Witt_4rings

I have a 09 a4 quattro 4cyl/turbo, I have only had this car for 28k miles since purchased from dealer, so I need the best bang for my buck? Something that will last me, since I drive 21k mi/yr.

shs92645

I also have '09 - premium plus tiptronic...odometer just turned 75k and brakes are like new - I learned a lesson with the many VW's that I owned to get OEM brakes installed from a dealer. Other brakes may cost a bit less, but they will either not last as long or you will have a variety of problems, including noise, with them. I have routinely found that my brakes will last a very long time and I drive about 25k/yr!

A4Driver

I also have an '09 Premium Plus, and I currently have only 36,000 miles on my car. I brake very slowly -- if there's a red light a block away from me, I usually will lift my foot off the accelerator and coast to the light. Many times the light turns green before I reach it, so I don't even have to brake.

Yet, I had to replace my pads and rotors at about 32-33k. How can one car get more than 75k from a set of brakes, while an identical car with the same brakes only get 32k? Did my car have defective pads?

Meanwhile, I have replaced my pad with ceramic pads from ECS Tuning. The car has good braking with the benefit of there being no dust. I don't know how long these will last, but I'm sure I won't need another set before I trade my car in in another year or two.
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audiSfour

Check out http://www.awe-tuning.com/, http://www.ecstuning.com/, or even tirerack.com to find the right pad for you. Many pads out there are built to last. Amazon.com also sells pads and you get the benefit of customer reviews.


Noisy brakes is often a result of poor installation. I think the only benefit of dealerships doing the work is getting a loaner car. I wouldn't limit myself to OEM pads.


Your brakes are not defective. 30k miles on front brakes is definitely regular wear. I highly doubt front brakes could last 75k miles. And to say they are like new is not realistic. must have been a typing error. Maybe the rear pads could last that long but they would definitely not look like new. Assuming we are talking about OEM pads.

gunsmoker

I have 32k miles on mine and the front pads are halfway through their life or so. I took the brakes apart a couple of months ago to change the rotors to ECS Tuning's two-piece S4-sized rotors and carriers and I put back in the original pads and everything has been great. I would have changed the pads if they were any close to end of life, but it just didn't feel right to throw good pads away. I know it's recommended to change the pads and the rotors together, but these brakes wear so evenly and it took less than 100 miles to achieve a great stopping power without any forceful bed-in.

gunsmoker

I should add that the dusty pre-2011 pads would wear much faster. If you are going with OEM pads, look for 2011+ material.

shs92645

oops.....sorry.....i did not write my reply quite right as i'm sure my brakes have not lasted that long - i bought the car with 36k on it and i would imagine that the brakes were done at some point prior to that. however, i have put 39k on the vehicle and they are still like brand new. just had my 75k service done and the brakes received 5 stars... now if only my rear suspension worked correctly!

Audirings4

Not true at all. Although incorrect installation may occur 1% of the time the real reason behind braking noise is materials. Rotor and brake pad material.

Witt_4rings

Thanks to all you guys, I am that much more educated on these brakes! I had a b5 a4 and those brakes lasted a long time! (Lighter car, I think) and easier to install! I just didn't know if I should stick to OEM pads or, awe or ecs pads. I'll have to order some pads, but my rotors look alright, I should be alright just putting the pads on right? I got a yellow on the wear rating from the dealer and im not sure if that meant brakes or rotors or both.