[dnalor50]

I've posted on this topic before and was wondering what mileage people are getting from their pads and rotors. A couple UK readers claimed about 200,000 miles from both pads and rotors (how I wish)!

My i30 has about 23 000 km on the clock and the service guys tell me the brakes are 80% worn and will need attention soon. The pads look about 50% worn whilst the rotors appear almost unmarked with a barely discernible ridge.

What mileage have other drivers got from their pads and rotors?

[Surferdude]

Weird.

Plenty of guys on here getting high mileage from their pads
My 2009 model had 100,000 KLM up when I sold it and at worst 50% wear.

[The Gonz]

Firty's up to 108Mm and no sign of considering replacement of anything.

[Dazzler]

Weird.

Plenty of guys on here getting high mileage from their pads
My 2009 model had 100,000 KLM up when I sold it and at worst 50% wear.

Yes, very odd.

The Hatches are korean built and the Korean cars are generally light on pads. I checked in case you had a euro built touer (wagon) because the pads installed by the Czech factory create a lot of dust and do tend to wear fast.

[tw2005]

The  old brakes are 80% worn.  No mention of front or rear?  Sorry my cynical BS  meter is going off.

Min pad thickness generally 2mm and most pads have squealers. I would take a wheel each end off and look or put a photo up.

The rears  should wear slower as the bias and weight of the vehicle is at the front.

The inner pad or piston side would also wear a little more than the outer although being so new they could be even.

If you can figure the total thickness then it may be possible to calculate how much material is gone and project on average what distance expected min thickness will be reached.

[Asterix]

You would have to drive like a mad man to wear the pads in 23.000 km... 

I'm with TW here, sounds like BS.

My front pads have now done 95.000 km and the rear 115.000.

We don't have mountains around here, but I do tow our 1400 kg caravan 4-5000 km each year around Europe.

[sundiz]

I got new front rotors when I bought the car with 55tkm. Now at 137tkm the front rotors are at minimum thickness. Pads are "ok". Bought new rotors yesterday, but I amjust waiting warmer weather to change them. Rear rotors lastet about 120tkm. 50/50 city and highway driving.

[nzenigma]

I got new front rotors when I bought the car with 55tkm. Now at 137tkm the front rotors are at minimum thickness. Pads are "ok". Bought new rotors yesterday, but I amjust waiting warmer weather to change them. Rear rotors lastet about 120tkm. 50/50 city and highway driving.

As you can see, Sundiz drives in an Arctic wilderness, suffering ice, snow, mud and Polar bear attacks , yet he can get that sort of mileage out of his brakes .
Im with tw, 23k is BS; or you are special and are using Hyundai's keenex pads - super super soft pads, so gentle on the rotor. 

[beerman]

I sold my CW with 136k on it and original pads.

My wife is on her 3rd set at 105 (original rotors).

My wife does stop/start driving and believes in doing both, she won't coast up to a red light for example and hope it changes. This has an effect on both her fuel economy and brake use.

I do mostly highway miles and try to drive in a manner that saves fuel and the vehicle's parts.

[nzenigma]

I do mostly highway miles and try to drive in a manner that saves fuel and the vehicle's parts.

  ..... Hmmmm..Ok , I guess stopped in the middle of a highway,  is sort of not driving but parking in a manner of speaking.......suppose 

[Surferdude]

I do mostly highway miles and try to drive in a manner that saves fuel and the vehicle's parts.

  ..... Hmmmm..Ok , I guess stopped in the middle of a highway,  is sort of not driving but parking in a manner of speaking.......suppose 

[beerman]

Can't do much else when everyone in front is stopped. The bloke behind me tried a different approach, I think he (and certainly his insurance company) would agree that it was less than successful.

Usually, when one does not get caught in the 4pm M1 traffic there are different results (my best fuel economy for a trip in the Sonata is 6.3/100)

[mickd]

Hi,
Our  GD is now 13 months old , 29000 km approx,  Sydney traffic driving mainly,  ours have 80% left on them . Double  check with your guy,  2nd opinion at somewhere else ( not the "no bull company )

[aranciataoz]

In line with what Dazzler said, yes very strange for Korean sourced hatch to be wearing pads rotors this quick. I’d be getting a second opinion (you Midas as well ahem ahem not pointing any cynical fingers  ).

Our Czech made Tourer had its front and rear pads replaced last month, and front rotors as well. A bit unfortunate at only 65k kms, but I accepted it given my wife drives this car the majority of the time in the city, plus reading elsewhere it’s not uncommon for Euro cars to have soft pads AND rotors - I detested the huge amounts of black dust enveloping our wheels, and the pitting that has resulted from the brake dust is the most annoying of all (2 young kids, hardly any time to clean car!). What a huge difference now there are Aust pads on it - 4 weeks in and brake dust is minimal (but my wife has noted the brake feel is now reduced and a bit more pedal effort required).

Second opinion re your 23k km dilemma I’d suggest ....

[Surferdude]

In line with what Dazzler said, yes very strange for Korean sourced hatch to be wearing pads rotors this quick. I’d be getting a second opinion (you Midas as well ahem ahem not pointing any cynical fingers  ).

Our Czech made Tourer had its front and rear pads replaced last month, and front rotors as well. A bit unfortunate at only 65k kms, but I accepted it given my wife drives this car the majority of the time in the city, plus reading elsewhere it’s not uncommon for Euro cars to have soft pads AND rotors - I detested the huge amounts of black dust enveloping our wheels, and the pitting that has resulted from the brake dust is the most annoying of all (2 young kids, hardly any time to clean car!). What a huge difference now there are Aust pads on it - 4 weeks in and brake dust is minimal (but my wife has noted the brake feel is now reduced and a bit more pedal effort required).

Just muscle memory. Her leg will adapt.

[nzenigma]

In line with what Dazzler said, yes very strange for Korean sourced hatch to be wearing pads rotors this quick. I’d be getting a second opinion (you Midas as well ahem ahem not pointing any cynical fingers  ).

Our Czech made Tourer had its front and rear pads replaced last month, and front rotors as well. A bit unfortunate at only 65k kms, but I accepted it given my wife drives this car the majority of the time in the city, plus reading elsewhere it’s not uncommon for Euro cars to have soft pads AND rotors - I detested the huge amounts of black dust enveloping our wheels, and the pitting that has resulted from the brake dust is the most annoying of all (2 young kids, hardly any time to clean car!). What a huge difference now there are Aust pads on it - 4 weeks in and brake dust is minimal (but my wife has noted the brake feel is now reduced and a bit more pedal effort required).

Just muscle memory. Her leg will adapt.

will do wonders for the marriage...and even less time to clean the car, 

[nzenigma]

reading elsewhere ????? it’s not uncommon for Euro cars to have soft pads AND rotors -

Accept that some pads are soft, have used them occasionally, but  why would you make soft rotors?

[eye30]

In UK pads are required to be asbestos free so are softer material

Is this the same for yours?

[Surferdude]

In UK pads are required to be asbestos free so are softer material

Is this the same for yours?

Been asbestos free for nearly 30 years iirc. I had a bit to do with Bendix over here in providing feedback to their technical people.
Caused all sorts of issues initially. Rapid wear, squealing speaking, rattles.
 Pretty well sorted  a long time ago and they are no longer soft. You can get a range of different pads.
Still some cheap imports around though but I wouldn't expect them at an OE LEVEL.

[nzenigma]

I doubt that any main stream manufacturer would use asbestos because most countries have a ban on the  stuff. For example, a few years back, the good old Chinese used it in the exhausts of their GREAT WALLY utes. That cost them when they were sprung and recalled.
A mate who collects old Citroens has recently imported one from Europe. Before it left for Oz it was inspected , at great cost to said friend, for asbestos. It arrived without brake shoes and manifold gaskets refitted, just in a parcel in the boot.

[nzenigma]

From what I have observed over many years, the main damage to rotors comes from hard fragments scoring small grooves in the disc/rotor. It seems logical that they are picked up off the road, possibly get impeded in the pad and eventually get flicked out. 
A bit of scoring will reduce the brakes efficiency a bit, but often not to a noticeable level.
Unproven logic, (aka everyone knows  ) dictates that these particles are more likely to imbed in a soft pad.
The other disc killer is sustained fast and hard braking; especially with a hard pad. Here the rotor heats up enough to permanently distort the contact surface. In this case, an experienced driver can feel the brake pedal 'pump' as he slows and stops.

[aranciataoz]

From what I have observed over many years, the main damage to rotors comes from hard fragments scoring small grooves in the disc/rotor. It seems logical that they are picked up off the road, possibly get impeded in the pad and eventually get flicked out. 
A bit of scoring will reduce the brakes efficiency a bit, but often not to a noticeable level.
Unproven logic, (aka everyone knows  ) dictates that these particles are more likely to imbed in a soft pad.
The other disc killer is sustained fast and hard braking; especially with a hard pad. Here the rotor heats up enough to permanently distort the contact surface. In this case, an experienced driver can feel the brake pedal 'pump' as he slows and stops.

Great knowledge sharing - thanks!


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[this guy]

I recently noticed an intermittent squealing noise as I drove along which eventually turned into a continuous squeal...turned out my rear brakes were worn and the car only has 47,900km km on it. What I found baffling was that the rear brakes were worn (unevenly too - supposedly something done wrong at the factory that the pressure applied to the pads is uneven or something like that) but the fronts are still good, it's usually the other way around. So I had to get the rear brake pads and rotors replaced....with less than 50k on the clock! And I certainly don't drive it hard.

But from what I have read in this here thread, Euro-sourced cars have soft pads which may offer some explanation, but still baffles that rears went before fronts and also at such low km.

[tw2005]

I recently noticed an intermittent squealing noise as I drove along which eventually turned into a continuous squeal...turned out my rear brakes were worn and the car only has 47,900km km on it. What I found baffling was that the rear brakes were worn (unevenly too - supposedly something done wrong at the factory that the pressure applied to the pads is uneven or something like that) but the fronts are still good, it's usually the other way around. So I had to get the rear brake pads and rotors replaced....with less than 50k on the clock! And I certainly don't drive it hard.

But from what I have read in this here thread, Euro-sourced cars have soft pads which may offer some explanation, but still baffles that rears went before fronts and also at such low km.

Was this owned from new? Was the problem in the rear seized guide pins?

[this guy]

Was this owned from new? Was the problem in the rear seized guide pins?

Yes, seized guide pins does sound like what the mechanic said, something about pins sliding or not sliding or something. No, not owned since new, I'm the 2nd owner.

[Dazzler]

I recently noticed an intermittent squealing noise as I drove along which eventually turned into a continuous squeal...turned out my rear brakes were worn and the car only has 47,900km km on it. What I found baffling was that the rear brakes were worn (unevenly too - supposedly something done wrong at the factory that the pressure applied to the pads is uneven or something like that) but the fronts are still good, it's usually the other way around. So I had to get the rear brake pads and rotors replaced....with less than 50k on the clock! And I certainly don't drive it hard.

But from what I have read in this here thread, Euro-sourced cars have soft pads which may offer some explanation, but still baffles that rears went before fronts and also at such low km.

Yes, that is odd. As you say, for some reason European made vehicles seem to have softer pads and often softer rotors too. My wife's 2014 Tourer has only done around 24,000 kilometres in 4 years (mostly shortish town driving) and has always built up a lot of brake dust on all 4 wheels. Ironically, the Korean built i30's often amaze our members by getting great mileages out of the brake pads of 125,000 or even more. 

[this guy]

Yes, that is odd. As you say, for some reason European made vehicles seem to have softer pads and often softer rotors too. My wife's 2014 Tourer has only done around 24,000 kilometres in 4 years (mostly shortish town driving) and has always built up a lot of brake dust on all 4 wheels. Ironically, the Korean built i30's often amaze our members by getting great mileages out of the brake pads of 125,000 or even more. 

My parents have had their FD since new and the brakes were still good at 100,000km if I remember correctly!

I did once read sometime somewhere that euro cars create a lot of brake dust, and this seems to be true, soft brake pads and what not. One does wonder why Europeans use such crap pads/rotors, there must be a logical explanation. Better braking performance perhaps? The mechanic said that they get Volkswagens in that need their brakes done at 30,000km!

[Dazzler]

I did once read sometime somewhere that euro cars create a lot of brake dust, and this seems to be true, soft brake pads and what not. One does wonder why Europeans use such crap pads/rotors, there must be a logical explanation. Better braking performance perhaps? The mechanic said that they get Volkswagens in that need their brakes done at 30,000km!

Yes, it is odd. Not sure if anyone knows why. I might have to ask Mr Google. 

I sort of thought it might be the fact many cars have to perform in very cold climates (in Scandinavia and the like) but I believe Korea can get snow at times too and certainly some Korean built cars end up in colder climates.

[this guy]

I sort of thought it might be the fact many cars have to perform in very cold climates (in Scandinavia and the like) but I believe Korea can get snow at times too and certainly some Korean built cars end up in colder climates.

If I am not mistaken the North American market sources their i30s (Elantras...) from Korea as well, and they get some decent cold there e.g Canada, Alaska, north-eastern US...