Have 2004 Honda Accord with 19000 miles. Fron brake pads hardly worn. Right front pad has a crack in side, not on face of pad. Mechanic says I should replace pads and have roters turned. With this little wear why not just replace pads?
The rotors should usually be turned whenever new pads are installed, especially if the rotors are warped. Today’s metallic and ceramic pads are not soft as the old asbestos pads. Consequently, many of us are driving around with warped rotors. Most legitimate mechanics won’t do a simple pad swap anymore.
I would replace just the pads, but mechanics don’t like to do that for liability reasons. I don’t think turning rotors is a good idea these days. It makes them too thin and they warp more quickly.
Try insisting that the mechanic replace ONLY the pads. Tell him/her you are not willing to pay to have the rotors turned.
If the rotor’s warped, replace it. If not, then don’t have it turned. If you have it turned, it will be thinner, and more likely to warp.
Verify you have good braking after the pad replacement and leave the rotor as is.
If your brake pedal does not pulsate when stopping, from high or low speeds or both, then your rotors are fine as is. That works for me. Turning the rotors when not called for increases your mechanic’s profit, some now and even more later when your rotors need replacing because they usually can’t be turned a second time unless they were turned (machined) very slightly the first time.