I was a bit early in changing out my brakes (the rear pads were about 4mm thick), but out of respect for my car and the safety of myself and others, I went ahead and did the rear brakes on my ES350 today. Spent the afternoon sweating and putting on the new parts, and after test driving it I’m happy to say she brakes better now (or rather it feels like it comes to a stop sooner than it did before with the same amount of brake pedal force) and zero wobble/vibrations/noises. Day well spent 🙂↕️
If you have a basic understanding of mechanical workings, really easy. Typically after removing the wheel there are two bolts to remove to take off the caliper (the bit that holds the pads and depresses them against the discs). Then you loosen the bleeder valve (if you put a length of clear hose over this first you can usually do it without getting air in the line) to depress the piston in the caliper so you can fit in your new pads.
Then reassemble everything (there may be some clips to hold the pads in the proper place) in reverse order. If your rotors are grooved you need to either replace them or take them to a shop to get them turned.
I would suggest watching a YouTube video about changing the pads for your specific vehicle.
It is a job that takes very little in the way of specialized tools. A jack, a wheel chock, a handful of wrenches, a piece of hose, or a balloon (to put over the bleeder nipple), there is a tool to depress the piston in the caliper, which is likely under $20.
I had a car that I was unable to get my rotors off for years (finally figured it out) and had to change my pads quite often, I got really quick at doing it.