Just found out some modern brake pads have a lifespan sticker that's way off

I was helping a buddy swap pads on his 2022 Honda Civic last night and noticed a little sticker on the pad box that said 70,000 mile life expectancy. That seemed high to me so I looked up the manufacturer's actual test data from their website. Turns out that number is based on ideal highway driving with zero towing or city stops. Real world tests showed most pads wearing out around 35,000 to 45,000 miles in mixed driving. I've been telling customers they can get 60k out of their pads based on those stickers. Anyone else find these numbers misleading on newer parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

sammurray1mo agoMost Upvoted

Man, I saw a mechanic on YouTube breaking this down a few weeks back and it basically confirmed what I'd been suspecting. He tested a few different brands on a dyno and found that so-called "75,000 mile" pads were down to half thickness at like 30,000 miles in stop-and-go traffic. It's just another one of those numbers they print to get you to buy the more expensive stuff. Why would they put that big number on the box if the fine print says it's only for a straight highway cruise at 70 mph with no braking? Seems like they're banking on people not reading the fine print, which is pretty much every other product these days.

nathan_barnes1mo ago

Reminds me of the time I bought a set of "all weather" tires and found out they meant all weather except rain, snow, sleet, or anything wetter than a light drizzle. @sammurray, those fine print miles are like the "serving suggestion" on a cereal box.

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