 | Technical service bulletin: Brake booster pushrod adjustment (SC377) - This bulletin provides information for adjusting the brake booster pushrod on certain 2027MY Telluride (LQ2) vehicles produced from January 2, 2026, through April 22, 2026. |
| Porsche | 718 Cayman GT4 RS 2024; 718 Boxster GTS 2021–2024 and 8 more | 2309.3 | Apr 17, 2026 | Instructions on advanced technical information for 718 GTS 4.0 - Brake Booster (Power Brake) Warning in Instrument. |
| BMW | X7 2025; X5 2025 and 1 more | InVeh-InApp-Comm | Mar 25, 2026 | It was determined that your vehicle was fitted with a brake booster that potentially has a faulty hydraulic valve. |
| Porsche | Cayenne 2024–2026; Cayenne E-Hybrid 2024–2026 and 22 more | 105-25-2 | Jan 13, 2026 | Technical information for Active Malfunction Indicator Light in Conjunction with Fault Memory Entries Regarding Brake Booster "U01B400". |
| Jeep | Renegade 2024–2025; Compass 2024–2025 | 05-004-25 | Dec 10, 2025 | Not applicable to vehicles built for US market. |
| Jeep | Wagoneer 2022–2025; Grand Cherokee 2022–2025 | 9100615 | Jun 23, 2025 | Power brake booster To avoid potential charge-back, only use MOPAR approved brake fluid per the service manual. |
54 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (2)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | Edge 2010–2014 | Mar 5, 2024 | 13N02 S3 | Brake booster. |
| Toyota | Highlander Hybrid 2008–2010 | Sep 16, 2019 | ZKC_Toyota POL19 | Brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly internal. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
After taking it to the dealership to get look at now the telling me my camshaft broke to pieces which will cost with the vacuum booster $24000 with only 70 miles.
They diagnosed the issue and informed me of the below needed repair… Brake - Hydraulic Brake Booster Pump: Brake booster no holding vacuum $1,274.73 I am aware that there were some recalls associated with this for my year model that did not involve my VIN.
I took it to a Toyota dealership and they diagnosed a faulty brake booster pump with a price of $2500 to replace.
My brake boosters went out and I paid $700 now something odd is happening to my brakes with the air or pressure.
Check your car
Brake booster replacement costs $658–$1,415 on a midsize car, covering the part plus 1.5–3.0 hours of labor at $120 an hour. Vehicle class, booster type and the shop's hourly rate move that range most.
What does the estimate cover, and what does it leave out?
The estimate is the part plus 1.5–3.0 hours of labor at $120 an hour, for a midsize or standard vehicle with a standard booster.
It leaves out a brake bleed, new brake fluid, and any related part the shop finds failed. On many vehicles the master cylinder has to come off to reach the booster, so ask whether bleeding is in the quote. On a hydraulic booster, ask whether the power steering system is being flushed too.
How much does each choice change the price?
Three settings move the number: vehicle class, booster type and shop type. Each row changes one setting from the default.
| Setting | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Default: midsize, standard booster, $120/hr shop | $658–$1,415 |
| Economy vehicle | $518–$1,116 |
| SUV or truck | $857–$1,714 |
| Luxury or performance vehicle | $1,056–$2,113 |
| Hydraulic booster | $807–$1,764 |
| Electronic booster (e-boost) | $1,016–$2,252 |
| Independent shop (about $100/hr) | $598–$1,295 |
| Dealership (about $175/hr) | $823–$1,744 |
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA recall file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- North Carolina Division of Air Quality, Vehicle Safety and Emissions Inspection Frequency Study data from 2017
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year 2019-2023, counties summed to states (B25044), joined to NHTSA owner complaints downloaded 2026-10-12
- USGS, highest and lowest elevations in each state, joined to NHTSA owner complaints downloaded 2026-10-12
- Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators 2024, NAICS 8111, joined to NHTSA owner complaints downloaded 2026-10-12
- BLS Producer Price Index, commodity data for motor vehicle parts (series WPU14120504); BLS Consumer Price Index item SETD for the repair row downloaded August 2026
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) downloaded 2026-10-05
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
- FHWA, 2022 NextGen National Household Travel Survey, vehicle file downloaded 2026-10
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Vehicle Inspection Data downloaded 2026-10
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts. Reported: figures as reported by the publisher, not independently verified.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($965–$1,108) on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of that range. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology