2020 Corsair Brake Wear

[Pirate Ship]

I just got home from my 50,000-mile service visit. Everything is fine except for my rear brakes. The front pads measure 7mm and the rear pads are at 4mm. How is this possible? My service representative could not give me a viable answer. With all things being equal, pad thickness and material, the front brake pads should be wearing faster as the front brakes are the primary in the bias. I'm 65, so I don't drive hard. I coast to stop signs and roundabouts. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

 

[bbf2530]

I just got home from my 50,000-mile service visit. Everything is fine except for my rear brakes. The front pads measure 7mm and the rear pads are at 4mm. How is this possible? My service representative could not give me a viable answer. With all things being equal, pad thickness and material, the front brake pads should be wearing faster as the front brakes are the primary in the bias. I'm 65, so I don't drive hard. I coast to stop signs and roundabouts. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

Hi Pirate Ship. Front brakes wearing faster than the rears (as in the old days) is no longer necessarily the norm.

With traction control, ESC/stability control and other handling control systems, the rears can and often do wear faster than the fronts. And these systems work relatively seamlessly, so we rarely feel the kick in.

That being said, always double check what you are being told, in order to avoid “accidentally“ being upsold for services we really may not need yet.

I am sure others will jump in with more help and advice, so let us know how you make out and good luck.

 

[Pirate Ship]

Hi Pirate Ship. Front brakes wearing faster than the rears (as in the old days) is no longer necessarily the norm.

With traction control, ESC/stability control and other handling control systems, the rears can and often do wear faster than the fronts. And these systems work relatively seamlessly, so we rarely feel the kick in.

That being said, always double check what you are being told, in order to avoid “accidentally“ being upsold for services we really may not need yet.

I am sure others will jump in with more help and advice, so let us know how you make out and good luck.

Thanks, at least that is a response I can understand and believe. So far, my dealer has been straight up with me. I'll see what they find at the next 5,000 mile service interval.

 

[dogo88]

Actually lack of rear brake use could be the problem. On one of my past vehicles, I believe it was the 2010 FFH, the rears wore faster than the fronts. It's the way the pads ride on the rails in the calipers.

If the rails are not properly greased then the pads stick a bit and the rails corrode slightly over time. When you release the brake pedal, the pads tend to not pull away from the rotor like they should. So they wear slightly faster.

The fronts continue to do more of the work and their rails don't corrode because of constant use.

Weather and environment also come into play with the metal parts.

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[EVOrider]

The rear brakes were replaced on my 2017 MKC around 36,000 miles. They were pretty thin, but front were fine. I replaced them myself including the rotors. I’m now at 75,000 miles and brakes front and rear look great. I think the maybe the factory used softer metal maybe?

 

[DomDoobie]

I can attest to the fact that the old cars front pads wore first. Now the new cars the rears often wear first. Helps the car prevent from nose diving on hard braking if the rears take more of the load

 

[EVOrider]

I can attest to the fact that the old cars front pads wore first. Now the new cars the rears often wear first. Helps the car prevent from nose diving on hard braking if the rears take more of the load

I’ve been reading that online and I do agree with that. We have ABS, traction control, and other ways of controlling the vehicle….things we didn’t have years ago.

 

[Pirate Ship]

So get this! To save on rear brake pad wear, I turned off Traction Control. But, when you do that, it engages the all wheel drive like you are in Slippery Conditions mode! So, either I wear out the pads or I wear out the PTU and lose my mileage! Why does this have to happen?? I've turned the Traction Control back on, but I really don't like all this high tech taking over my choices or my responsibility for driving. I must be getting cranky in my older age.

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[bbf2530]

So get this! To save on rear brake pad wear, I turned off Traction Control. But, when you do that, it engages the all wheel drive like you are in Slippery Conditions mode! So, either I wear out the pads or I wear out the PTU and lose my mileage! Why does this have to happen?? I've turned the Traction Control back on, but I really don't like all this high tech taking over my choices or my responsibility for driving. I must be getting cranky in my older age.

Hi Pirate Ship. Just an FYI for those interested: The ESC/Stability Control Systems are still active when the Traction Control system has been turned off. And unless we routinely perform jackrabbit starts in low traction conditions, it is ESC/Stability Control which results in more rear brake wear.

Therefore, turning off Traction Control will result in very little to no gains, as far as avoiding/saving brake wear. It will simply allow some wheel spin upon initial acceleration from a start.

Hope this helps those interested, and good luck.

 

[Pirate Ship]

Hi Pirate Ship. Just an FYI for those interested: The ESC/Stability Control Systems are still active when the Traction Control system has been turned off. And unless we routinely perform jackrabbit starts in low traction conditions, it is ESC/Stability Control which results in more rear brake wear.

Therefore, turning off Traction Control will result in very little to no gains, as far as avoiding/saving brake wear. It will simply allow some wheel spin upon initial acceleration from a start.

Hope this helps those interested, and good luck.

Thanks for the clarification on which system causes the wear. I still find it odd that when you turn off Traction Control, that the car engages all-wheel drive full time!