Pads and rotors at 44k miles????

Hey Folks,

Just got back from a maintenance visit at dealer on my 2020 Tundra. They are telling me pads and rotors will need to be replaced pretty soon and I was frankly shocked. I told the advisor that half of those miles are interstate miles. She said the salt degrades things pretty quickly. All I know is my wife has a 2017 CR-V with 80k on original brakes and my Mazda 3 had about 70-80k before I had to touch brakes. Very disappointed if true. I haven't inspected them yet myself but will when the weather breaks. Anyone else have similar experience? I know salt doesn't help but c'mon, 44k miles with half highway and brakes need replacing already??? I tow a 5,000 boat about six times per summer locally to a lake and quite frankly have babied the truck since brand new. Are OEM brakes that bad? Any good aftermarket options? Thanks for any feedback or advice. -Jeff

 

Mine were ready at 51K. Rear rotors were corroding at the OD.

 

Yup, my prior 2010 CRV is still running it's only 3rd set of pads at over 210k, second rotors.

Whereas my '16 Tundra is likely get her second set of rotors and third set of pads at 100k.

I'm looking at others outside OEM - can't decide if I want to go the whole deal with PowerStop kit including new calipers with powdercoat, or just do an EBC kit with Greenstuff pads. Either one should put out less dust than OEM and give the rotors a little better longevity. Do think I'll go to stainless brake lines at the same time, see about taking some of the squish out of the brake pedal.

 

Its not shocking. There seems to be a wide range for people as far as when they need to be changed. I have seen people on here need rotors/pads at 20k miles and others say the stock setup lasted them 80k miles. I am currently at 23k miles and while my stock setup is not terrible, they fade and vibrate pretty easily so I need to downshift regularly even on a modest decline. I dont even tow, but I do ride heavy pretty often.

I will be looking at cryo rotors and upgraded pads sometime soon.

Dont forget that the tundra is a fat pig of a truck, even though the brakes are pretty large.

 

I’m shocked brakes wear faster on a 6,000 lb truck than a 3,500 lb car.

 

My 2010 SR5 brakes are lasting in excess of 100,000 miles according to my Mechanic.

 

My 2019 with less than 30k the rotors are warped, confirmed by the dealer. Dealer says it is common but Toyota won't do anything about it, so I will just run them until they are toast.

 

Stock wheels and tires?

Just did pads / rotors on my 2018 last week at 83K miles. Rotors would have been fine, but supposedly one was damaged. Am running 33’s on greater offset Fuel Beast rims, so was happy with getting 80K+.

Was $1100 at local Midas.

Lol, I don’t want to talk or think about pads / rotors on my Jeep SRT and it’s Brembos. Hoping my 2020 does a little better than my previous 2014 Jeep SRT did, which was a new set about every 20-25K miles, and were quite a bit more than $1100.

 

How fast/slow they wear has a lot to do with driving habits.

 

I don't think that is the only think to consider here. My brother has a 2017 Titan and it has 70k so far on original brakes and he said his are still pretty good. Again, half of my miles are on the interstate. I've just to the conclusion to that OEM Tundra brake components are simply junk.

 

Just a few questions...
Does your trailer have trailer brakes?
When the light up ahead turns red, do you coast up to it or keep your foot on the gas until you absolutely have to hit the brakes?
When going down a long hill do you use the transmission to help slow the vehicle or only rely on the brakes?
In traffic, do you accelerate then hit the brakes, accelerate then hit the brakes, repeatedly, or do you allow the car in front of you to get away and coast up to it when it slows?

 

No no no no no...

 

Still on OEM rotors with 77k miles on my 2016. The OEM pads are doodoo though.

 

Still on OEM brakes at 66k miles on my 2019. Tow a small trailer a lot, Tow my giant travel trailer occasionally. Brakes still feel great. Wife’s 2015 Jeep GC is still on original brakes as well at 149k miles.

 

I tow and off-road frequently and still am on the original rotors at 83k. Changed pads around 60-65k. It’s mostly about driving habits/style and terrain.

I learned to drive on a ‘68 Jeep with no power brakes so my driving reflects that.

 

Excellent Questions.
1. Yes, the boat has trailer brakes
2. Consistently drop to lower gears to save the brakes on hills.
3. When the light turns red, I always try to coast up to it. That has always been a strategy to help with fuel economy while benefiting the brakes.
4. I keep steady throttle, don't tailgate and anticipate as much as possible. I usually get 17-19mpg on a tank as a result of my efforts. I know that is quite good for the 5.7

This is why I'm frustrated. I do all the above and again, half of my mileage is back and forth to Raleigh on interstates. Just really surprising because the rest of the truck is so solid and so well built. Oh well, I guess there is no such thing as a perfect vehicle. Thanks.

 

All good, but weird, I am at about 32K now and brakes are brand new looking

 

All solid practices for fuel efficiency and low brake wear. You’re not a 2 foot driver are you

 

They are throwing some generic diagnostics at you.

tell them to define "pretty soon" or better yet, ask them to give you the % of the F/R pads left.

 

Take a pic of their thickness. Without a measurement from the dealer, 'needing' means nothing.

 

Post a picture of your pads/rotor. Measure the pad thickness if you can. Let’s really see what is going on.

 

I'm at 90,000 miles and on the original pads (30% left) and original rotors.

My 1997 T-100 is on the original rotors and functions perfectly.

 

Get the actual pad thickness dimensions.

 

I was able to get 70K out of my OEM pads before I started to hear a little brake squealing. Dealer replaced front/rear pads with OEM and resurfaced all 4 rotors for ~$800 if I recall correctly.

 

When I lifted my truck 18 months ago, it went in for an alignment. While we had the wheels off, we peeked at the pads. They were getting thin, so we slid new ones in the calipers. No rotor or caliper service. That was after almost 90K miles on the originals.

I went to heavy LRE tires (stock size though) at 60K miles. I tow pretty regularly. All of my trailers have great brakes and the vast majority of my miles are highway. I am not an aggressive driver.

I now have larger (34”) heavy tires and we’ve added a travel trailer to the mix. I’ve got 35K miles on the front pads and all other brake components are original. I’m certain that I’ll want to replace everything soon, so have ordered a complete Alcon kit. New fat-ass rotors, huge calipers, pads that dwarf OEM, and stainless lines for all four corners. This will get installed in the next month or so and should make a substantial difference in performance. I hope to get good life from the new pads, cause they’re stupid expensive…


We’re also taking the RV on a pretty decent trip this summer and there will be quite a bit of hills. More brakes will be welcome!

 

I’ve heard countless stories of mechanics recommending brakes without even looking at the current condition of them. I never believe the mechanic first, check yourself.

 

Saw thickness of mine today, 8mm thickness on the pads all around. Front rotors were a bit warped but resurfaced easily enough today. Figure I've got another 10k before they warp again, so I'll replace them this fall, pads to match at the same time.

 

I got about 20k on my front rotors before they warped. I think it was due to long slow descents on forestry roads then water crossings while they were hot. I put cryo rotors and yellow stuff pads all good since.

I also have a 21 rav4 that I feel a pulse in the brake pedal and a slight shimmy of steering wheel. It has 32k on it. Brakes get a good workout on 95, south of DC. I’m going the same route with rotors and pads as soon as it warms a little and no rain is forecasted for a few days.

 

Bought my truck with 21k. Front brakes were already pulsing. Warped or uneven pad deposits on rotors, don’t know which. It was easier to just swap in new rotors so I went with cryo rotors and no pulsing 45k miles later.