I have a '09 with 17K miles and the check brake pads light just came on. The dealer says MB makes only 1 pad for this model and he can’t tell if they’re ceramic or metalic. He says after market ceramic will gererally last longer, but it will shorten the life of the rotors. On the internet I found ceramic pads by Akebono at Parts Warehouse for $101 per set (front) vs $159 for the dealer pads.
Can anyone give me the facts? Thanks
Has someone actually checked out the pads on the lift? The light may be giving a false positive.
I would visit a MB forum maybe specific to your truck. I am surprised MB does not include brake pads in a service warranty included with vehicle. Usually people cannot afford these car so they lease them and MB loves to get them back serviced so they can resell them. The free service/loaners motivates owners typically to service them.
While you might save a few bucks, if you have been happy with the performance of the factory brakes I’d stick with them. Brake noise, vibration, etc are extremely common complaints, if you haven’t had those problems you have the factory pads to thank. On the other hand, if you aren’t happy with the current pads (17k is a bit low), then give the others a try. Have you seen what pads are available at tirerack.com?
Verify the dash light is telling the truth before you Benz over…Most cars/drivers get 40,000-60,000 miles on a set of brake pads…
It does vary, but generally I would recommend replacing both the pads and the rotors each time. Modern cars have light/cheap rotors and they are really best replaced at each rotor change. The additional cost of replacing a rotor is about the same as having one turned to true it back up.
The Mercedes M and G class have a very active stability control system that uses up the pads.
About 20k miles is average, so you’re a little early. You should be able to get two pad changes in per set of rotors.