Front brakes wearing out quickly at 6K miles?

[YzermanTopShelf]

I just had my first oil change and check up at 6K miles. Dealer says my front brakes are at 4mm and back brakes are at 8mm. Dealer thinks that maybe a rotor is warped in the front. Most of my driving has been highway miles and no towing. Has anyone else seen their front brakes wear this quickly?

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[Pete6114]

If it's one of those that been sitting around for month, waiting for a chip, it's not entirely impossible to have partially seized calipers.. Not normal wear, that's for sure. I'd be expecting new brakes all the way around under warr.

 

[YzermanTopShelf]

@Pete6114 My truck doesn’t fall in that category. I’ve had it since December 2020. Do you think the rear brakes at 8mm sound bad too?

 

[Bryan Simon]

I bought a new 2005 Ranger and right out of the gate had braking issues.
Told service 3x sticky caliper and all they did was turn rotors and drums.
30,000 later after being told it was my driving habits, 3 brake jobs, it about bounced me off the hiway on a trip for my dads funeral.
Took it to a Lincoln dealer in Las Vegas and told them to fix it or drive it their asses.
Turned out it was a pair of sticky calipers.
I got new rotors, drums and shoes and they lasted over 100k
Side note, 420k on my 79 c10 and it is only on its second set of front pads, so, not my driving habits

 

[BLoflin]

A warped rotor would not wear all 4 wheels (obviously).

Problem with overall brake system (sticky calipers, problem with master, ABS not working correctly) is more likely if true.

However, FIRST you should check the pads yourself.

I've had 2 different dealer service (one Mercedes, one Ford) write me up for needing a brake repair due to pad wear. Both times I took the vehicles home and pulled the wheels and checked. Complete wrong (i.e. they lied). Sometimes they don't even pull the wheel if they think they can see it good enough, or if the wheel is off (for rotate) they don't actually pull pad assembly off the caliper to measure. Just a look-see. On the Mercedes I pulled the pads out measured and took pictures and went back to the Service Manager and showed him. They had written me up as "Red" Critical repair needed now. Claiming less than 3mm on pads. The pads were at 8mm and 7mm. Told him, that was the last time I spent money there (either service or car purchasing) and it was. For the Ford, is was a "recommendation" as they said pads should be replaced. But again, I still had another 10k before replacing (myself, on an all disk brake car, pads are literaly the second easiest, after air and cabin filters to DYI).

 

[Merccat]

wouldn’t something like a sticky caliper impact gas mileage? Just wondering if that could be a potential symptom pointing to that…. Assuming they are actually worn and they didn’t “accidentally record the truck in the next bay on your chart”

 

[YzermanTopShelf]

wouldn’t something like a sticky caliper impact gas mileage? Just wondering if that could be a potential symptom pointing to that…. Assuming they are actually worn and they didn’t “accidentally record the truck in the next bay on your chart”

hmmm... that would be very interesting. My MPG has seemed much lower than I expected. Almost all highway miles and I don't have a heavy foot. I struggle to get 19 MPG - even on the freeway.

 

[YzermanTopShelf]

A warped rotor would not wear all 4 wheels (obviously).

Problem with overall brake system (sticky calipers, problem with master, ABS not working correctly) is more likely if true.

However, FIRST you should check the pads yourself.

I've had 2 different dealer service (one Mercedes, one Ford) write me up for needing a brake repair due to pad wear. Both times I took the vehicles home and pulled the wheels and checked. Complete wrong (i.e. they lied). Sometimes they don't even pull the wheel if they think they can see it good enough, or if the wheel is off (for rotate) they don't actually pull pad assembly off the caliper to measure. Just a look-see. On the Mercedes I pulled the pads out measured and took pictures and went back to the Service Manager and showed him. They had written me up as "Red" Critical repair needed now. Claiming less than 3mm on pads. The pads were at 8mm and 7mm. Told him, that was the last time I spent money there (either service or car purchasing) and it was. For the Ford, is was a "recommendation" as they said pads should be replaced. But again, I still had another 10k before replacing (myself, on an all disk brake car, pads are literaly the second easiest, after air and cabin filters to DYI).

Hate to admit - I don't know how to check the brakes myself. Maybe there is a youtube video out there

 

[Blueshound]

Have a friend check them for you. There's at least a 50% chance they are lying. If not it should be a warranty issue. Brake pads these days should last 10 times that many miles unless you are driving all stop and go. And 1mm still stops the truck just fine btw.

 

[KartRacer25]

What's your drive train? I have 5.0. Is yours hybrid?
I think I can see outside pad through back of caliper on fronts, and see outside rears from side.
Stick your phone camera up in there with flash. Try n get all 8 pads.
I just did will try n upload some.
Sometimes inside or outside wear more. Left to right but you would feel a pull. Hot spots or warp and feel it chatter and always stop or lockup (ABS) at same spot.
I'm often threshold braking, at 3K miles and pads still look good and thick.
So worn out at 6k seems wrong.
Ive hot spotted, warped, cracked, gouged alot of rotors (and drums) in the past.
Run em down to the rivets, etc.
And over extended ruined caliper piston seals, bent parts, had angles on pad wear. etc.
Usually you can see discoloration, uneven radial rainbow chatter spots , or excessive uneven grooves in disc, hair line cracking at cooling vents, etc before they go way south.

OK got some pics last one is money shot from behind fronts looking back up with phone LOL
Common boys (and girls) show us your brake wear, power train and mileage.
That's 3k of hard ass braking. 3-4 times engaging collision avoidance system red screen of death! Just saying. LOL

 

[YzermanTopShelf]

What's your drive train? I have 5.0. Is yours hybrid?
I think I can see outside pad through back of caliper on fronts, and see outside rears from side.
Stick your phone camera up in there with flash. Try n get all 8 pads.
I just did will try n upload some.
Sometimes inside or outside wear more. Left to right but you would feel a pull. Hot spots or warp and feel it chatter and always stop or lockup (ABS) at same spot.
I'm often threshold braking, at 3K miles and pads still look good and thick.
So worn out at 6k seems wrong.
Ive hot spotted, warped, cracked, gouged alot of rotors (and drums) in the past.
Run em down to the rivets, etc.
And over extended ruined caliper piston seals, bent parts, had angles on pad wear. etc.
Usually you can see discoloration, uneven radial rainbow chatter spots , or excessive uneven grooves in disc, hair line cracking at cooling vents, etc before they go way south.

3.5EB (not hybrid). I have the max tow package (even though I haven't towed ).

I'll try to get some picture today. Thanks!

 

[KartRacer25]

3.5EB (not hybrid). I have the max tow package (even though I haven't towed ).

I'll try to get some picture today. Thanks!

HA ha. I have hitch, Ford rubber plug, Reese tactical 2" hitch, anti rattle clamp and locking pin from Rhino USA, recovery shackle hitch, Master lock heavy duty stainless one piece barrel hitch pin.
And No I dont even own a trailer . ROFL (thats what happens on Amazon while waiting 3 month for truck to be built)
Yeh I'd like to see yours and someone elses so we can compare. Good info. Like make sure oil change was 7.x quarts not old Gen13 8.x quarts.

 

[chrisp993]

I just had my first oil change and check up at 6K miles. Dealer says my front brakes are at 4mm and back brakes are at 8mm. Dealer thinks that maybe a rotor is warped in the front. Most of my driving has been highway miles and no towing. Has anyone else seen their front brakes wear this quickly?

Dealer is trying to rip you off, or incompetent, or both ....

1. If your rotor was warped you would feel the vibration/pulsing through the brake pedal and/or steering wheel - it would also be literally just a few minutes work for the tech to use a dial indicator to measure and verify this mysterious warp
2. Only the set of brake pads on the warped rotor would be affected and if somehow this was enough to wear that set down to 4mm in 6k miles - this increase in braking force at just one caliper would also be noticed through the steering wheel / the truck would "pull" to the side under braking. Although, I don't really see how a warped rotor could increase the brake pad wear vs. just causing vibration?
3. Possibly a caliper seizing or sticking has caused sufficient wear on one or both brake pads at a caliper to wear one of the pads down to 4mm - if so it might have created enough heat to warp the rotor - but see above for symptoms of warped rotor! Possible the caliper isn't seized enough to cause warped rotor but nonetheless has damaged/worn one of the brake pads to 4mm.

So, if really at 4mm in 6k miles either you've been driving like a complete maniac (lets assume not) or its a problem with either one caliper, seized or sticking or similar (warranty!) or the whole brake system (warranty!) .... or maybe the dealer just made a "mistake"

Front pads on my 2016 F150 3.5 Ecoboost lasted well over 60k miles - and I tow an 8k pound car trailer. Unless you've noticed any symptoms, my money is on a "mistake"

 

[YzermanTopShelf]

@KartRacer25 I took some photos but don’t think they are very helpful. At least I can’t tell anything for the break pad. Front left, front right and then a shot of the front right caliper

 

[YzermanTopShelf]

@KartRacer25 I got a better picture of the front right break pad

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