Brake job in Mexico...
 

I just turned 80K in my '03 Saturn and the last time I checked back in 2017 or so (purchased in '16 with 65K) it had 75% pads and shoes. But since I'm in Mexico thought it would be a good time to get a brake job done based on threads here on the forum and a costs survey via google. Pulling the wheels revealed that pads and shoes around 50%. But...I've had spongy braking since I purchased the car. Pedal would sink around 3/4 of the stroke to stop. Rarely did any e-braking but those few times I did, it stopped of course and the pedal never reached the floor.

Anyway, the mechanic recognized the symptoms of spongy pedal action and ordered a new MC too. There's no MC repair/rebuild business here in town. The job included turning the disks and drums (I measured the turn depth and it's normal...not excessive), new pads and shoes, replacing the drum brake cylinders with new, new MC, bleed the brakes, new brake fluid, and test.

Waiting for parts spread out the work over 2 days but I got to drive it home each day.

I have brakes again. I didn't realize the spongy action of the pedal was a symptom of a leaky MC on this vehicle. Been driving it like that since '16. Sure, it might have gone another 80K like that but didn't want to tempt fate.

Happy to have done the work now after reading Saturn Forum postings that recommended a brake job by 90K. I'm a little early but the mechanic did catch the MC issue before it failed. I've had MC failures before and it's one day works, next day sinks to the floor with lots of excited pedal pumping.

Cost of labor and parts were $475.

Happy travels in your Saturn!

Sounds to me like you have a good mechanic and he gave you a very good deal for all of that. Here in the USA, you'd have probably been close to $1,500 or more.