My Porsche dealer quoted a huge brake price, is a specialist really cheaper?

[mitchellhayes]

I got a quote last week that made me sit down for a minute, and now I want to hear from people who have been in the same spot. I drive a 2018 Panamera with about 77,000 kilometers, and the service advisor at the agency told me the front pads, discs and sensors need to be changed. The total he gave me was so high that I laughed, thinking he was joking. He was not. I asked if I could wait a bit, and he said it is better not to, because the pads are close to the limit. I believe him, since I hear a thin squeal at low speed and the pedal has started to feel a little longer than before. But the price keeps bothering me. My brother in law, who has a Cayenne, says he stopped going to the agency years ago and now uses a smaller place that only works on German cars, and he pays almost half for the same job. My wife is nervous about that. She thinks the agency will always do it better because they have the official tools and the factory trained people. I honestly see both sides. I read a page from a workshop in Dubai about Porsche brake service, and it explained how pads, discs and wear sensors work together, and why the parts must match the car. It did not say anything about prices, which is what I really want to know. Since I live close to Al Safa, one night I typed Trusted brake specialist for Porsche serving Al Safa into my phone, but I could not tell the real experts from the ones who just write nice words. So here is what I wonder. How do you check if a specialist is really good with Porsche, before you give them the keys? Do you ask what brand of pads and discs they use, and is it rude to ask for the part numbers? Also, if the price is much lower, where do they usually save, the parts, the labor or something else? Do they have the right scanner to reset everything after the job? And will the work come with a written warranty? One more thing, does going outside the agency change anything for resale later, or do buyers only care about the invoice? If you switched from the agency to a specialist, was it worth it, and did you ever regret it? Thanks everyone, I will check the replies tonight.