Inside the caliper is a piston, a round cylinder that pushes on the brake pad when the brake is applied. Usually the pads do not move very much at all when the brake is pushed. IF the pistons are frozen, (rusted) then they CAN be rebuilt if someone wants to take the time to do it.

Most here replace the calipers if they are locked up (rusted). You can test to see if they are locked up by jacking up ONE side of the car and trying to spin the wheel. If the wheel does not spin freely, then more than likely the caliper COULD be rusted, or you COULD also have bad hoses. My opinion is....get rebuilt calipers and new pads and hoses and sensors, have them flush out ALL the old brake fluid, and be done with it! Also have them check the rotors, if they are too thin, they should be replaced. Check the local mechanic shops and get the mechanic to show you what is wrong and explain it to you. Get your idea about how much each part is, then you can decide what to do. I would not chance it if I was going to take a long trip..but your mechanic can take the wheels off and get a better idea and SHOW you what is going on.
I took my $400 car to a shop to get an idea what was wrong w/ it, and they were going to try to charge me $3000 to FIX EVERYTHING. I did not ask to have everything fixed, just what was the problem? Ended up costing about $300 to fix what was broken PARTS AND LABOR. After that repair, I fixed my own brakes! Cost: brake pads, hoses, and new brake fluid
So I feel you..I was in the same boat...dont let them buffalo you. Take your dad or boyfriend with you to the next shop. I bet the bill will be significanly lower

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