The remanned calipers usually have a different finish to the metal. You can typically tell that they are not as old as the vehicle, especially after seeing a few original ones. And then the remanned ones often have a tag or sticker on them. If there are enough of the vehicles to choose from, sometimes you can score shiny, fairly new ones.

Just a few weeks ago, one of the calipers on our work Town and Country started dragging. I had to go to two different yards, but I found a fresh kill Grand Caravan with a nearly new complete front brake job. Calipers, hoses, pads, and rotors all for $40.

But it does take time to find and pull those deals. The only way it probably makes sense for most folks, is if it there were more than just those parts needed.