Rav4 XA40 disc/pad replacement

[JONAH1947]

2015 RAV4 XA40, 19,700 miles. While my car was being serviced yesterday by a l;ocal Toyota dealer I was informed that the front discs & pads were badly worn and needed replacing. I agreed to this and the work was completed. I felt that this should be done under warranty but they insisted it was normal wear & they saw it quite often. Have other people had this problem. I am a steady driver and do not brake aggressively. In the recent past I have had a few vehicles and put 40,000 to 60,000 miles on them without the need for replacement discs. Pads were replaced on one at 55,000 miles. What are peoples thoughts on this?

[IanML]

How long disks and pads last very much depends on the material.  Soft pads do not last as long as hard pads, but hard pads wear disks faster.  Pressure is not a great factor, as lighter pressure requires the brakes to be applied for longer to achieve the same braking effect.  A larger determinant is speed - driving faster will tend to increase the amount of braking required.

When comparing to other vehicles, the weight of the vehicle is a large factor.  Rav4 may be heavier than previous vehicles. Heavier vehicles tend to have more powerful brake servos, so the driver is not necessarily aware that his brakes are working harder (and wearing more).  This could be compensated for with larger braking surfaces, but newer vehicles have more emphasis on lower emissions/better mpg, which discourages manufacturers from doing that, in order to minimise weight.

As they say oop North, tha' doesn't get owt for nowt.

[FROSTYBALLS]

With most manufacturers, discs and pads carry a limited warranty as they are classed as a wear and tear item. Not sure about Toyota, but other manufacturers often provide six months warranty cover for these items. I would have thought that 3 years an,d 19,700 miles would be well beyond the warranty cover for discs and pads.

[Gabaunion]

Do them yourself, it takes half hour per wheel, using only basic tools.  A set of discs and pads should cost less than £200 for four, usually less than £100 on eBay. 

Keep up your manly man skills, save money, and get a feeling of satisfaction that you can do things for yourself. Changing brake pads and discs are no more than complicated  than changing a lightbulb. 

[JONAH1947]

Hi Gabaunian, The vehicle still has 2 years of the 5 year warranty left so if I did the work myself using genuine Toyota parts I would invalidate the warranty as I am not a Vat registered garage. When it is out of warranty I will do the work myself as in the past I have worked in garages & for  F5000 & F3 teams. The answer I was after was have any other owners of this year or newer Rav4 XA40 had the discs & pads wear out so quickly.

[gjnorthall]

20K wouldn't be unusual for a set of pads on a heavy car depending on the mode of driving etc etc. However replacing discs at such mileage and age from a pure wear perspective is unusual. Discs are often replaced before reaching the wear limit because of corrosion or surface damage resulting from corrosion - this is particularly true of cars where the driving regime is such that the friction surfaces aren't cleaned up on a regular basis. I've also known of cases where discs / pads have been replaced during servicing because they were unlikely to last until the next service - not really justified when wear indicators are fitted. The devil is in the detail and some drivers, as a matter of interest, will ask for the old pads / discs are put in the boot.

[philip42h]

I have a 4.4, auto - so I expect heavier of the brakes than a manual - currently at 52,000 miles on the original pads. Mr T started complaining the they wouldn't make the next service from about 20,000 miles. But they also indicated the remaining pad thickness so I could work out were I really stood. The MOT tester was quite happy with them last time but I'd be surprised if they don't need changing before 60,000 miles!