Brake Pad Wear

Q: How long should brake pads last on cars?

A: Brake pad wear depends on the vehicle and how it is driven. A car driven in stop and go traffic is surely going to wear the brakes faster than one that is mostly highway driven. Trucks, SUV’s, and other vehicles that tow trailers will wear brakes faster than average passenger cars. Excessive brake use during mountainous type driving will increase brake wear. On most new vehicles you should be able to get at least 50,000 miles on a set of brake pads. It is not unheard of to get over 100,000 miles. But again, if you are hard on your brakes by frequently making quick stops you may get substantially less mileage on them.