Car has just been in for its two year service although has only done just under 13k miles and have been advised that due to some corrosion it will need new discs and pads all round shortly (they were pushing to do it now)! When pushed the service desk basically put this down to the cheap materials that VAG now use, not sure that is the politically correct answer! I would expect my discs to last a good deal longer given the car is regularly used and does not get any extreme use. What are peoples feelings/experiences on this?

Ok, I live right on the seaside, but I find i need new discs (and hence pads) about every 2 years.

I have never sent a car in for a service at a main dealer (irrespective of make) and not have them try to sell me new discs and pads.

 

I'm convinced it is there go-to money maker.  They use the magic phrase "lipped" and expect people to become confused and worried and get out the credit card.  Luckily I know someone at a local independant garage that would happily check over my brakes and give me an opinion I would trust.

 

I don't know if people will say that there are hidden pitfalls in giving them a look over yourself but I always think you at least get some visual indications if the discs and pads are on their way out.

 

Don't VAG use Pagid parts for OEM.

I had them as an advisory on my MOT (the car's first) - I then put it in for a service and agreed to replacement of the front discs and pads - only because I intend to keep the car for another two years (until it's five years old).

My two Fabias are the only cars I've had problems with corroded discs - I've partially put it down my low annual mileage (4,000 to 5,000 - the car can sit for several days at a time without getting used).

dont the fabias have some sort of disk pad sensor that lights up as a warning telling you when its worn down and time to change ?????????

my old one did 50k, and lots of track time, and the front discs/pads were not even 50 % worn, the rears even less, so the OE brakes would have lasted over 100k EASY..... however, all that use DOES prevent them from corroding..... edit: it was 3 years old at 50k.....

Edited 27 November, 201312 yr by sharkrider

Low mileage and not used extremely are two things that encourage corrosion on brake discs.

As stated by sharkrider, the pads last a long time. I'm currently sitting on 23k and pads are still fine and it hasnt been used gently. Dics are fine also but thats because its used nearly everyday

Car has just been in for its two year service although has only done just under 13k miles and have been advised that due to some corrosion it will need new discs and pads all round shortly (they were pushing to do it now)! When pushed the service desk basically put this down to the cheap materials that VAG now use, not sure that is the politically correct answer! I would expect my discs to last a good deal longer given the car is regularly used and does not get any extreme use. What are peoples feelings/experiences on this?[/quote

Unless you have a very hard driving style (which on today's crowded roads only a lunatic getting ready for a long driving ban can have) I would think this is total rubbish.I've done 12k miles and my discs and pads are still like new.

What dealer is it?

Some might be like mine & look like cr4p,

but i just clean off the surface rust at the start of a journey and then hardly ever use the brakes after that,

i use the DSG for slowing, the brakes for stopping..

 

Easy enough to get the wheels off & tidy up the disks removing surface rust, 

check the wear on the pads & if the Discs have ruined them, they would need changing,

but thats unlikely.

 

If they fitted new discs and pads now, they would probably look the same by Spring time as the ones they replaced.

 

Re Cheap materials, 

there are actually much cheaper in Price Discs you can buy that do not corrode with surface rust over night like Skoda/VAG ones,

& they stop the car just as well, or badly depending on your view point.

http://www.livingstonautoparts.co.uk

 

george

Moist, disc and pad replacement varies enormously from car to car, owner to owner. As you can gather, its totally dependant on how the car is driven, where its driven, mileage covered (frequency of use), where you live. My Fabia Estate whilst with its previous owner, had an advisory at 3yrs and 9,900 miles that the rear discs and pads where nearing the end of their life. Indeed they were and were very corroded and had seriously shredded the pads. Lipping was very noticeable to. Dash lights had not flashed a warning but that was imminent. The car lived outside virtually on the beach during that time! Nuff said.

These ones lived on a Dealers forecourt for a few weeks and did a few hundred miles,

(during the Spring, but the Daily Car washes will have made them as bad as they are.)

it might have or might not have got brakes Skimmed or just an Italian Tune Up before being sold to a customer.

Steel Wool would actually have them OK, as long as not left much longer to get pitted.

I have not had a chance to have a look and probably won't till the weekend but from what they are saying it is not wear or surface corrosion so not down to excessive or under usey. The issue seems to be the edges starting to corrode and crumble! I know it is a standard thing for some places to try and use to make money but I'll check it out for myself and see if they really need done, if so I,m more than happy and capable of doing it myself, have done it numerous times on several cars, will just have to find my rear pad wind in tool which is buried somewhere in the garage after the move!!

Ok, I live right on the seaside, but I find i need new discs (and hence pads) about every 2 years.

I used to live in a similar situation and had that issue but where I am now is about as far as you can actually get from the sea in the UK!

Also, it would be advisable, if at all possible, to keep your old disks and pads on over winter as some councils have been known to use sand instead of salt (ours used 2/3 sand last year) on the roads which sticks to the disks and you can't get it off. Dad had to get a full set of disks because of this, and he wasn't the only one by a long way!