Owning a car means dealing with regular maintenance, and brake jobs are one of those expenses that always feel sudden. A complete pad and rotor replacement for both axles usually runs about $750. If you need to soften the blow, asking independent shops for midweek discount rates can knock a few bucks off the labor bill, since Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually their quietest days.
Separating the repair negotiation from how you actually cover the bill gives you control. Once you lock in a fair price with the mechanic, you can use a zero-interest promo window to pay off the balance slowly instead of draining your checking account all at once.
Remember that a 0% intro APR is a deadline, not free money. If you still have a balance on the card after 18 months, the standard interest rate kicks in and makes whatever is left much more expensive.