2017~2024 CX-5: Just Awful Brake Life

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Pitter
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2020 CX-5 Signature Azul Metalico
At 18,300 miles I now have had to replace brake pads on all four wheels ...again. The rotors are now scarred and must be turned or replaced. This following repacement of all brake pads at about 8,700.miles. I have stated in previous posts that I cover about four kilometers (2.5 miles) daily over unpaved road. When it rains there are many muddy potholes. As well my daily journey consists of about a ten kilometer (6.3 mile ) decent down a mountain road so a fair amount of brake use. The dealer said the occasionally muddy road section is probably the cause of the scratched rotors. OK fair enough, however...I have driven this same commute for fifteen years with several different vehicles with hugely different results. My 2008 Nissan Frontier required new front pads at 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles). My 2014 Renault Duster required new front pads at 60,000 kilometers (37,000 miles) and new rotors at 79,000k (50,000 miles).

I'm dumbstruck by the poor service life of the brake system on this car. It is a great car in so many ways but I've come to realize it is a car for paved (and preferably flat) road travel only.
 
The brakes, overall, even the upsized ones on the turbo models are pretty marginal at best. Combine that with the way manufacturers now seem to have multiple traction and driving aid systems using the brakes way too much and it's no surprise pad and rotor life is getting pretty abysmal for anything but highway driving. I'm guessing that not just your downhill use of the brakes, but the off road driving and the associated use of brakes by the computer systems to compensate for the rather weak AWD system is causing a lot of wear.
 
Do brake pads in your country have a lifetime warranty (covers parts cost, not labor) like in the US?
Also, tell them you want premium Mazda pads and not the 'value line' pads that are made in Mexico
 
Thank you all for the suggestions. No I haven't tried other brands but I doubt a better quality pad is available here in Colombia. No warrenties on them that I know of. Zoom that's a very useful explanation and confirms what the service manager told me. He said there were four different systems used on the vehicle explaining uneven pad wear.
 
Thank you all for the suggestions. No I haven't tried other brands but I doubt a better quality pad is available here in Colombia. No warrenties on them that I know of. Zoom that's a very useful explanation and confirms what the service manager told me. He said there were four different systems used on the vehicle explaining uneven pad wear.

Can you get other pads imported? Would be more expensive to import I imagine, but maybe over the long run it would end up being the cheaper option (if they last longer than the OEM pads). If anything, I would try out the premium Mazda pads as @dunhillmc suggested. Hopefully you haven't changed the pads out yet.

Most modern cars with improved safety systems utilize the brakes in similar ways. What's happening in your car is likely what would happen in any comparable car in the same class, though Mazda's AWD has been proven to be as good, or sometimes better, than most of the competition. There is likely a better performing AWD option out there, maybe one that doesn't exhibit the brake life issues you're currently having, but there will be tradeoffs in making the switch.

In any case, you may be able to mitigate the problem with different pads, so that's where I'd start.
 
I know that Raybestos made commercial grade pads for delivery vehicles (trucks,vans) that had a harder ,long wearing formulation for severe applications. Probably why UPS trucks etc. had squealing brakes. Don't know if they are offered (by any brand) for passenger vehicles and if so, one would want possibly noisy brakes or possibly have to apply more brake force.

Wish I could help more. Good luck.
 
More good suggestions. thank you. I could buy pads in the US and bring them back to Colombia my suitcase but guess what. An individual can not bring in auto parts and they would be confiscated by customs. Some protectionist thing.
 
At 18,300 miles I now have had to replace brake pads on all four wheels ...again. The rotors are now scarred and must be turned or replaced. This following repacement of all brake pads at about 8,700.miles. I have stated in previous posts that I cover about four kilometers (2.5 miles) daily over unpaved road. When it rains there are many muddy potholes. As well my daily journey consists of about a ten kilometer (6.3 mile ) decent down a mountain road so a fair amount of brake use. The dealer said the occasionally muddy road section is probably the cause of the scratched rotors. OK fair enough, however...I have driven this same commute for fifteen years with several different vehicles with hugely different results. My 2008 Nissan Frontier required new front pads at 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles). My 2014 Renault Duster required new front pads at 60,000 kilometers (37,000 miles) and new rotors at 79,000k (50,000 miles).

I'm dumbstruck by the poor service life of the brake system on this car. It is a great car in so many ways but I've come to realize it is a car for paved (and preferably flat) road travel only.
EDITED :

While approx. 50% on of my driving is on flat interstate roads the other half is hilly mountain terrain.

Bought the car used at 17 k miles and now have almost 37 k. Do not know if they were ever replaced by previous owner so these pads have lasted at least 20 k miles, if not 37 k miles. It was a lease so im assuming the pads are originals at 37k.

I always:
Have lane departure assist turned off.
Drive in sport mode on hilly terrain.
Downshift on hilly terrain.
Occasionally turn traction assist off.

Your problem is most likely a combination of 4 factors:
1.) Newer tech/computerization using brakes more often- so maybe turn it off
2.) Brake pads- maybe try new brand. The OEM may be a ceramic/organic mix as noticed they produce alot of dust. Organic wear faster and produce dust so there has to be some organic component to their pads. Get brakes that are more ceramic.
I used NAPA adaptive one ceramics on other vehicles that produce little/no dust.
3.) Driving style- are you in hurry drive downhill fast and apply brakes alot. Can you drive slower and downshift/use sport mode on downhill descent ? Driving style can eat alot of brake pad.
4.) Local terrain- can't change

3 of the 4 factors are within your control. Hopefully your can get the right balance.

Lastly, some friends living overseas were able to order their stuff from Amazon. They had to setup their account to access special country pages that only showed items that they could buy. You could try this method as Amazon might be your best bet to get aftermarket brake pads.

Good luck.
 
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Thank you. I hadn't thought of trying sport mode when descending. Will give it a try today.
 
Are you using cruise control a lot? The car seems to be using the brakes a lot when on secondary roads with some traffic.
 
No I don't have occasion to use cruise control. No four lane roads.
 
Hmm yeah that seems pretty poor. I have 120,500 miles on my CX-5 and I have only had to do brakes 3 times now and that was rear pads and turning all rotors around 54k miles. Front and rear pads and another turning of rotors around 90k, and then I just did both fronts and rears with new rotors at 115k due to uneven wear on rears and rotors being done for.
 
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