Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $102–$142 · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $120–$164 (the headline above) · Dealership (~$175/hr) $168–$224. 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 the price estimate was built
What it shows: Our default range is $120 to $164; 2 of 2 published ranges overlap it.
How serious did it get for owners?
8% of the 1,212 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 97, followed by Crash reported at 40; the smallest shown is Fire reported at 12.
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 under 50,000 (42%), against 60% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 3-5 years (43%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 24% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
1,212 owner complaints name this part.
Owners most often describe "fluid leak", in 49% of these complaints.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 1,212 owner complaints naming this part, brake master cylinder is named in 28% of them, more than any other part.
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 711 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 1,212 complaints naming this part (25%); 2 model years account for 51%.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 308 (25%), followed by 2016 at 307 (25%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 14 (1%).
When in the year do owners report it?
NHTSA owner complaints about this part run furthest above the usual seasonal share in June: about 45% more of them name an incident that month than complaints about any part would predict. A complaint is a report, not a measured failure.
What it shows: June is the largest at 13% (all: 9%), followed by January at 6% (all: 9%); the smallest shown is October at 5% (all: 8%).
Do brake fluid flush 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 33 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. Weak spot: hold average relative humidity equal and only 24% of the elevation range pattern remains, so part of it may be that factor.
Do brake fluid flush problems track brake violations per 100 truck roadside inspections across states?
What it shows: States with more brake violations per 100 truck roadside inspections tend to sit higher on the chart across 33 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
- A moderate pattern, probably real but not certain: about 1 in 11 patterns this clear turn out to be false alarms. Dropping any one state leaves the brake violations per 100 truck roadside inspections pattern intact.
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 3 recall campaigns for parts matched to a brake fluid flush since model year 2015, covering about 71,869 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 fluid flush since model year 2015 | 3 recall campaigns covering about 71,869 vehicles |
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25V-859 | Acura ILX 2016–2020 | 70,658 | Reduced brake function can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. |
| 21V-840 | Hyundai Palisade 2021 | 995 | Reduced braking performance can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 17V-823 | Alfa Romeo Giulia 2018; Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2018 | 216 | A reduction in braking performance can increase the risk of a crash. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Nissan | Quest 2015 | REVISION 2 P0A08 | Dec 16, 2022 | Brake Fluid Flush Voluntary Service Campaign UPDATE December 16, 2022 Please discard earlier versions of this bulletin. |
| Nissan | Quest 2015 | REVISION 1 P0A08 | Sep 2, 2022 | Brake Fluid Flush Voluntary Service Campaign UPDATE September 2, 2022 Please discard earlier versions of this bulletin. |
| Nissan | Quest 2015 | NTB21-047A | Jun 21, 2021 | Voluntary service campaign brake fluid flush and abs actuator inspection This bulletin has been amended. |
| Nissan | Quest 2015 | P0A08 2010-2014 | Jun 2, 2021 | Brake Fluid Flush Voluntary Service Campaign Dealer Announcement: Nissan is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Antilock Braking System (ABS) actuator on 320,616 specific model year 2010-2014 Nissan Murano. |
| Nissan | Quest 2015 | NTB21-047 | Jun 1, 2021 | Voluntary service campaign brake fluid flush and abs actuator inspection introduction Nissan is conducting this voluntary service campaign, on certain specific model year 2010- 2014 Murano, 2011-2014 Murano CrossCabriolet, and 2011-2015 Quest vehicles. |
11 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
They reprogrammed the brakes, put on new brake pads, milled the router and replaced the brake fluid, informing us this was needed, charging us $1210.
Upon driving another 3-4 miles the brake pedal went to floor again and low brake fluid light came on dash.
Honda World changed brake fluid and recalibrated the brakes on 9/24/21 per service requirements at 7823 miles.
Joseph(Rep) then said the $120 he quoted to fix brakes & out the door he will cancel and apply $129 for Brake Fluid Change.
Check your car
A brake fluid flush typically costs $120–$164 on our calculator's default setting: a full four-wheel flush with DOT 3 fluid at a $120/hr shop. Shop type, fluid grade and whether your car needs an ABS purge move that number more than the car itself.
What does the estimate cover, and what does it leave out?
The estimate prices a full flush at all four wheels: old fluid out, fresh fluid in, shop labor at the stated hourly rate. Fluid itself is a small share; most of the price is labor.
It leaves out repairs found during the job. A leaking hose, a seized bleeder screw or a bad master cylinder is priced separately, after diagnosis. A low estimate is a fair starting point, not a promise that nothing else turns up. Your car may also need a different fluid than the default, so check your owner's manual before comparing quotes.
How much does each option change the price?
Every figure below is the calculator's range with one input changed from the default.
| Option | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Default: full flush, DOT 3, midsize, $120/hr shop | $120–$164 |
| Independent shop (~$100/hr) | $102–$142 |
| Dealership (~$175/hr) | $168–$224 |
| Economy car | $120–$161 |
| SUV or truck | $127–$173 |
| Luxury or performance car | $138–$198 |
| DOT 4 fluid | $127–$180 |
| DOT 5.1 fluid | $142–$212 |
| Brake bleed, one caliper | $48–$81 |
| Full flush plus ABS purge | $242–$285 |
Frequently asked questions
Is a brake fluid change the same as a flush?
Many shops use the words interchangeably. A full flush replaces fluid at every wheel; a partial change leaves some old fluid in the lines. Ask which one you are getting.
Why is the dealer quote higher?
The dealership rate is about $175/hr against about $100/hr at an independent shop, which moves the same job from $102–$142 to $168–$224.
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
- 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
- FMCSA roadside inspections and violations, data.transportation.gov, joined to NHTSA owner complaints downloaded 2026-10-12
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
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.
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 2 established price guides on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of RepairPal's range ($115–$169). Price evidence grade B: 2 outside published ranges; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology