New Break Disk & Pads on new car

[DebbieT]

Can anyone please tell me if my BMWi3 should need new pads and disks if I only have 5600 miles on the clock? I bought the car a few months ago and only drive 5 miles a day. I don’t know anything about cars but I’m pretty sure that’s not right! Or am I wrong is this common on i3’S?

 

[Anonymous]

No, should not need new brake pads and rotors at 5600 miles. On the i3, with regenerative braking/one-pedal driving, should not need a brake job until approaching at least 50 to 60 thousand miles. If some mechanic/dealership is telling you this, go someplace else and have them checked. Shady mechanics will tell owners this, just to make some money, knowing the owner won't know, and will 'trust' the mechanic. Look through the spokes of your wheels and you should be able to see the brake pads and the rotor disks. Brake pads should have at least 1/4 inch of 'meat' on them, and the rotor/disk should have the same. My i3 has 15,000 miles on it and both the brake pads and the rotor are at 1/2 inch or more.

 

[alohart]

Can anyone please tell me if my BMWi3 should need new pads and disks if I only have 5600 miles on the clock?

The brake pads have wear indicators that will cause a message to be displayed when the pads are worn and need replacing. If you are not seeing this message, your pads don't need replacing.

 

[SSi3]

What is making you think you need new brakes? An alert on the dash or a shady mechanic?

 

[vreihen]

If an i3 is being driven properly utilizing regenerative braking as much as possible, the brake hardware should be a lifetime part.

I have read posts from the UK where mechanics are telling customers that their brake rotors are rusting/pitted and need to be replaced. Every car that I've ever owned has the brake rotors rust if it sits out in the rain, and they clean themselves after a few stops.

I have noticed that my i3 has crunchy brakes when backing out of my driveway after an overnight rain. They seem to clean up by the second or third stop.....

 

[jadnashuanh]

As noted, because the actual brakes are not used all that often or intensely, they will often end up with a coating of rust on their surface. When driving somewhere where there's no traffic and you can safely do this, try getting up to say 100km/h and doing a panic stop. The ABS should prevent the tires from skidding and flat spotting. Do a couple of those, and you should polish off your brake disks.

Surface rust isn't a big deal except for making the brakes noisy...but, an occasional panic stop when safe should polish them off to solve that issue, at least for awhile. Generally, after a rainstorm, the first couple of stops are a bit noisy, but after that, they quiet down for me. My driveway is fairly steep, and when leaving with a full battery, regen is inhibited and you're actually using the brakes versus regen initially...I definitely notice the difference between regen slowing the car and the actual brakes!

 

[i3Houston]

What is making you think you need new brakes? An alert on the dash or a shady mechanic?

I was at BMW dealership and one of their technicians checked the tread on tire and told me they are worn out. Told him thanks for information but all 4 tires are less than 60 days old! He was embarrassed but this is how they make money!

 

[vreihen]

I had the local BMW dealer try to sell me an oil change plan for my i3 BEV! :lol:

I laughed it off, and then had the same thing happen a month later at the Kia dealership when my DW picked up her new Niro BEV. Old habits die hard, I guess.....