Should Car Brake Pads Be Replaced Together at the Front and Rear?
4 Answers
Car brake pads should be replaced together at the front and rear. Here are some introductions about car brake pads: 1. Service Life: Brake pads, also known as brake linings, are the most critical safety components in a car's braking system. The quality of all braking effects is decisively determined by the brake pads, so good brake pads are the guardian angels for both people and cars. 2. Brake Pads: Brake pads are consumable parts that gradually wear out during use. When they wear to the limit position, they must be replaced; otherwise, the braking effect will be reduced, and even safety accidents may occur. Generally, the front brake pads wear relatively faster, while the rear brake pads have a relatively longer service life.
I've been driving for nearly twenty years, so I'm quite qualified to talk about brake pad replacement. The lifespan of front and rear brake pads is completely different! The front wheels handle about 70% of the braking force, especially during emergency stops. Driving down steep slopes in my mountainous hometown wears them out faster – I basically need to replace the front pads every 30,000 km. The rear pads wear much slower; the last set on my car lasted 70,000 km before replacement. If there's no abnormal noise or brake vibration, there's really no need to replace them together. Last maintenance, I had the mechanic measure the thickness with calipers – only replaced the front pads when they were down to 2mm, while the rear pads still had over 5mm left. Replacing them together would've been pure waste. Changing them separately saves nearly a thousand bucks and allows for more precise maintenance.
In the repair shop, we handle over a dozen cars daily, and brake pad replacement depends on actual wear conditions. The front wheels bear heavier loads, especially with automatic transmission vehicles in stop-and-go city traffic. Many cars' front pads wear out before reaching 30,000 kilometers. It's common for rear pads to last 50,000 to 60,000 kilometers. However, note that rear brake pads on 4WD or German cars wear faster due to the electronic parking brake system constantly engaging the rear brakes. We recommend regular inspections - brake pads should be replaced when they're down to 3mm thickness. Unless you're tracking your car or frequently carrying heavy loads that wear both front and rear pads to their limits, replacing them simultaneously may affect vehicle balance. Also pay attention to friction coefficient differences between OEM and aftermarket brake pads during replacement.
I learned this the hard way last year when the dealership tricked me into replacing both front and rear brake pads together, costing me an extra 2,000 yuan for nothing. Later, I checked the manual and found out that front pads wear out twice as fast as rear ones. During everyday driving, most of the braking force comes from the front wheels, especially during sudden stops before traffic lights, which causes front pads to wear out much faster. My advice is to check the brake warning light on the dashboard—if the front wheels trigger the warning, replace those pads first and wait another 10,000–20,000 kilometers before replacing the rear ones. Don’t make the same mistake I did by replacing them all at once for convenience—the money you save could cover a full car detailing service. Also, check the brake dust on your wheels every month; if the front wheels accumulate noticeably more dust, it’s a sign they’re wearing out faster.
