Can I change the brake pads myself at home?

You can totally do it at home if you've got a bit of experience and the basic tools! What you need is a jack, wrenches, screwdrivers and patience. The most important thing is making sure the car is properly supported and that you let the brake fluid dry well afterwards, because if something goes wrong with the brakes you're in for a world of hurt! I'd recommend watching a specific tutorial for your car model before you dive in, because every car is different.

Technically yeah, you can do it, but it really depends on your experience and what kind of car you have. If you've never done any work on your car, I'd think twice about it because this isn't something to mess around with: your brakes are what keep you alive on the road. That said, changing brake pads is one of the most doable jobs if you have basic tools: a jack, wrenches, screwdrivers and a bit of patience. First thing is to lift the car with the jack (always on a flat and safe surface), take off the wheel and get to the brake caliper. Then you pull out the old pad, clean the area really well of dust and dirt, and put the new one in. It's important that everything is tight and that you test the brakes somewhere safe before you hit the road.

What makes things complicated is that some modern cars have more complex systems. Some models have sensors that you need to reset, and if the brakes have air in the lines (which sometimes happens after you work on them), you need to bleed them, which is harder if you don't know what you're doing. Plus, if something goes wrong, you're left without brakes, and that's serious. My recommendation is that if it's your first time, watch some specific tutorials for your car model on YouTube and figure out if you feel comfortable with it. If you're unsure, a shop won't cost you a fortune for this job and you'll save yourself a headache. Sometimes it's better to pay someone who knows what they're doing than to risk screwing up something so critical for safety.

I'd do it if I had the experience and the right tools. I've changed brake pads on a couple of my cars over the years, but honestly it really depends on how comfortable you feel getting your hands into that stuff. It's not the same working on an old car versus a newer one with more complicated systems.

If you've never done it before, the risk is that brakes are literally what keeps you alive on the road. I once had to help a friend because he decided to change the pads without really knowing what he was doing and ended up with his braking system kind of messed up. If you decide to do it at home, you really need the right hydraulic jack (not one of those cheap ones that tip over), proper tools, and a lot of care with how you take everything apart. Plus, some cars have sensors on the pads that you have to be careful with, and if you damage them the dashboard warning light is gonna come on.

Honestly, if it's your first time changing pads, find a mechanic you trust or at least watch really detailed tutorials for your specific model before you try it. Once you see how it's done, maybe next time you'll feel like doing it yourself. But it's not worth risking your safety to save some money on labor - trust me, I've seen those "savings" end up being expensive later on.