How often to replace brake pads and rotors depends on where and how you drive. Vancouver is hard on both.
One Metro Vancouver mechanic says most brake pads here last 20,000 to 50,000 km. City traffic, steep hills and rain all wear pads faster. Highway drivers get more out of a set.
Don’t go by distance alone. Go by thickness. New front pads are about 12 mm thick. Replace them at 3 mm or less.
Rotors last longer than pads. They often last through two or three sets of brake pads. Replace them sooner if they have heavy grooves, or if the brake pedal pulses when you stop.
A simple schedule works for most drivers:
- Every year: a brake inspection
- Every two years: a brake fluid flush
- At 3 mm: new brake pads
- When worn or warped: new rotors
Front brakes wear faster than rear brakes, so expect to do the front axle first. For prices, read our guide to brake pad replacement cost in Vancouver.
Service desk The full guide
Brake pad replacement cost in Vancouver: the published prices, what a quote covers and how to compare quotes.