How long should brake pads last?

[normnortonocean]

I have a T6.1 Cali new in 2020, it is only doing around 6,000 miles per year.

For the first few years the local VW dealership reported front brake pads as being 20% and then 45% worn at 25,000 miles, so I expected to have to replace them by 40,000 miles. This year I switched to another VW dealer for the service and they reported just 15% wear on the discs at its current mileage of 37,000. I was surprised, and confused, and spoke to the Technician who had done the service and the MOT. He said to not believe the previous dealer, and that 40,000 was a small mileage for modern VW genuine pads. I am a very gentle driver on the brakes.

I thought that new pad materials meant that they wore quickly (hence the black wheels). I have had previous vehicles that have needed new pads and discs at 40,000, but I wonder if it is because the discs used to rust, and perhaps the newer VW ones don't?

 

[RoB5urf]

Seems the rears often need replacing before the front in these vehicles. Had our rear pads /discs replaced at 43k. Still on the original fronts (58k)

 

[deuteronomy78]

Had a Dsg oil chage today 37k miles 24 plate ocean

Fronts are 30% worn
Rears 40% worn

 

[pchmlk]

I think mine were original before I changed them at about 75k. Manuals will last longer too.

 

[pjm-84]

I changed my fronts at 53k as the braking performance tailled off. Now at 91k . Backs are on the 3rd sets....20 to 30k... I'm now fully on Brembo and rear discs are fairing much better

 

[pete&gill]

We are on the original pads and discs at 98,000 miles

 

[pete&gill]

Correction 96,052 can we get to 100k ?

 

[Scoobz1]

Correction 96,052 can we get to 100k ?

Where do you live / camp - Holland ? (-:

 

[pete&gill]

Just don't like braking

 

[chockswahay]

Surely this is entirely dependant on type of miles and style of driving. I reckon my pads/discs would last for decades if I just trolled up and down the motorway all day

 

[vbk1975]

We are on our third set of rear pads and one set of discs and just replaced front discs and pads, we are just shy of 70k, the first rear pads was 16k and replaced with VW parts.

We use the van mostly at weekends and not as a daily driver. My observation is that the original VW discs, esp the rears have a high degree of surface corrosion after only a few days of standing and more than just thin surface rust. The front discs have gone the same way. I swapped to Brembo discs and the corrosion is significantly reduced and the pad wear is significantly less. I am convinced the vast majority of our rear disc / pad wear is due to the surface rust and not braking events, a lot of our mileage has been motorway / autoroutes.

A

Surely this is entirely dependant on type of miles and style of driving. I reckon my pads/discs would last for decades if I just trolled up and down the motorway all day