It's been about 9 months since I brought my 2006 Passat in for new front brakepads and rotors. I had the parts in storage for a while since I got a fantastic deal on them with the rears. The rears wore out at 45k, but the fronts were still good so I put them into storage. At 80k, I figured it would be time to put in new fronts since they didn't feel as solid at they did before. I bring the car in, and they inspected them using a mirror and said that the brakes are still fine. No need to change, but if I had the time, they'd be willing to put the car on the lift as a courtesy. They put it on the lift, remove the wheels, and bring me over. They said the brakes were still at 50% wear and didn't need a change. I told them that since it was already on the lift, go ahead and change them out of convenience for me. They get it done. Their labor rates are about average for an honest shop. Less than a dealership, but more than a run of the mill shop. That's okay, because they were honest. I'd rather pay more to an honest shop upfront than end up paying even more to a dishonest shop on the back end.