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OK, so we've got 105,000 miles on our '15 RDX, and the brakes look...new. I mean, I've never seen anything like it. They have squeaked since day 1, of course, even after I shaved down the tab that supposedly causes the issue, but the pads and rotors look fantastic. I can't find the minimum thickness the rotors are supposed to be, but mine are 25.46mm for the DR front, and 25.54 for the PS front.
How many miles on yours, and have you replaced the front rotors or pads yet??
Ours squeak first thing in the AM. As they are used (warm up??) they quiet down. There were a couple of TSBs for replacement of the rotors and pads a while back, but it's never been enough of an issue to bring to the dealer. Those TSBs were/are - B16-002 and B17-016 if anyone is interested.
Ours squeak first thing in the AM. As they are used (warm up??) they quiet down. There were a couple of TSBs for replacement of the rotors and pads a while back, but it's never been enough of an issue to bring to the dealer. Those TSBs were/are - B16-002 and B17-016 if anyone is interested.
I saw those, but never took it into the dealer because I'm 100+ miles away. One of them was for the brake pad retainer, it was a bit long on one side, so I ground it down myself to stop the squeaking.
I spoke with my local Honda dealer yesterday about the long squeak that we get sometimes, and it's because the rotors and pads are glazed, they look like a mirror. They scuff them up to stop the squeaking. I don't think I'll bother with it.
OK, so we've got 105,000 miles on our '15 RDX, and the brakes look...new.
I can't find the minimum thickness the rotors are supposed to be, but mine are 25.46mm for the DR front, and 25.54 for the PS front.
I take it you bought the vehicle new, otherwise they may have been replaced by a previous owner or shop. Yes, they can last if everything is working as it should.
I can't speak for all manufacturers, but rotor thickness is stamped into the hat of the rotor.
I take it you bought the vehicle new, otherwise they may have been replaced by a previous owner or shop. Yes, they can last if everything is working as it should.
I can't speak for all manufacturers, but rotor thickness is stamped into the hat of the rotor.
Yeah, we bought it new. Just seems weird. It's my wife's car, and she isn't easy on the brakes, yet there is still over 2mm of rotor left??? And the pad wear, it's so minimal. It's just weird. I mean, they're wearing like carbon ceramic brakes.
And the pad wear, it's so minimal. It's just weird. I mean, they're wearing like carbon ceramic brakes.
I keep a motorcycle in Europe, its a 2003 BMW R1150GS Adventure and I am still on the same brakes at 71,991 km (44,743 mi). Now that may not seem much to you but motorcycle brake pads when new are a few millimeters thick (just over 1/8") and when you have ~83 switchbacks on the Passo dello Stelvio and all the mountains in the Austrian, French and Italian Alps, you are ultra hard on your brakes. And they still have plenty of life in them.
Love my PCCBs on the Porsche. No brake dust, no rusty rotors and they will last me forever.
Well the have the perfect car for it. Small and light. Looked at them years ago, but they are really a track car or a toy, certainly not as a daily driver.
Well the have the perfect car for it. Small and light. Looked at them years ago, but they are really a track car or a toy, certainly not as a daily driver.
It's a dream of mine to have my Exige in such a place, but sadly, it'll probably never happen.
I did daily my Exige for 3 years, but my commute was 2.6 miles, and I didn't drive it in the most harsh conditions. And as you said, they work best as a track toy.
It's a dream of mine to have my Exige in such a place, but sadly, it'll probably never happen.
You can rent cars there...a Porsche and maybe some others. Munich would be your best bet because you are thirty minutes away from the mountains to the south. Plus if you are dealing in US dollars, you are laughing.
I've motorcycled there for 25 straight summers, from 1995 to 2019...till Covid hit. Never get tired of the roads, food and drink. Its the only place you can wear out a tire from edge to edge on a public road, there are that many turns and twisties.
I like to lean more left than right. Left has me sliding into guardrails; right has me sliding into oncoming cars. Hasn't happened yet in 46 years.
You can rent cars there...a Porsche and maybe some others. Munich would be your best bet because you are thirty minutes away from the mountains to the south. Plus if you are dealing in US dollars, you are laughing.
Thanks for the tip!
Originally Posted by Tech
Its the only place you can wear out a tire from edge to edge on a public road, there are that many turns and twisties.
We do that at "The Dragon" in NC/TN. 318 curves in 11 miles.
We do that at "The Dragon" in NC/TN. 318 curves in 11 miles.
FYI, a long time ago I emailed the site that listed that and asked if there were really 318 curves in 11 miles. He got back to me and said if there was an increase or decrease in the radius of the curve, that counted at 2 curves, or more depending on how the actual curve changed in radius.
Anyway, a good run. You gotta love the Tree of Shame. And talking to others who have been there and in the area, they said there are roads like it in the area with less nutcases on it. But it is like Mt. Everest...you gotta do it at least once.
FYI, a long time ago I emailed the site that listed that and asked if there were really 318 curves in 11 miles. He got back to me and said if there was an increase or decrease in the radius of the curve, that counted at 2 curves, or more depending on how the actual curve changed in radius.
Anyway, a good run. You gotta love the Tree of Shame. And talking to others who have been there and in the area, they said there are roads like it in the area with less nutcases on it. But it is like Mt. Everest...you gotta do it at least once.
Yeah, that's true. The roads around are fantastic, and much less traveled. The Dragon is full of motorcycles (not the good kind that go fast) a lot, but it is what it is. It's a fantastic road, but not so scenic like where you were talking about.
OK, so we've got 105,000 miles on our '15 RDX, and the brakes look...new. I mean, I've never seen anything like it. They have squeaked since day 1, of course, even after I shaved down the tab that supposedly causes the issue, but the pads and rotors look fantastic. I can't find the minimum thickness the rotors are supposed to be, but mine are 25.46mm for the DR front, and 25.54 for the PS front.
How many miles on yours, and have you replaced the front rotors or pads yet??
Pads last a long time, it's the rotors that warp is the problem, even after the latest revised rotors and pads.
Pads last a long time, it's the rotors that warp is the problem, even after the latest revised rotors and pads.
I'm in the camp that thinks rotors rarely warp. It's usually pad deposits stuck onto the rotor making it pulse at certain times. This comes from having weak pads (that make rotors last longer and have less brake dust) and driving the car easy on the brakes, which is why it's common. You don't have this sort of thing on performance cars because the pads eat the rotors, which shows up as dust (very little is from the pad). I've never seen any real amount of brake dust on the wheels from this car. I do keep it clean, but I could tell if it were creating any kind of dust, and it's just very little. The mirror finish on the rotors tells the story as well, as the pads are literally polishing the rotors instead of eating them.
I'm in the camp that thinks rotors rarely warp. It's usually pad deposits stuck onto the rotor making it pulse at certain times. This comes from having weak pads (that make rotors last longer and have less brake dust) and driving the car easy on the brakes, which is why it's common. You don't have this sort of thing on performance cars because the pads eat the rotors, which shows up as dust (very little is from the pad). I've never seen any real amount of brake dust on the wheels from this car. I do keep it clean, but I could tell if it were creating any kind of dust, and it's just very little. The mirror finish on the rotors tells the story as well, as the pads are literally polishing the rotors instead of eating them.
Replaced 4 sets of rotors due to warping, before they were replaced I would have them turned on a lathe and each time you could CLEARLY see them wobble on the lathe. Every Honda/Acura product I've owned has had warped rotors.
Replaced 4 sets of rotors due to warping, before they were replaced I would have them turned on a lathe and each time you could CLEARLY see them wobble on the lathe. Every Honda/Acura product I've owned has had warped rotors.
Wow, what are you doing, racing and then stopping in puddles of ice water? I've had 11 Honda/Acura products and never had a set of warped rotors. Seriously, do tell.
Wow, what are you doing, racing and then stopping in puddles of ice water? I've had 11 Honda/Acura products and never had a set of warped rotors. Seriously, do tell.
Perhaps someone loves to install Chinese garbage in which starts the beating from the factory.
Nope I don't buy Chinese garbage. Two sets of OEM Acura Rotors 45251-TX4-A01 and then two sets of Centric Cryo Treated Rotors 120.40080CRY, these have been the best so far, but they still don't last for more that 35k miles before they warp.
The RDX is my wife's vehicle, but I've had a 2003 Accord coupe V6, 2007 Acura TL, 2009 Acura TSX, 2015 Acura TLX, Wife had a 1996 Honda Accord, 2014 Honda Accord and Now the 2013 Acura RDX, ALL OF THEM had warped rotors, the 2003 Accord V6 and the 2013 Acura RDX are by far the worse when it comes to Rotors warping.
Now I have a 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Q4 the Brembo brakes on this car is amazing and so far have not warped the rotors but I have got them to fade twice. Excellent car with ZERO problems so far, it's a lease and I'm not planning to keep it long term, but I will get another one after this lease is done a year from now.
Last edited by alpha2beta; 01-07-2022 at 09:09 PM.
Reason: spelling mistake
Nope I don't buy Chinese garbage. Two sets of OEM Acura Rotors 45251-TX4-A01 and then two sets of Centric Cryo Treated Rotors 120.40080CRY, these have been the best so far, but they still don't last for more that 35k miles before they warp.
The RDX is my wife's vehicle, but I've had a 2003 Accord coupe V6, 2007 Acura TL, 2009 Acura TSX, 2015 Acura TLX, Wife had a 1996 Honda Accord, 2014 Honda Accord and Now the 2013 Acura RDX, ALL OF THEM had warped rotors, the 2003 Accord V6 and the 2013 Acura RDX are by far the worse when it comes to Rotors warping.
Now I have a 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Q4 the Brembo brakes on this car is amazing and so far have not warped the rotors but I have got them to fade twice. Excellent car with ZERO problems so far, it's a lease and I'm not planning to keep it long term, but I will get another one after this lease is done a year from now.
Over 100k miles on RDX, there have never been such problems, you may not use the brake pedal correctly. What speeds do you usually drive?
Over 100k miles on RDX, there have never been such problems, you may not use the brake pedal correctly. What speeds do you usually drive?
I see blame the user, it's all highway speeds 60 to 80 MPH. Friends and family that have other Hondas have had similar problems, not just me. Google Honda brake problems. Lots of people.
At the end of the day I still like Honda/Acura but this has always been a problem for me.
I see blame the user, it's all highway speeds 60 to 80 MPH. Friends and family that have other Hondas have had similar problems, not just me. Google Honda brake problems. Lots of people.
At the end of the day I still like Honda/Acura but this has always been a problem for me.
Obviously, if out of 100,000 cars, 10 have brake problems, they will complain and it will be very easy to Google. For example, in 2015, 50,000 RDX were sold, but I found only one complaint on the https://www.carcomplaints.com/Acura/...g_brakes.shtml . I agree some Hondas really have a problem with the brakes, but not on the 2-GEN RDX.
Obviously, if out of 100,000 cars, 10 have brake problems, they will complain and it will be very easy to Google. For example, in 2015, 50,000 RDX were sold, but I found only one complaint on the https://www.carcomplaints.com/Acura/...g_brakes.shtml . I agree some Hondas really have a problem with the brakes, but not on the 2-GEN RDX.
That's because most people who drive the RDX is old people who are NPCs and barely drive the vehicle. When things go wrong they sure as hell don't go on social media to complain. My friends wife had a 2014 Acura RDX and had to have the rotors replaced twice, a customer that I know personally has a 2015 RDX, he had his rotors replaced once and turned twice. Both of them are fairly rich $100k+ annually. One is a doctor and the other owns a insurance agency. You think people like that are going to have the time to care to go online to bitch about a $400 brake job? No they don't is the answer. I'm happy that your brakes are working great for you, but the people I know that have cars including myself are very picky about vibrations and rattles, when our vehicles shake and make noise even at the slightest amount we get it fixed asap. So maybe if I drove your vehicle I would probably notice warped rotors when driving at higher speeds that you haven't noticed yet. Who knows. Obviously the RDX has had brake problems, there're TWO TSB's for brake pad revisions and rotor revisions, I don't know why you would say that brake problems don't exist on the RDX. First set of pads and rotors were replaced under warranty for free because of the TSB, that means that it's a common problem.
Last edited by alpha2beta; 01-07-2022 at 10:08 PM.
Reason: added TSB
That's because most people who drive the RDX is old people who are NPCs and barely drive the vehicle. When things go wrong they sure as hell don't go on social media to complain. My friends wife had a 2014 Acura RDX and had to have the rotors replaced twice, a customer that I know personally has a 2015 RDX, he had his rotors replaced once and turned twice. Both of them are fairly rich $100k+ annually. One is a doctor and the other owns a insurance agency. You think people like that are going to have the time to care to go online to bitch about a $400 brake job? No they don't is the answer. I'm happy that your brakes are working great for you, but the people I know that have cars including myself are very picky about vibrations and rattles, when our vehicles shake and make noise even at the slightest amount we get it fixed asap. So maybe if I drove your vehicle I would probably notice warped rotors when driving at higher speeds that you haven't noticed yet. Who knows. Obviously the RDX has had brake problems, there're TWO TSB's for brake pad revisions and rotor revisions, I don't know why you would say that brake problems don't exist on the RDX. First set of pads and rotors were replaced under warranty for free because of the TSB, that means that it's a common problem.
On my RDX 180k miles, I reflashed the ECU for better throttle response, removed the speed limiter and, in general really love to press the gas pedal. Perhaps my brakes hold well because I keep the distance between the front car, and do not engage in constant acceleration and hard braking. There are 146 different TSBs on this car, and this is not an indicator of a common problem with the brakes. If a person earns more than 100k per year, he will not drive a Honda, most likely he will choose a reliable Lexus, a premium Audi or a well-driven BMW.
On my RDX 180k miles, I reflashed the ECU for better throttle response, removed the speed limiter and, in general really love to press the gas pedal. Perhaps my brakes hold well because I keep the distance between the front car, and do not engage in constant acceleration and hard braking. There are 146 different TSBs on this car, and this is not an indicator of a common problem with the brakes. If a person earns more than 100k per year, he will not drive a Honda, most likely he will choose a reliable Lexus, a premium Audi or a well-driven BMW.
A lot of weirdness written here.
You reflashed the ECU for better throttle response? With what software?
Removed the speed limiter? I didn't realize the RDX would even reach its limiter, and if you're driving an RDX to that speed, you really need a different car IMO.
146 TSB's?
My wife and I earn more than $100K and love the RDX.
I also don't see Lexus as that much more reliable in this platform (in general, yes, but not compared to the RDX).
We do not have an Audi or BMW dealer near, nor do we want to be raped over the price of the vehicle or service, so they're out. And so is their reliability.
My mechanic who's been in the business for MANY years always says that he's seen lots Hondas and Acuras with bad sets of brakes, mainly defective from the factory. I tend to notice that's like the top of the list in terms of issues with these cars. I got my 2013 RDX pre-owned and it drove great, but then all of the brakes went bad on me and warped after less than a year of ownership. That was a big bill to say the least lol.
My mechanic who's been in the business for MANY years always says that he's seen lots Hondas and Acuras with bad sets of brakes, mainly defective from the factory. I tend to notice that's like the top of the list in terms of issues with these cars. I got my 2013 RDX pre-owned and it drove great, but then all of the brakes went bad on me and warped after less than a year of ownership. That was a big bill to say the least lol.
I agree, in general, brakes and transmissions aren't their strong suits. However, Acura corrected the brake issue with the FNC coating. My wife isn't easy on brakes at all, especially since they are so grabby in the RDX, and we are at 107,000 miles now without issue on our 2015.
My mechanic who's been in the business for MANY years always says that he's seen lots Hondas and Acuras with bad sets of brakes, mainly defective from the factory. I tend to notice that's like the top of the list in terms of issues with these cars. I got my 2013 RDX pre-owned and it drove great, but then all of the brakes went bad on me and warped after less than a year of ownership. That was a big bill to say the least lol.
Make sure you do not run your car through carwash after long drive with some braking, as this will for sure warp brake rotors.
On my RDX 180k miles, I reflashed the ECU for better throttle response, removed the speed limiter and, in general really love to press the gas pedal. Perhaps my brakes hold well because I keep the distance between the front car, and do not engage in constant acceleration and hard braking. There are 146 different TSBs on this car, and this is not an indicator of a common problem with the brakes. If a person earns more than 100k per year, he will not drive a Honda, most likely he will choose a reliable Lexus, a premium Audi or a well-driven BMW.
LOL, you can believe whatever you want, I know who they are and know roughly how much money they make. The doctor no longer drives the Acura RDX, she has a Subaru the other person still has the RDX.
The RDX has 120K on the clock now, and is still on the stock rotors and pads. I pulled the pads off the front yesterday to check their exact thickness (I could see through the wheel they were still good, but I wanted to know exact numbers) and was amazed.
New pads are supposed to have 11mm of material, but I have new ones sitting here and measured them at 10.5mm. Minimum thickness is 1.6mm as specified by Acura. All my front pads have over 5mm (5/6 & 6/7), so with my driving habits probably 50K+ left in them. I didn't pull the rear pads because I can't even imagine a scenario where the rears are worn more than the fronts.
The rotors are a different story.
New they are 27.9 to 28.1, minimum thickness is 26mm, and I'm at 25ish or just under (not exactly sure, you need rotor calipers to measure them correctly), and I can't stand the thought of putting old pads on new rotors, so I'm going to replace them all.
But it did bring up an interesting point. I called the Acura dealer and they said they had never had a vehicle in there that had cracked or broken rotors, so other than some vibration I don't see that there is really a need to replace rotors until you have such. But I've gotten 120K out of these, so I'm HOPING I can do that again with the next set since they are OEM.
Our first set lasted 72,000 miles. We're close to double that now, so it will probably be due soon. It seems odd that your rotors would wear out before the pads, but in case I would be very satisfied with components that lasted 120k miles.
Our first set lasted 72,000 miles. We're close to double that now, so it will probably be due soon. It seems odd that your rotors would wear out before the pads, but in case I would be very satisfied with components that lasted 120k miles.
I agree, in general, brakes and transmissions aren't their strong suits. However, Acura corrected the brake issue with the FNC coating. My wife isn't easy on brakes at all, especially since they are so grabby in the RDX, and we are at 107,000 miles now without issue on our 2015.
What is the FNC coating and when did they start using it? We have had 3 Gen 2 RDX's and all had what I believe to be warped rotors, although some said the pulsing is due to buildup on the pads.
What is the FNC coating and when did they start using it? We have had 3 Gen 2 RDX's and all had what I believe to be warped rotors, although some said the pulsing is due to buildup on the pads.
From google...
"Ferritic Nitrocarburizing (FNC) is a process used to reduce corrosion on brake rotors. FNC eliminates “lot rot” by drastically improving the rotors cleanability. Brake pulsation due to corrosion is eliminated when FNC is applied. FNC Brake rotors last longer because of their resistance to wear and corrosion."
Rotors don't warp anymore unless they are under extreme duress, which you will not find on a street vehicle. The pulsation is the pad depositing on the rotor in an uneven way.
I'm still on stock pads/rotors with 125K on the clock. The pads are good all they way around, front rotors are good as well, but the rear rotors are under spec. I have a full set of OEM pads/rotors waiting to go on when I think these have really had it.
1. I changed the rotors and pads with OEM at 123K miles.
2. The OEM pads and rotors are no longer like they were in 2015. They are going to say they are "updated", but what they mean is "cheapened."
3. The new OEM rotors are heavier, and look cheap compared to the stock rotors, but the anti-corrosion paint looks nice.
4. The new pads dust TERRIBLY, much worse than the originals. Not BMW bad, but bad.
5. The new OEM pads do NOT come with hardware. Cheap ass Acura.
6. I could have easily waited another 5K miles.
7. I'd bet my Lotus that there is no way in hell I'll get 123K out of this new "updated" set of rotors and pads.
Good thing I'm selling this car when it hits 200K. And it'll still look brand new.
12-14-2021, 09:19 PM
Hasn't happened yet in 46 years.
