I took my 2018 Niro Hybrid in to the Dealer for normal maintenance at approximately 34K. They called and stated the brake pads on all 4 wheels were fine but the rotors needed replaced on the rear. Has anyone had this problem? Is this a known defect on these vehicles. Normally I would not expect to replace rotors until 50-80K miles.
2018 Niro needs Rear Brake Rotors at 34K miles
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Looks like some kind of Sand or grit got caught between the pads and the rotor. I was always under the impression you had to put new pads with the rotors so they don't squeal but maybe that's old school. If the brakes work fine I'd say leave it alone but if the car has to pass some state inspection that's another story. How well do you know the dealer? Did they take those pics? Are you sure it's from your car?
With disc brakes, I've always gone with a) the thickness of the rotor is within spec and b) there's no vibration when braking (so the rotor isn't warped) I leave them alone. I find it hard to believe the rear rotors would need replacing with so little mileage. That said, looking at your pictures shows damage from foreign material, most likely dirt/sand. That's not normal wear/tear. I agree with @yticolev about just going with them for now. If there's no pulsating when you press the brake pedal, then they aren't warped. If they were warped, then yes I'd just replace them.
If you do decide to replace them, it's not a difficult job to do if you're at all handy around a car. If you look at your picture, you see what looks like a Phillips head screw next to one of the wheel studs. That's exactly what it is, and if you remove that screw and move the caliper to the side the rotor comes right off. But if you have any uncertainty, then pay someone to do it. Your braking system is life-critical, so you want them done right.
If you do decide to replace them, it's not a difficult job to do if you're at all handy around a car. If you look at your picture, you see what looks like a Phillips head screw next to one of the wheel studs. That's exactly what it is, and if you remove that screw and move the caliper to the side the rotor comes right off. But if you have any uncertainty, then pay someone to do it. Your braking system is life-critical, so you want them done right.
The rust that is showing in the pic is the area of the rotor that is not contacted by the brake pad. Because HEV brakes see very little action, rust will result in the non-contact area. The same would occur with new rotors. As long as the rotor thickness is within spec (and they will be) and there is no major runout, the rotors are fine. The dealer is simply trying to make a quick sale at your expense. When my rotors begin to look like yours, I will simply remove the wheel, caliper and rotor and clean off the rust with a sanding disk...good for another 2 years.
You have to use your brakes. So they last longer, especially in winter time. Strong braking few times a month (when nobody is driving behind you) keeps your brakes fine and discs clean.
It's not just the rust, although that's a pretty wide area of it along the edge. One of those photos show some pretty deep scoring on the rotor surface contact area. That is definitely not normal wear.
Actually, that "scoring" is not unusual. Today's friction material has a high metal content and light grooves are common as the miles build. Back in the 80's, we removed the rotor and took 0.004 - 0.006 cut off both sides on a brake lathe and it looked like new again. Today, at $100/hr it is more cost effective to replace the rotor and quicker money for the repair shop. That "scoring" does not cause braking issues and personally, I would not be concerned until the friction material is almost finished. As Uti mentioned, braking hard a couple times every month would likely keep the rotors looking fairly good.
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That's good info to know. Thanks! A quick question though....If you did have to replace a rotor for some reason is it still common practice to replace the pads even if there is plenty of life left?
I have replaced lots of pads and just cleaned up the rotors.
It is industry standard to replace pads and rotors at the same time though and if I replaced my own rotors, for whatever reason, I always replaced the pads with it. Replacing a rotor and not the pads is like taking a shower and then putting your dirty clothes back on
Brake pads come in an axle set so it is also industry standard to replace both rotors on the same axle.
For those interested in this maintenance (I am not), it is a lot easier to do by simply slipping into neutral. Then any level of braking is applying the physical brakes 100% - probably not so necessary to then brake at extreme levels (which is safer).
It's not unusual, just not normal. Those grooves look pretty deep. I too have done brake jobs on many cars over the years, starting before I could even drive back in the '60s. Taken the rotors/drums to a shop to get them turned. I agree that as long as they're not warped a quick resurface is usually all that's needed. I too have found that it's often just simpler to just get new rotors. Depending on the vehicle, sometimes it barely costs more than getting the old ones machined, and then you have a clean, fresh friction surface.
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That's what I thought, thanks.I have replaced lots of pads and just cleaned up the rotors.
It is industry standard to replace pads and rotors at the same time though and if I replaced my own rotors, for whatever reason, I always replaced the pads with it. Replacing a rotor and not the pads is like taking a shower and then putting your dirty clothes back on
Brake pads come in an axle set so it is also industry standard to replace both rotors on the same axle.
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One of the difficulties in turning rotors, is they are no longer manufactured with lots of metal so you can turn them several times and not violate the minimun thickness (which is shown on the rotor).
On reason given is to reduce unsprung weight, but the real issue is reduce cost and increase sales of parts. It's really irritating to me, since I used to have my rotors "trued" every pad change to keep them flat and not pulsate.
Anyway it all makes sense if you are an automotive manufacturing company in business for a profit.
Greg
On reason given is to reduce unsprung weight, but the real issue is reduce cost and increase sales of parts. It's really irritating to me, since I used to have my rotors "trued" every pad change to keep them flat and not pulsate.
Anyway it all makes sense if you are an automotive manufacturing company in business for a profit.
Greg
Actually, I prefer replacing the rotors to having them resurfaced. For example, on my VW Golf I can get a complete set of rear pads and rotors for $86, the fronts are $105. Swapping them out is an hour job for both sides. No need to take the car to a shop to get the rotors turned, no worrying about how much metal is left on them. Just slap the new ones on, bed the pads in with a couple of hard stops, good to go for another 60k miles or so.
Sometimes cheaper is better and this is one of those cases IMHO. I get factory fresh rotors to go with my new pads every time. One less thing to worry about and the price is definitely right.
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In the days when shops turned rotors and brake drums, it was always cheaper to resurface. Nice you can get your VW rotors and pads cheap, but since this is a KIA site, I would submit that looking at pricing I have found
front rotor $78
rear rotor $60
pad (one wheel) $71
so for a Kia, surely turning the rotors would be cheaper than buying new ones.
Once you have the caliper off, normally the rotor itself is loose.
So since I have done this many times on many different cars, for me, it was easy to have the rotors turned, even doing it myself, and clearly cheaper in the shop, no extra labor except the turning cost vs the cost of a new rotor.
So, in this case cheaper is better, sure, which is turning the rotors... can't speak to your VW, again this is about Kia.
Greg
front rotor $78
rear rotor $60
pad (one wheel) $71
so for a Kia, surely turning the rotors would be cheaper than buying new ones.
Once you have the caliper off, normally the rotor itself is loose.
So since I have done this many times on many different cars, for me, it was easy to have the rotors turned, even doing it myself, and clearly cheaper in the shop, no extra labor except the turning cost vs the cost of a new rotor.
So, in this case cheaper is better, sure, which is turning the rotors... can't speak to your VW, again this is about Kia.
Greg
But that's my point, replacing cheap disposable rotors (the VW model) is superior to resurfacing used (the traditional model). Your complaint was that the move to non-machinable rotors was primarily a cost saving effort on the part of the manufacturer. My response was to say that can also be cheaper and more reliable for the owner in the long run.
Also, I cannot imagine a DIY scenario where having the rotors turned was less work than simply replacing them unless you are set up to turn them yourself. Seriously, remove old rotor, replace with new, install new pads on caliper, done. I've been working on cars for going on 40 years and I can honestly say I've never had a rotor or drum turned. If it's so badly worn that it needs machining, just toss it and put on a new one. Given the expected life of a new quality part vs. a resurfaced one the difference in price pays for itself.
$62.79 for two rear rotors with two complete brake pad kits
$109 for premium kit containing two new rotors with complete brake pad kit
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