My old apartment building in Chicago had keypad locks installed last year. The super said they cut lockouts by about 70 percent because people stopped forgetting their keys. Sure, the batteries die sometimes, but that's maybe once a year versus losing a physical key every few months. I'll take that trade any day.

Good on you for using the actual data to make the call. It's not always black and white. @willow_garcia has a point about less drama in the past, but some of those old shops also ignored real safety issues like mixing pad types. The key is looking at each car. A six month old caliper on the other side with even wear? That's a solid case for a single replacement in my book.

My old Honda Civic from 2003 is still running fine. Sometimes the cheaper option just gets the job done without any fuss. It really depends on what you're buying.

Streaming forced us to actually watch the garbage.

It's a different kind of help now though. Emery_miller20 is right that the info is out there, but that direct, personal call back is rare. Most solutions are pre-recorded videos or short text replies. Getting someone's full attention for an hour on the phone, especially for old gear, feels like a lost art. The knowledge is still shared, but the personal connection in the moment is what's faded.