Brakes pads needed soon

[krell]

Check my brake fluid reservoir today and the fluid level is below the max , braking hasn't been 100% recently took a longer time to stop.. should i get the oem pads or something different.

[murcod]

?

Are the pads worn out? Has the fluid been changed/ bled in the last 2 years?

The fluid level will drop as the pads wear- that's normal. As long as it's above the low level it's fine. Often a fluid change/ bleed will improve the brake performance.

[KuroNekko]

The OEM pads are upscale at it is. Akebono is typically an aftermarket brand, not OEM.
I'd check the pad thickness. It's not that hard to see through the wheels if you have the Sport wheels.
Otherwise, I would suggest bleeding the brakes as Murcod suggested.

[krell]

I'm going on to 20k miles now was told by the mechanic at Jeff D'Ambrosio Suzuki in Frazer that i will need pads soon, was gonna get some Hawks pads to replace the Akebono pads. Tire rack only list Akebono pads for 2011 none for 2013.

[KuroNekko]

I'm going on to 20k miles now was told by the mechanic at Jeff D'Ambrosio Suzuki in Frazer that i will need pads soon, was gonna get some Hawks pads to replace the Akebono pads. Tire rack only list Akebono pads for 2011 none for 2013.

The pads would be identical for the 2010 to the 2013. There were no changes to my knowledge even between trim levels. All Kizashis have the same brake pads regardless of model year or trim level.

Also, Hawks are good but are aggressive. I used to have the Hawk HPS pads on my Impreza. They bit well, but created a lot of brake dust and blackened the front wheels like crazy. They also ate up my rotors quite rapidly.

Basically with brake pads, it's a sacrifice of performance vs. pad life, noise, and brake dust. Hawks are more performance-oriented so they will cause more of the issues I listed. I think the Akebonos are a good compromise because they perform well, but are also quiet and don't cause too much dust. However, it's likely that some Hawk pads will outperform it in braking performance.

If you need a brake pad change at near 20K miles, there is something unusual about your driving style or driving condition. I thought you live in Brooklyn, NY so you aren't on a mountain. Do you frequently brake hard? Do you ride your brakes a lot or use your left foot to brake?

[honsonwong]

I'm going on to 20k miles now was told by the mechanic at Jeff D'Ambrosio Suzuki in Frazer that i will need pads soon, was gonna get some Hawks pads to replace the Akebono pads. Tire rack only list Akebono pads for 2011 none for 2013.

Did you check the thickness of the pads by yourself? I have an experience that the Toyota dealer told me that my Camry (after the service at/around 40,000 km) needed to replace the front and rear brake pads, since the front had 5% left and the rear (drum) had 10% left. After that, I brought my car home and checked it by myself and found the front should have 50% and the rear at least had 80% left. Then I kept on driving my car until around 75K kms to change the front pads and around 200K to change the rear. After this, I really don't 100% trust what the dealer's words. My second experience was also my Camry, I changed the spark plugs around 100K kms, when I unscrewed all 4 old plugs and found that there were 3 different brands and even different types (some were 1 gounding and some were 2 groundings). I changed the oil by myself and brought it to Toyota dealers to do the maintenance only. So, I was sure that the spark plug was changed by the dealers. After that, if I can, I will do all the repairing and maintenance job by myself.

[KuroNekko]

I'm going on to 20k miles now was told by the mechanic at Jeff D'Ambrosio Suzuki in Frazer that i will need pads soon, was gonna get some Hawks pads to replace the Akebono pads. Tire rack only list Akebono pads for 2011 none for 2013.

Did you check the thickness of the pads by yourself? I have an experience that the Toyota dealer told me that my Camry (after the service at/around 40,000 km) needed to replace the front and rear brake pads, since the front had 5% left and the rear (drum) had 10% left. After that, I brought my car home and checked it by myself and found the front should have 50% and the rear at least had 80% left. Then I kept on driving my car until around 75K kms to change the front pads and around 200K to change the rear. After this, I really don't 100% trust what the dealer's words. My second experience was also my Camry, I changed the spark plugs around 100K kms, when I unscrewed all 4 old plugs and found that there were 3 different brands and even different types (some were 1 gounding and some were 2 groundings). I changed the oil by myself and brought it to Toyota dealers to do the maintenance only. So, I was sure that the spark plug was changed by the dealers. After that, if I can, I will do all the repairing and maintenance job by myself.

Good point. It can be that the pads are not worn out and the dealership is just being dishonest.

I frequently find errors, missing, or wrong parts used by the pro's, even the dealership. Everything from missing screws, washers, to mismatched stuff. After all, they don't care. It's not their car and they work based on time (how many cars they can get done), not quality. They also assume that the customer will never know. Body shops are the worst. You really need to check everything thoroughly with those guys unless the shop is very reputable.
I hate taking my car in because I usually have to double-check the work and often find little things wrong like missing washers, spacers, misrouted wires, etc. I then go out of my way to correct it as I'm a bit obsessive about this stuff.

If you aren't comfortable or knowledgeable enough to change your own brakes, take it to a reputable independent shop and have a mechanic check them out. I simply have a hard time believing the OEM Akebonos can go out at 20,000 miles without something being terribly wrong regarding driving style or use.

[krell]

Well the reservoir level is below the max and the car needs more room to stop .. every weekend I'm always on them twisty mountain back roads plus the traffic sucks in NYC stop and go 24/7.

[KuroNekko]

Well the reservoir level is below the max and the car needs more room to stop .. every weekend I'm always on them twisty mountain back roads plus the traffic sucks in NYC stop and go 24/7.

The brake fluid doesn't always need to be at max. It needs to be between max and low.
I suggest taking a look at the pads yourself. If you can't see them through the wheel, take one off and check the brake pad in the caliper.

Here's a good sample of what brake pads look like new vs. worn out.

[krell]

The mechanic at Jeff D'Ambrosio Suzuki in Frazer did check them Saturday he told me i gonna need new pads real soon.