[geetaj]

I have an Altis that is about one year old and has done close to 15,000 kms. When the car was bought, it had a clear issue with the front brakes - they were noisy. The front brake pads were promptly changed by Toyota, the rear ones were not touched.

I started getting a similar noise again which I reported to Toyota. Now I have been told that my rear brake pads have been worn out and I would have to pay to get them replaced.

What is the usual life of brake pads? Do they wear out this early or could there be a technical glitch? Please advise.

[pranavt]

Depends on your driving style. 15,000 kms is usually enough to wear out OEM brake pads.

[manim]

For my Civic-AT:
My front-pads lasted till 40K.
My rear-pads still going on now at 53K.

[.anshuman]

Elantra's set of brake pads (Front + Rear) last from 20k to 30k kms with occasional hard driving. Even Verna ABS's pads last this much. Life of brake pads strictly depend on usage style and operating conditions, just like the Clutch.

[AWD]

My Corollas brake pads lasted 40k only(both front & rear). That's ok but sad part is that Original pads from Toyota cost ~ 8k, which I feel is a bit too steep.
I went in for non OE pads for ~1.5k but after about 10k km, the pedal feel is lost. Now, I would try & go in for OE pads.
Another worrisome fact is that after 50k km of normal driving, my Toyota has developed rattles, plastics have become loose, horn has been replaced twice & paint quality is below par. Talk of cost cutting & Toyota is there at the top!

[montoo]

Originally Posted by pranavt

Depends on your driving style. 15,000 kms is usually enough to wear out OEM brake pads.

my verna's front brake pads gone kaput after 45k kms.

[Jaggu]

Front pads i can understand wearing out at 20-25k kms but rear ones usually last atleast 50% more. You need to get the cars brake checked thoroughly for any jamming.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Front pads i can understand wearing out at 20-25k kms but rear ones usually last atleast 50% more. You need to get the cars brake checked thoroughly for any jamming.

Not much in the case of rear discs, The reason why Verna ABS now comes with rear drums as opposed to discs before.

[AWD]

Any good aftermarket replacement Brake pads for Corolla?
I went in for the brand that supplies Pads for Lancer but on Corolla they lasted only 10k km.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by geetaj

I have an Altis that is about one year old and has done close to 15,000 kms. When the car was bought, it had a clear issue with the front brakes - they were noisy. The front brake pads were promptly changed by Toyota, the rear ones were not touched.

I started getting a similar noise again which I reported to Toyota. Now I have been told that my rear brake pads have been worn out and I would have to pay to get them replaced.

What is the usual life of brake pads? Do they wear out this early or could there be a technical glitch? Please advise.

Toyota replaced my front brake pads under warranty due to the screeching noise they made when the brakes were applied. As in your case the rear pads werent touched. That said, brake wear varies greatly and depends mostly on driving style followed by 'mechanical' reasons.

I noticed the rear brake pads give off a lot of brake dust while the front/new pads do not. Possible that the replacement pads and the factory fitted ones were made of different material.

I have sneaking suspicion that one of brake calipers on the RHS wheels is not fully retracting leading to a very slight scraping noise when the wheels are turning. This is clearly heard when when going past a wall when the sounds reflects off the surface. Need to get it checked.

The entire braking system from the ABS controller, brake booster down to the caliper assembly and pads are by Bosch.

Rgds,

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by AWD

My Corollas brake pads lasted 40k only(both front & rear). That's ok but sad part is that Original pads from Toyota cost ~ 8k, which I feel is a bit too steep.
I went in for non OE pads for ~1.5k but after about 10k km, the pedal feel is lost. Now, I would try & go in for OE pads. !

OEM parts are more expensive but the peace of mind is unparalleled. Your experience with non OE pads is telling.

Originally Posted by AWD

Another worrisome fact is that after 50k km of normal driving, my Toyota has developed rattles, plastics have become loose, horn has been replaced twice & paint quality is below par. Talk of cost cutting & Toyota is there at the top!

I think that would be expected in a Jap car after 50K kms on Indian roads. Regarding the paint, it depends on exposure to the elements and how the owner takes care of it. I have seen 5 year old Corollas with paint in very good condition.

[AWD]

Auto companies exploit consumers when it comes to spare parts replacements. Brake pads, engine oil, filter, etc are routine items & have to be changed as scheduled. Their prices should be kept as low as possible but even after selling the vehicle at high prices, lure for profits is never left.

I don't want to live with the notion "rattles expected in Jap cars". They are similarly priced to Euro ones & should be carrying out testing, designing in the Country of sale. So, no excuses to be heard over here.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by AWD

Auto companies exploit consumers when it comes to spare parts replacements. Brake pads, engine oil, filter, etc are routine items & have to be changed as scheduled. Their prices should be kept as low as possible but even after selling the vehicle at high prices, lure for profits is never left.

I don't want to live with the notion "rattles expected in Jap cars". They are similarly priced to Euro ones & should be carrying out testing, designing in the Country of sale. So, no excuses to be heard over here.

With a few exceptions, Euro cars, specially those from well known mfrs, are almost always more expensive than Jap vehicles. As for rattles, I have experienced them in friends' Euro cars among them few Skoda Octavias, 2 Merc Benzes (E220, C200) and my father's Fiat Palio 1.6. All solidly built cars in their own right.

From my own experience I can tell you that commonly used i.e. consumables like filters and oil are reasonably priced. Brake pads are expensive but then it is a choice that the owner makes. The parts they rip you off on are air bags, headlamp assembly etc parts that are replaced after an accident.

If you feel so strongly about prices of genuine spares you can continue with after market alternatives that will provide iffy performance just as you experienced earlier.

I dont make compromises on any safety related part especially brakes & tyres. The way I see it, why regret cost cutting later?

Rgds,

[quattroa4]

pls chk the wear on your rear disks, if the surface of the disk is showing wear or line marks or an eneven surface then no point in replacing your brakepads with new ones . they also wont last long .
remove the disks and have it turned on a lathe machine . a light cut of say 1 mm should be enough to make the surface even again .
the rear pads of carolla shd last long at least 35000 kms , thats for sure, however u drive, because they are rear pads not front

[harsha.cs1]

Originally Posted by R2D2

If you feel so strongly about prices of genuine spares you can continue with after market alternatives that will provide iffy performance just as you experienced earlier.
Rgds,

While i do appreciate the point made, i would like to point out that not all aftermarket parts provide an iffy performance. If you identify good companies (such as bosch for various automotive parts including sensors etc., fag for bearings, monroe for struts etc.) then you will still get good performance at prices which are much below the A.S.S. prices. and for identifying which are the good brands, you can always rely on the combined experience of BHPians. However, one place where you'd have to take special care is to ensure that you dont end up buying the millions of duplicates which are there in the automobile spares market.
Cheers,
Harsha