- My model of MX-5 is: __ND 2019
- I’m based near: _Glasgow
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: _ hi looking for some help , my car is 2 years old and just completed 5000 miles, I put it in for its 2 year service, it was a service plan I got with the car or normally I would take it to a local trusted garage, I was told it was finished and drove it home only for them to call and leave a message saying it needs front brake pads, I called and got mixed messages as reception said it was a critical error but when called back I was told they are worn but may have a few months left, I have been driving 30+ years and all my cars have never had to replace pads at this mileage , I did ask was it because I have not used it as much and maybe this is the cause but they said no, I have now emailed them asking for the video of the service which they failed to provide and a full explanation of what is wrong an still waiting on a response, but any advice would be helpful, I am also going to get my local garage to check it when I get a full response back
Hi.
I’d be surprised at brake pads needing to be replaced at 5k with normal road use, and if a garage told me “They are worn but may have a few months left” - Well obviously they’ll have some wear at 5k, but saying they might have a few month’s left is meaningless - How would the garage know how many miles you plan to do over the coming months…?!
Getting a local garage to take a look should get you a definitive answer on their condition…
Rob
Thanks Rob, I will keep you posted when they reply , my local garage is good, I searched to see if this was an issue but didn’t find anything apart from sometimes rust but although mileage low it has been used regularly and so far they haven’t said this was the issue I would normally drive around 6000 miles a year but not the last year due to working from home as I use this car for work too
1 Like
Something definitely does not seem right here… are you able to see how much “bite” is left on the pads or how thick they are ? this will give an indication of if they need changing.
New brake pads are around 10ish mm thick… the legal limit for brake pad thickness is 1.5 mm…but most change before that to be on the safe side. It would also feel horrific under braking if they ever got that low.
I really hope they are only like half worn as I would love to see them justify their claim of “only a few months left”!!
They haven’t worn that much unless you drive around with your foot on the brake, no chance of course on that.
Genuine Mazda pads are hard wearing, they do still fit them to the ND? Even so most pad makes are good for around 20k+ miles if you aren’t heavy on the brakes or tracking it.
Amazaing that,mine have do 59k and are still good
2 Likes
Shine a torch in near the caliper and see how much material is left on the pads.
I doubt they need replacing unless you brake very hard all the time.
Anyone borrowing your car and racing it around?
At the opposite end, I had a MX5 serviced, told the pads were a bit low, but a good few months left. So I went off and did a track day in them. Down to metal after a few laps…
A few years ago the dealer serviced my better half’s Qashqui, and phoned her to say it needed new brakes all round. They were a touch surprised when she told them not to fix them, but to sell her the parts.
I put the front pads on, it didn’t need them, but did it anyway. However could not bring my self to change the practically as new rears. We sold the car on 108k miles, still on the original rear pads and I still have a set of rear pads for a 2008 Quashqui in the garage.
Moral… you can’t trust a large main dealer. Go to a family run local garage.
2 Likes
I have a similar story with one of my Vauxhalls. Yes I own more than one, I still can’t figure out why.
I was also told that the rear pads needed replacing. I went to the trouble of buying new pads and discs. I took the wheels off and the pads still had 7mm of material left on them so they stayed in the box for another 2 years.
Dealers like money and brakes are scary. It’s a £200 quid job for 30 minutes of labour and £30 in parts so the dealer is happy and the customer is reassured their car is safe.
I hate going to dealers, it starts off nicely with the new car and coffee but they always disappoint you in the end
3 Likes
Like my Vauxhall a few years ago. Got a yoof (he was a good deal younger than me) to cast an eye over my front pads on my Omega. It was at a local independent VX dealer, a trusted garage so I thought. He said new pads mate, we’ll book you in. A few months later the car wasn’t very happy at the front end on heavy braking, the discs were absolutely shot, I mean rust hanging off the rear side, the side unseen to myself and I suppose mechanic.
I had to have the lot replaced, pads again just because they didn’t check the discs properly.
This time I used a mobile mechanic, a Vauxhall time served chap who I had managed to find via a forum such as this. He was shocked the dealer had fitted new pads to the discs, he said it was the worse set of discs he’d took off a car for corrosion. What made it worse that dealer was supposed to have serviced my brakes every year, not a visual but a proper strip and clean, well I paid for it.
1 Like
If you’re able to jack one front corner up and remove the wheel it’s not difficult to see the brake pads. Have a look for yourself. The thicknesses have already been mentioned.
Good luck.
I lost faith in main dealers and garage “experts” quite some years ago.
A recent example….I bought a one previous owner Fiat Panda three years ago. In just under four years it had been given NINE main dealer annual services and a cam belt change. Yet it had done just 4,800 miles from new! The lady who had owned it prior to my ownership had been royally seen off. The engine was still tight. Nothing wrong with an early oil change, but that was ridiculous.
These days I prefer to do all servicing on our family fleet of cars and almost all repairs. I have a very good local motor factor who now recognise my voice on the telephone and who always give me a good price on parts and consumables and some good advice, too. Instead of passing the cars to a garage I just buy the parts and any tools needed for far less than a garage would charge.
Over the past couple of weeks I think I have probably saved between £1500 and £2000 on garage costs by diagnosing and repairing a number of issues with my wife’s diesel Trafic van, including changing the cam chain (horrible, dirty and time consuming job, tbh) and a long time non-functional air con system due to a failed return pipe as well as fitting new brakes, handbrake cable, battery. I also carried out a full oil and filter service etc. I did have to get the aircon professionally vacuum checked and completely re-gassed yesterday at a cost of £49. Next (and hopefully last for a while) job is to change an outer cv joint which has just started to rattle.
1 Like
Couldn’t agree more……
3 Likes
Could not have put it better myself. An unforgettably vivid description, BrilliantBlackBirdy - thanks!
Hi sorry it took so long to respond again, I got an answer from the garage but they fluffed about a bit, I was told the brakes were 3mm and new they are 8mm. I took it to my local garage and he said they were low, booked in and got them replaced at about a third of quote price from dealer. My mechanic said he has no idea how they are so worn and can only put this down to ■■■■ brakes from new which he did say is unusual for Mazda, he knows my history of driving and how rarely I need any parts replaced, a retired mechanic who was in talking to him when I picked the car up said when he was working in a police garage even they got a minimum of 8,000 miles per change in general so something not right, I will see how these new ones go as he has said he has fitted decent wearing ones but I cant remember the make, I haven’t contacted Mazda yet but was thinking I should but they will probably ask for pictures etc which I dont have… I bought this car as a pre reg with 10 miles on clock but it was sitting in showroom for 5+ months, I did read somewhere of stories of parts on new cars been taken and swapped out, I dont know if this a bit extreme in this case or possible given that 5mm was worn in 5000 miles.
Not unknown issue Sticking caliper slider pins wear pads down quickly. Happened to me at 2 years old ND1
He checked everything and found no issues that could have caused the wear but time will tell, it may take a while to do another 5000 miles as still working from home and unlikely to change so getting used a lot less at the moment.,
No dealer is going to swap pads out unless they are the type of dealer that deals in £2,000 cars. Bottom line is they are worn. Maybe it has a hard first 10 miles. Maybe lockdown usage make pads wear quicker.
I can imagine some drivers (not the OP 
) wearing out their brake pads in 5000 miles judging from the way they drive. They are either hard on the accelerator or hard on the brakes, even in queuing traffic!
1 Like