Brakes are the one category where we'll start by telling you what not to buy used. Your brakes are the only system in the car whose failure is immediately dangerous, so the line between sensible saving and false economy matters more here than anywhere else on this site.
The honest split: never used vs fine used
**Buy new:** brake pads, brake shoes, brake fluid, and rubber hoses. Pads and shoes are consumables: a used set has unknown life left, may be glazed or contaminated with oil, and new aftermarket sets for common cars cost a few hundred rand. Used discs are borderline: they're often lipped or below minimum thickness, and new discs for a Polo or Corolla are affordable enough that used only makes sense on vehicles where new discs are genuinely expensive.
**Sensible used:** the hardware around the consumables. Calipers, master cylinders, vacuum boosters, ABS pumps and modules, drums, backing plates, handbrake mechanisms and hubs. These parts are expensive new (an ABS module can cost tens of thousands from the agents) and they don't wear the way friction parts do.
What's actually available
Calipers and boosters for Hilux, Ranger, Isuzu, Polo, Corolla and Quantum are common yard stock. ABS pumps and modules come up for most popular models, and rear drum assemblies for NP200, Vivo and older bakkies are easy to find. Complete hubs with bearings are often the practical buy when a bearing has collapsed and taken the hub with it.
What it costs
A single caliper typically runs R400 to R1,500 used. Vacuum boosters go for R800 to R2,500 and master cylinders R500 to R1,500. ABS pump-and-module units range widely, roughly R2,500 to R8,000 used, against new prices that can be several times that. Rear drums run a few hundred rand each.
What to check before you buy
- **On a caliper, push the piston back with a clamp.** It should move smoothly under steady pressure. A seized or grabby piston is the most common caliper failure, and it's exactly what you're likely replacing. Check the dust boot for tears and the bleed nipple for rounded corners or snapped-off stubs. - **On a master cylinder or caliper, look at the fluid residue.** Black, gritty fluid means the system was neglected; the rubber seals inside will have suffered. Honey-coloured residue is a good sign. - **On a booster, check the vacuum non-return valve grommet** and look for pinholes of rust on the shell seam. There's no easy bench test, so buy from a seller who confirms it held pedal assistance in the donor car. - **ABS modules usually must match the part number exactly**, and on many cars need coding to the vehicle after fitment. Take your old unit's part number with you, digit for digit. - **On drums, look for deep scoring and heat-cracking**, and check the machined surface hasn't been skimmed past its limit. The maximum diameter is cast into most drums.
Fitment matters as much as the part
A good used caliper fitted with old fluid and unbled lines is still a bad brake job. Whatever you buy, fit new pads, flush the fluid, and bleed the system properly. If you're not confident doing brakes yourself, this is the one job worth paying a workshop for. On a bakkie that carries loads or a car that does taxi work, that goes double.