So the car has been for its second service and the dealer rings me up to say that the front brake pads are 70% worn (just less than 21k on the clock), and that, if I wanted, I could have the pads done with the service - at a price obviously -  but they also said that they recommend that with each change of pads they change the discs as well! I declined their offer for both as I wanted to inspect the pads myself to check their 'technicians claims' and have a look at the discs to see how much wear could be on them after only 20k miles or so.

I've yet to take the wheel off to look at the pads in daylight, but had a feel of the discs and to be honest there is very little wear on them with about a fingernails width lip on the edge of the disc, certainly no more than I would suspect. 

Can this be right about changing the discs every time you get a set of pads? I would like to think the pads would last longer then this anyway, I know they quoted 70% worn so still some way to go before actually needed. 

Incidentally they originally quoted £240 for both pads and discs, but if I had them done at the time of the service it would be £180. 

AND discs? I bet they do recommend that they are changed each time!

Take it elsewhere I would (perhaps a VAG specialist) just to get an independant assessment.

Unless you drive the car v hard, are constantly on the brakes or there is something wrong with the front braking arrangement no way should the pads be that worn after 21k miles.

Pads 20-30K, Discs 60-70K as a rough guide.

Car is mainly driven by the other half with the kids in, so is far from being driven hard. I'm of the same school of thought as you pipsyp re the pads - I have a Audi A4 company car with 54k on the clock and no pads required yet. I did challenge the need for the discs and they just fobbed me off with 'that's what we would recommend'

Looks like I'll be taking it elsewhere from here on in. Thanks for the quick response gents. 

I wouldn't expect to be changing front pads before 40k miles.

My response scout for work does not go through them that quick and they are driven 24hrs a day and hard!

I think it's just a guess most of the time. I had a Mk5 Jetta a few years ago. Was told the pads needed changed at about 12k miles. I was still using the same pads when I got rid at 45k miles.

Best to whip the wheel off and check. It'll only take a few mins.

Edited 28 November, 201411 yr by SC03OTT

I'd agree with Sheldon, 20 to 30k for pads and 2 to 3 sets of pads per disc probably but it does vary a lot.  Hard diving isn't the only way to wear them, sitting around on the street where the discs tend to get a bit of surface rusting will also accelerate wear a little.  Pads are cheap and you do not want the braking material to shear from the back plate which becomes more likely as they wear thin, so 3-5mm material remaining is the minimum for the front, 2-3 at the back.  Sounds like your discs are fine dealer probably recommend new discs with any scoring at all, but with light/normal scoring the brake pads will soon bed in, if in doubt ask dealer what the minimum recommended thickness is and measure with a micrometer in several places around and across the disc. 

Well it seem, there no such thing as a free service.....

I suppose it depends how you drive, but on my last Mk. 2 at the MOT they told me the pads were less than 25% worn (46000 miles and 6 years old) and discs were never even mentioned.

 

This was at a "Just MOTs" branch that do not do work they recommend so have nothing in particular to gain by advising unnecessary work.

Discs seem to wear quicker these days because there is no asbestos in the pads anymore there is a higher carbon content as carbon can give the friction also have good heat transfer, downside being harder composition of pad, but the discs shouldnt need changing everytime, there is a min thickness stamped on the edge usually, check the centre of the disc with a micrometer and see what it is, steering wobble under heavy braking is a sign that discs are worn as they tend to warp after certain time,i would file off the lip and fit new pads but not at 75% worn just keep regular checks over the next couple of months

The redstuff pads on my old Mk2 TDI used to wear the drilled discs at about the same rate as the pads but, gave off very little brake dust which was an upside for car cleaning.  I generally got about 30K (about three times the lifespan of the front tyres) with lots of spirted driving, think thats the term for driving it like you just stole it anyway.

I changed the discs and pads on my old mans accord today as the pads were down to the wear marker and the discs had 0.5mm left to minimum thickness so wouldn't have survived another set of pads. His car has only done 35k but it is a bit of a tank so probably takes some stopping lol.

Normally I would expect at least two sets of standard pads to a pair of discs. I normally end up changing my own discs due to corrosion before they reach minimum thickness

So the car has been for its second service and the dealer rings me up to say that the front brake pads are 70% worn (just less than 21k on the clock), and that, if I wanted, I could have the pads done with the service - at a price obviously -  but they also said that they recommend that with each change of pads they change the discs as well! I declined their offer for both as I wanted to inspect the pads myself to check their 'technicians claims' and have a look at the discs to see how much wear could be on them after only 20k miles or so.

I've yet to take the wheel off to look at the pads in daylight, but had a feel of the discs and to be honest there is very little wear on them with about a fingernails width lip on the edge of the disc, certainly no more than I would suspect. 

Can this be right about changing the discs every time you get a set of pads? I would like to think the pads would last longer then this anyway, I know they quoted 70% worn so still some way to go before actually needed. 

Incidentally they originally quoted £240 for both pads and discs, but if I had them done at the time of the service it would be £180. 

Not our friends in Colne is it by any chance? Wouldn't surprise me if it was

 

Mine had its 3rd service at 29k and I didn't get a mention of it needing a wiper blade, never mind discs or pads.