36000 miles on 05 Mazda 3, hearing occasional metal on metal. Dealer tells me can’t reproduce the symptom, but that there is only 20% left on pads, and rotors are warped, need to replace both. How can rotors be warped if there’s life left on pads? Isn’t 36K too soon for new brakes? I drive hard, but not THAT hard. Should I get a second opinion?
36,000 is a perfectly reasonable time to need brake pads. Warped rotors aren’t really a function of time, but more how hot they get and how well made they were to begin with. In theory, rotors should never warp, but they often do. I’ve had brand new rotors warp in 5 or 6 thousand miles, others lasted as long as I owned the car they were attached to. I have been told the Brembo makes some good replacement rotors.
thanks for the reassurance that 36K is reasonable. Could the occasional metal on metal sound be something besides brakes? It worries me the mechanic couldn’t reproduce the symptom. I had new tires installed last week, and before that didn’t hear anything. At first I thought that the noise might be related to a faulty tire installation, but the tire installer insured me that couldn’t be the case.
I once had that sound and it turned out to be dirt on the brake pads. I sent my daughter to drop the car off and had her tell the guy to change out the pads if needed. I picked it up later in the day and was surprised to only get a $25 bill for cleaning the pads.
Honestly though, with 20% left and warped rotors I think I’d just have the rotors and pads replaced now.
Thanks!