Greetings! I recently purchased an off-lease 2005 RL with 25K miles. The car is in rather good shape; however, there were a few issues that the dealer addressed. A few issues, though, were not due to cost. One of the issues that was not handled by the dealership was replacing the brake pads all around. I know it may seem really strange, but they were are worn down to the squealers. I've never seen this before on a car with so few miles.

Initially, this was very disconcerning to me for I worried that the car might have an altered odometer; however, the carfax and other records all match up and look good. After reading the posts on this site, I decided to take up the project myself and ordered a full set of OEM brake pads.

The guidance provided by the site was invaluable; however, I ran into one major problem that was as weird as the fact that a 25K mile car has worn out pads. The problem was that the inner pads all around were virtually rusted to the caliper brackets. I had to use extreme force to remove the inner pads. It was amazingly painful. For reference, both the inner & outer pads were worn equally (all around) and the rotor was smooth without deep ruts and didn't need to be replaced.

I ultimately managed to get the pads off (though I did ruin a number of tools which is inconsequential) and replaced all the pads. During the replacement, I thoroughly cleaned the calipers and attempted to remove as must rust as possible (the prior owner lived in Chicago so the car saw a fair amount of salt). What bothered me was that I had to almost forcibly install the new inner pads. Now they did go on easier than removing the originals, but were more difficult than the outers.

After completing the project, I did take the car for a quick spin and it felt significantly better with no squealling. The car stopped straight without unusual pulsations.

So my questions for those who may have some experience or knowledge of such circumstances.

1) Do the RL's chew through brake pads faster than other Hondas? The service manual says they do (posted in the DIY section), but 25K seems a bit extreme.

2) Are the inner pads always that snug on these cars?

 

Very odd. I am at 51,500 miles on the original set of brake pads with 34% left on the front and 75% left on the rear. Anticipating that the front will need replacement at the next service--or perhaps the one after that. What kind of throttle-and-brake moron drove that car before you???

 

I agree it is strange. What little I know about the prior owner is that she lived in/around downtown Chicago and she certainly didn't drive that much.

 

A couple things come to mind which may or may not apply to your RL.

Do you know if the pads you removed were the OEM pads? Or were an inferior set put on the car for whatever reasons.

Was the car subject to moisture damage? Parked on flooded streets or snowed in for a few weeks through the thaw? That might explain the rust issue.

Also some early 2005 and 2006 RLs were subject to a TSB to replace brake pads which were squealing...check your VIN to the TSBs on the main forum. Too late for warranty work now, but it may explain the condition of your RL.

In general, there has been little posted in my 3 years here about premature wear. The OEM pads seem to wear well, generally silent and produce VERY little brake dust on the wheels. Other than some light squeal when I roll out of the garage in the morning, my RL pads are silent, smooth as new and show wear like new at 28K.