Toyota Corolla Quest CVT

[Nawaar]

If you were purchasing a brand new vehicle, and at the time of purchase, they explain to you, that by the time you have driven the vehicle for 3 years, you will need to replace the brake pads, regardless of how well you drive (drive score according to app is mostly 99%) and the very low mileage (21000) at 3 year service, would you still purchase the vehicle?

I have an issue with Toyota where they are calling it normal wear and tare, and I'm pointing out that this is NOT normal, or rather, it should not be normal. There is something defective along the way of the manufacture of your vehicle if the consumer has to change break pads every 3 years. I've taken it to the Toyota Customer care and they just leave it to the dealer to sort out. I want to point out here that I've driven a few vehicles over the last 20+ years, from brand new and used, I've only replaced brake pads once on the used vehicle, and that was after driving it for a good few years.

Is there anything else I can do to have someone address this issue? Or am wrong and I should just pay and never buy Toyota again?

 

[rh1]

Honestly, this was my first reaction to reading this, but maybe I am wrong:

I know I call them stealership, but do you really expect no wear and tear on brakes?

Brake wear is not how much kms you drive ,but how many times you brake. See a person driving long distance on an open road, may use his brakes less than a person driving in traffic a very short distance.

 

[XPD]

Regardless of driving style and time, if you inspect the pads and they are worn out to an extent they need replacement then you have to replace it. They are safety critical. Automatics tends to have quicker brake wear and changing pads every three years doesn’t sound unreasonable. Unless you feel there is some other issue at play, just replace it and move on.

 

[rh1]

Side note, does the brakes make noise?

Most pads have wear indicators that screech when it time to replace.

Is the pads thin?

Sometimes stealerships take chances. I never do brakes at a stealership, since they are known to lie about common wear parts that need replacement.

 

[ny152]

As said already, automatics do go through break pads faster typically but not always like in the case of a hybrid or full electric with regenerative breaking.

It's the same with breaks and tyres. A tyre that lasts say 25k KM is a whole lot more grippy than a tyre that lasts say 60k KM. Many people are inclined to say that the tyre lasting 60k KM is a better tyre because it lasts longer but the reality is the tyre that lasted only 25k KM is probably a much better and safer tyre... generally speaking of corse

 

[airborne]

If you were purchasing a brand new vehicle, and at the time of purchase, they explain to you, that by the time you have driven the vehicle for 3 years, you will need to replace the break pads, regardless of how well you drive (drive score according to app is mostly 99%) and the very low mileage (21000) at 3 year service, would you still purchase the vehicle?

I have an issue with Toyota where they are calling it normal wear and tare, and I'm pointing out that this is NOT normal, or rather, it should not be normal. There is something defective along the way of the manufacture of your vehicle if the consumer has to change break pads every 3 years. I've taken it to the Toyota Customer care and they just leave it to the dealer to sort out. I want to point out here that I've driven a few vehicles over the last 20+ years, from brand new and used, I've only replaced break pads once on the used vehicle, and that was after driving it for a good few years.

Is there anything else I can do to have someone address this issue? Or am wrong and I should just pay and never buy Toyota again?

Unless you drive like an idiot that is not much mileage to go through pads, is it all the pads they want to replace or only the front pads?
Are they actually worn, it’s easy enough to check the wear on disc brakes, just look in from the wheel.
Automatics barely use more than a manual, thats bs. I last changed my front brake pads on my auto 3yrs ago and they still have plenty of life left. You can also just buy the Ferodo front pads at Midas(or get original from Toyota) and have them changed at Supaquick, they charge around R250 to fit pads that you supply, it'll be around R800 all in.

 

[tetrasect]

never buy Toyota again?

Never take your car to a dealership.

 

[AntennaMan]

Dealerships always want to change brake pads and wiper blades. Relatively little effort with high margin.
And usually cheap enough that people just give the go-ahead.

Here is also an interesting read regarding brakes from Quora (there are still some gems in the cesspool):
Quora

Edit:
Fixed link

 

[Ϲhristopher]

If you were purchasing a brand new vehicle, and at the time of purchase, they explain to you, that by the time you have driven the vehicle for 3 years, you will need to replace the break pads, regardless of how well you drive (drive score according to app is mostly 99%) and the very low mileage (21000) at 3 year service, would you still purchase the vehicle?

I have an issue with Toyota where they are calling it normal wear and tare, and I'm pointing out that this is NOT normal, or rather, it should not be normal. There is something defective along the way of the manufacture of your vehicle if the consumer has to change break pads every 3 years. I've taken it to the Toyota Customer care and they just leave it to the dealer to sort out. I want to point out here that I've driven a few vehicles over the last 20+ years, from brand new and used, I've only replaced break pads once on the used vehicle, and that was after driving it for a good few years.

Is there anything else I can do to have someone address this issue? Or am wrong and I should just pay and never buy Toyota again?

Do your brake pads really need replacement? You should check for yourself or ask someone else to do so.

I had the stealership try the same thing when my car only had around 20k kms on the clock. They lasted another 15k kms before a message popped up saying the pads needed to be replaced.

Unless you have a full maintenance plan, avoid taking your car to the dealership for anything beyond regular services. When I eventually had my brake pads replaced at an independent shop, it cost me less than half of the dealership’s quote.

 

[A3@MBB]

FFS people. It's brakes and brake pads.

You break something - moertoe stukkend and you throw it away

 

[HobieDave]

If you were purchasing a brand new vehicle, and at the time of purchase, they explain to you, that by the time you have driven the vehicle for 3 years, you will need to replace the break pads, regardless of how well you drive (drive score according to app is mostly 99%) and the very low mileage (21000) at 3 year service, would you still purchase the vehicle?

I have an issue with Toyota where they are calling it normal wear and tare, and I'm pointing out that this is NOT normal, or rather, it should not be normal. There is something defective along the way of the manufacture of your vehicle if the consumer has to change break pads every 3 years. I've taken it to the Toyota Customer care and they just leave it to the dealer to sort out. I want to point out here that I've driven a few vehicles over the last 20+ years, from brand new and used, I've only replaced break pads once on the used vehicle, and that was after driving it for a good few years.

Is there anything else I can do to have someone address this issue? Or am wrong and I should just pay and never buy Toyota again?

Depends on your driving style but to unilaterally say the pads must be replaced every 3 years is incorrect, they need to be inspected.

Say the pad starts out at 10mm, it could only be at 5mm after 3 years or even 5 years.

If it is indeed worn down to the limit, then I would say there is an issue - rear brakes not working correctly / pads sticking etc. if the driving style is correct.

From a dealer point of view, it is safety related so they will always error on the side of caution - yes it is money making as well. They don't have a history of how you drive. I could go through that last 5mm in 3 months or 3 years.

 

[SauRoNZA]

If you were purchasing a brand new vehicle, and at the time of purchase, they explain to you, that by the time you have driven the vehicle for 3 years, you will need to replace the break pads, regardless of how well you drive (drive score according to app is mostly 99%) and the very low mileage (21000) at 3 year service, would you still purchase the vehicle?

I have an issue with Toyota where they are calling it normal wear and tare, and I'm pointing out that this is NOT normal, or rather, it should not be normal. There is something defective along the way of the manufacture of your vehicle if the consumer has to change break pads every 3 years. I've taken it to the Toyota Customer care and they just leave it to the dealer to sort out. I want to point out here that I've driven a few vehicles over the last 20+ years, from brand new and used, I've only replaced break pads once on the used vehicle, and that was after driving it for a good few years.

Is there anything else I can do to have someone address this issue? Or am wrong and I should just pay and never buy Toyota again?

Agreed that’s unreasonable.

I would expect a good 80,000km at a minimum.

In cases like these I often wonder if the dealership is trying to pull a fast one. Have you stuck a torch in there and looked at the actual pads? I would expect them to be looking brand new at that mileage.

Even on my bikes I’ve never replaced brake pads that early, and those are high performance very soft pads.

Did you have any reason to think the brakes need replacement or did they come up with the idea?

But also never do brakes at the dealership. If they truly do need replacement any brake specialist will do it for likely a third of the price, so you can easily get a second opinion.

 

[Nawaar]

Your responses are so incredibly helpful, thank you. I have verified they do need to be replaced. I have pics I'll load. They also did a diagnostic check, removed everything and hence the "normal" wear and tear. And if people tell me that it's normal to replace brakes on a vehicle you've had for 3 years, and driven only 21000KM, I'll accept. In the back of my mind will remain the doubt, having driven such a variety of vehicles over the years, and this not being my experience.

I think that Toyota is producing a defective vehicle with the corolla quest, or using substandard parts but over inflating the price of the vehicle.

Pics attached. Thanks guys.

PS, you helped a lot, but didn't answer the initial Q, would you still buy the vehicle?

 

[rh1]

Your responses are so incredibly helpful, thank you. I have verified they do need to be replaced. I have pics I'll load. They also did a diagnostic check, removed everything and hence the "normal" wear and tear. And if people tell me that it's normal to replace brakes on a vehicle you've had for 3 years, and driven only 21000KM, I'll accept. In the back of my mind will remain the doubt, having driven such a variety of vehicles over the years, and this not being my experience.

I think that Toyota is producing a defective vehicle with the corolla quest, or using substandard parts but over inflating the price of the vehicle.

Pics attached. Thanks guys.

PS, you helped a lot, but didn't answer the initial Q, would you still buy the vehicle?

Those pads are finished.

Only you know how you are driving. In future dont do brakes at stealerships, buy pads at any auto parts store and have it fitted by a tyre place.

 

[rh1]

Yes I would still have bought a car, when younger in my 20s I replaced pads faster, why, because I drove faster and brake harder than I do now.

 

[FiestaST]