My Octy 2 was serviced in September (it's 3 years old & done 40000 miles) & I was told that my front brake pads were 80% worn & the rears 70% - dealer recommended changing them at a cost of £250-£300.

MOT is due in May - what is the limit for brake pad wear for an MOT & does the price the dealer quoted seem reasonable - it's not under warranty anymore so I could try an independent.

Anyone used Andys VW centre or the VW centre in St.Helens - many thanks in advance for any advice.

I don't think that there is a limit for pads, just for wear on the discs, they must be above minimum thickness.

Easy job to do yourself, pads are about £40 for front and rear from a reputable Motor Factor.

£250-£300 to replace pads is expensive.

Min pad thickness for MoT is 1.5mm - however the tester is not allowed to dismantle the brakes, so has to make a judgement based on what is visible.

Personally I don't like to see any pad below about 2.5mm (1/10th inch).

A set of front and rear pads of good quality can be had for your car for about £60. Fitting is straightforward (I can do it in about 1 hour) - so clearly £250+ is pretty steep.

There is nothing special about Octy brakes, so any respectable garage should be able to do it for you. Just make sure they use branded pads (Pagid, Mintex etc ).

I thought it is only braking force that is measured during MOT?

I thought it is only braking force that is measured during MOT?

No mate. Testers manual section 3.5 - Brake linings, reason for rejection, "a brake lining or pad insecure or less than 1.5mm thick at any point"

1.5mm is a bit thin in my opinion, I prefer 2.5mm or more. Pads are fairly cheap on the Octavia, so no reason to push it to the wire..

If you replace the rears, You will need a tool to wined back the piston !

Dealer speak - "Your pads are 70% worn"

Dave hears "Woo hoo - 30% left!"

I'm not hard on brakes, got 46k out of my last car from new before selling with no change. But remember the dealer does have a rather vested interest in you spending your money sooner rather than later.

surely that price includes discs as well which wouldnt be too bad a price!

Thanks for your advice everyone