XC60 brake pad wear

[GuidoBrunetti]

Our XC60 is just over three years old and has done approx 10,000 miles each year. At our first service the report said the brake pads were 10% worn, at the second service the report said 20% worn. At the recent third service the report said the brake pads were 60% worn and recommended we replace them.

Is this reasonable or is the dealer pulling a fast one? Presumably there will be a sensor which will warn when the pads actually need to be replaced?

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by GuidoBrunetti

Our XC60 is just over three years old and has done approx 10,000 miles each year. At our first service the report said the brake pads were 10% worn, at the second service the report said 20% worn. At the recent third service the report said the brake pads were 60% worn and recommended we replace them.

Is this reasonable or is the dealer pulling a fast one? Presumably there will be a sensor which will warn when the pads actually need to be replaced?

30,000 miles for a set of pads. It sounds about right. If they are 60% worn I would get them don’t next year myself but it does not sound out of the ordinary at all to me.

[Whyman]

I replaced my rears at approx 50,000 miles and the fronts at 80,000.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by GuidoBrunetti

Our XC60 is just over three years old and has done approx 10,000 miles each year. At our first service the report said the brake pads were 10% worn, at the second service the report said 20% worn. At the recent third service the report said the brake pads were 60% worn and recommended we replace them.

Is this reasonable or is the dealer pulling a fast one? Presumably there will be a sensor which will warn when the pads actually need to be replaced?

You may need some pads next service , I would be guided by them or get someone to look through the wheel spokes and estimate how much material is left , change them at about 2 to 3 mm left .

There are many XC60's out there which have had pads and discs long before yours ! No there are no sensors , they have proved to be troublesome on the police versions .

[I Feel Old]

Presumably when talking of changing pads it includes discs, or does Volvo manufacture discs to last the way discs used to? IE Not consumables?

Present car went in for service at around 60K with an advisory on pick up that pads would need checking in 6 months. Two days later the pad wear warning light came on.

Apparently they are only checked through the wheels, the wheels didn't come off to check properly.

I'm hoping for better from Volvo!

[Clan]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

Presumably when talking of changing pads it includes discs, or does Volvo manufacture discs to last the way discs used to? IE Not consumables?

Present car went in for service at around 60K with an advisory on pick up that pads would need checking in 6 months. Two days later the pad wear warning light came on.

Apparently they are only checked through the wheels, the wheels didn't come off to check properly.

I'm hoping for better from Volvo!

Normally you have discs every other set of pads , however you could make them last 100000 miles , it is not compulsory to press that middle peddle , It all depends how you drive of course . If you drive hard the front brakes wear faster , if you drive gently the rear brakes wear faster .

Not sure what warning light came on with you , no volvos have ever had pad wear warning lights .

[I Feel Old]

I've not had a Volvo…yet! Next week hopefully.

Over the last decade I have been motivated to change the brakes due the condition of the discs, rather than due pad wear. And given how modern discs corrode I would be very reluctant to put new pads with old discs.

In my experience the days of discs being a component that lasts the life of the vehicle are gone. Unless Volvo make em as they used to be made?

[Tannaton]

The dealer might be making a judgement assuming the car might go full life on the service - i.e. 18,000 miles. That's they're job really, you don't want to be coming back next month for something they could have done at the service.

As it is your third service I'm assuming MOT was done at the same time, if they were likely to fail in the next few weeks they should have been noted as a minor defect.

Personally I think I would just get them done - then you should be fine for another 3 years. It is absolutely worth the extra few quid to get genuine Volvo pads from the dealer.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

I've not had a Volvo…yet! Next week hopefully.

Over the last decade I have been motivated to change the brakes due the condition of the discs, rather than due pad wear. And given how modern discs corrode I would be very reluctant to put new pads with old discs.

In my experience the days of discs being a component that lasts the life of the vehicle are gone. Unless Volvo make em as they used to be made?

The discs on all cars these days are lacking something , I changed a set earlier in the year , I left the old ones on the ground outside whilst I went to the shop , came back 20 minutes later and the discs were quite rusty already as it started raining ..

Back in the 1970's volvo 140 and 240 were working just as hard doing the miles just as fast like todays volvos , and pads would last about 70000 miles and discs hardly ever needed changing , . maybe the chrome has been deleted from the disk material to save costs or it is acid rain !
About 25 years ago a lot of our metal scrap was being shipped to China for recycling , I wonder if it now come back in the form of brake discs …:-)

[I Feel Old]

Yip, that's why I'm surprised to hear of people changing pads only on modern vehicles. Pads last as long as discs…unless you have a very heavy foot.

In the dealers last week I noticed the new cars arriving with plastic covers fitted around the discs.