pvsurfer

First, a little background is probably necessary. I own an '07 RDX (which I bought new) with only 22000 miles on it; the reason being I'm an elderly guy who was diagnosed (in '09) with leukemia so I've not driven the car much since then. My wife sometimes drives it for local shopping. She recently told me that there was a screeching sound when applying the brakes, so she took the car to the dealer's service dept. and was told that we need a complete front brake job (pads and resurfacing). The estimate is $400.

Two questions: Is it reasonable that the original front pads are gone after 22000 miles? And if so, is $400 a fair price for a front brake job?

bluecarbonfiber

Brakes on the RDX are a smidge small for the vehicle IMO they are more the size you would find on the sedans given its weight as a factor with that said brakes also fade based on driving conditions and how the person drives.. 22k miles on the vehicle seems low but if youre a left foot braker then you might as well double the miles on the brakes in that case it would make sense that they would need replacing.. or if you live in the hills and do small back road driving that can also wear the pads fast

out of curiousity have you taken it to a different place for a second opinion? some tire shops will look at your pads for free when you do your normal rotation

400 is the average cost for brakes to be done specially through a dealership.. they dont call them stealerships for no reason =)

if you know a good rept mechanic you might beable to get them done for 300 or 350 but i would still get a couple opinions first you may just need to have the pads sprayed of debris

also since you barely drive it you may want to try rebedding the pads.. since they may just have rust build up from the vehicle sitting in 1 spot Tech Tips: Re-bedding procedure - RacingBrake.com

pvsurfer

Thanks very much for your reply. In response to some of your comments and questions, during its first 3 years the car saw mostly highway driving. Since 2010 it's been mostly city street driving (no more than 50 miles/week). It has never been driven off-road.

Neither my wife or I are 'left-foot brakers', so I'm sure that's not the cause. I just took it for a test-drive for a mile or so applying the brakes every so often and just once (out of a dozen attempts) I heard what sounded like metal-on-metal screeching.

Our RDX has only had about 3 preventive care services - all done at the dealer (AutoNation). So far we haven't had any other estimates on the brakes (really don't know of any reputable and competent independent shops in our area).

bluecarbonfiber

is there a les schwab in your area? your profile shows SO cal.. not sure if they are that far down.. you could do a YELP search and see who has good scores in your area for a shop.. make sure to read responses with an open mind though.. some people give negative feed back just because coffee wasnt offered to them..

metal on metal deff sounds like your pads are about worn out but you could have a rock too im still going with the gut feeling and think you should get a second opinion just to be sure..

pvsurfer

Thanks again. No Les Schwab nearby but it seems that the son of my wife's bf runs a Performance Plus Tire & Auto shop nearby and they do brakes. Yelp gives them 4 out of 5 stars so I'll call him and make an appointment for an inspection.

If the pads are gone should I take whichever ones he stocks? ...or are there specific pads that members here have found best for an '07 RDX?

bluecarbonfiber

ceramic pads usually last longer but they are more noisy carbon will fade faster but quieter both have good heat range.. so pick your poison =) EBC,stoptech, and Hawk pads are usually the common performance pads that you could look into if you want something thats going to last for a while (they come with a price compaired to your common autoparts store brands)

pvsurfer

I imagine the price differential for good pads is still much less than the service-cost for replacing pads, so which ones (brand & model) would last a lot longer than our originals did?

pvsurfer

Fwiw, I just I called for an inspection appointment - he said if I do need pads he stocks (& highly recommends) Akebono ProAct Ceramic Pads.

bluecarbonfiber

they got a decent rating but there stopping power isnt that great.. i suppose it doesnt matter to you since you barely drive it as it is.. and you dont plan to ever haul anything.. I am alittle biased i like brakes that grip when i want them to and since i am also always out carving corner i like something that i can alway rely on it to have that grip i get performance pads.. I had the hawk HPS on my other acura and liked them alot.. now i run stoptech for both and wont look back i love them

pvsurfer

Where are you are seeing those ratings?

bluecarbonfiber

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/resul...8&autoModClar=

35mm

I'm not at all mechanical and I'm actually trying to get brake pad recommendations for my 2007 RDX (https://acurazine.com/forums/first-g...07-rdx-918100/), but having come across your thread it seems to me that you shouldn't need to replace the pads after only 22K miles (especially when you and wife are not aggressive drivers)! My original front pads lasted for 40K miles and their replacements are now ready to be replaced after another 43K miles.

ADD

It sounds like you do a lot of city driving now. If so, I'm guessing you're braking more than if you're highway driving so more wear on the brakes. In any case, the inspection should give you more info.

protoRDX

I have Akebono ProActs on the front. I had them also on the back. But they ate my rear rotors completely during 15 000 kms. Now I have Hawks SUV pads on the rear.
Be careful with Akebono ProAct, they are ceramic and will eat stock rotors very fast.

+1 to what Blue said. You need a second opinion. Plus, I would not do brake job with a dealership.
If its just pads, you can buy something like StopTechs.
But if you need to change the whole front set...
- You can order EBC Ultimax front rotors online, they are considered as the most resistant to wear off.
- Then I would either order EBC Yellow Stuff pads or try to get Dixel pads. These are one of the best pads from Japan. Fronts have the same p/n as for Honda CR-V 07-11.
- Plus, I would perform a brake fluid change. For that purpose I would order Motul 5.1 brake fluid.

Just my shy 2 cents.

SimonKane

I have a 07 RDX and had all 4 rotors turned and ceramic pads replaced for $350 about 6 months ago here in Scottsdale, AZ. The dealer quoted me $300 for each end for the same service. I would definitely get a second opinion on the brake job!

pvsurfer

Well, you guys have convinced me that the dealer is ripping me off big-time for replacing my front pads. I also got that feeling every time I brought the RDX in for the 'reminder' PMs. So from now on the RDX goes to an independent for service (hopefully that Performance Plus shop works out).

bluecarbonfiber

let us know how the second opinion goes

pvsurfer

Well, Performance Plus' inspection showed that the front pads were indeed almost completely gone. They resurfaced the rotors, installed Akebono ProAct pads and so far no more screeching, or hardly any brake-noise for that matter. Fwiw, the front brake-job cost $258 out-the-door (as compared to the dealer's $400 estimate).