New Brake Pad Recommendations for 2016.5 GT AWD?

[Dermochelys]

I've just crossed over 50,000 miles on my 2016.5 GT AWD and one of the brakes is starting to squeal when under braking, so I think it's time for new pads. Does anyone have recommendations for a brand / type of brake pad that aren't as noisy as the OEM ones? Since day one, the brakes on this car have squeaked, so I'm hoping for something quieter.

Also, while I have it in the shop I'm going to ask about this noise I get when reversing. It's the worst when going from moving forward into reverse quickly (like in a 3 point turn). The sounds is like old door hinges creaking open. I've heard other Mazda's do this in parking lots when reversing, does anyone have insights into what the cause of this is? I'll also occasionally get a rotational squeak noise at slow speeds when first starting off, but it goes away pretty quickly. Unfortunately, neither noise is consistent, and of course it would never do it at the dealer when the car was under warranty nor whenever I've had a mechanic in the car!

 

[HyFlyer]

I've always liked Raybestos Element 3 pads and rotors .

I've not had any squeaking from either the o.e. brakes or raybestos replacements so I can't speak to that.

As far as "creaking" noises, my guess would be suspension items like upper strut, LCA, etc.

 

[adamS]

Hi!

I like the Akebono ProACT Ultra Premium Ceramic brake pads; they are quiet, offer good performance, and don’t squeak. These parts usually go through online logistics

As for the noise, it could be related to the brake system or suspension, or possibly a lack of lubrication in the suspension components.

 

[madar]

Akebono is a good choice. I just put on a set of Brembo pads and rotors, time will tell.

 

[theblooms]

My brakes have never squealed in 125,000 miles, so no idea why yours are. I've always used OEM pads and rotors. I do turn my rotors as that's perfectly acceptable to do as per the Mazda service manual. And it's way cheaper than buying new ones!

For the squeaks, I had them pretty bad on my Mazda5. Turns out that my strut bearings had gone bad.

 

[Jmaz]

The OP mentions squealing under braking. Could be the normal squealing alert from the "scraper/squealer" affixed to the brake pad doing it's job indicating pad material is getting low.

 

[Dermochelys]

I should clarify, I have 3 separate issues. One is new and I'll be taking my car into the shop for, and the other two have been on-going for years without sucessful diagnosis because they never seem to re-occur when the car is at the shop.

New Issue)
- Squeal under braking: Almost certainly a pad that's gotten too low and as Jmaz said and is likely the scraper making the noise which will mean new pads at a minimum. Can only be heard if window is rolled down at this point, but I think I'm catching it early.

Ongoing Intermittent Issues)
- Rotational "chirp" or "squeak" at slow speed. Makes this noise once per tire rotation, can only be heard when window is rolled down.

- Groan when going from Drive to Reverse that sounds like an old rusty hinge (but low pitched). Also sometimes does this just going in reverse with the brake applied after being parked. Loud enough people outside of the car can hear it and look at me when it makes this noise.

I've seen elsewhere that 2016's have known issues with the electronic brake and/or grease not being applied correctly to the pads at the factory making various noises. I also think this is probably a lubrication issue somewhere else, so I'm hoping others have dealt with the intermittent noises so I can point a mechanic in the right direction to double-check.

Thanks again everyone for any advice / suggestions!

P.S. Just made an appointment on Wednesday for a free brake inspection at Les Schwab tire. So I'll report back and see what they say. I probably won't have them to actually do a repair since I'm hoping to have the other issues addressed at the same time which will mean going somewhere else, but at least I'll get a number on how much pad is remaining.

 

[Lazy2.5]

Squealing sound you hear is likely just some dirt or brake dust in between the pad and rotor.

Before you change anything, you should actually check to see how much pad you have left. You should be able to see how much pad is left against the pad back plate by simply peeking into your wheels.

I am confident you have lots of brake left on all four corners. In which case, I would simply suggest for a good mechanic to take apart your brakes, service the calipers, resurface your existing rotors, and sand down the brake pads. Especially helpful if your brakes have never been taken apart before and you live in a rust prone area.

Now, if your pads are actually low (we're talking about like a few mm of pad remaining) then absolutely, go ahead and replace the pads.

I have had no issues replacing my brakes with some cheap ceramic set from transit auto. But, I don't brake aggressively or from high speeds, so they are perfectly sufficient.

 

[Dermochelys]

Ok, just got back from my local Les Schwab Tire that does free brake inspections. The fronts are at 7mm and the rears are 5mm. They said the fronts have about 60% life remaining, but didn't say what the rears remaining life was, but I'm assuming 50% or so.

Probably just dust and dirt. When I go in for an oil change I'll ask the mechanic to take another look, but at least I know pads aren't an issue in the short term. Any other pad recommendations are greatly appreciated, thanks for all the advice so far.

Full Report:
"7mm Front, 5mm Rear, Rotors ok, no hot spots or heat cracks, no safety concerns observed."

 

[RedBaron]

The fronts are at 7mm and the rears are 5mm. They said the fronts have about 60% life remaining, but didn't say what the rears remaining life was, but I'm assuming 50% or so.

Don't assume that. The rears wear at a faster rate than the fronts.

 

[GFrosty]

Don't assume that. The rears wear at a faster rate than the fronts.

^ This.

And, once pads get to ~3-4mm nearly every brake shop is going to recommend replacing. Hard to imagine that rears at 5mm equate to 50% remaining.

 

[Dermochelys]

Ok good to know. I always thought front pads wear faster than rears. Sorry, having a hard time mathing today

 

[Jmaz]

^ This.

And, once pads get to ~3-4mm nearly every brake shop is going to recommend replacing. Hard to imagine that rears at 5mm equate to 50% remaining.

I remember that rear brake pads have a material thickness of 6 mm when new. With a 2 mm minimum thickness (time to change) that leaves 4 mm of usable wear. So, 5mm would indicate more than 50% pad life remaining. So here it gets interesting assuming front and rear pads have the same mileage on them. New front pads are 10mm thick, so 1mm wear on the rears vs 3mm wear on the front seems out of balance. That would indicate that rear pads were changed. At any rate, if those readings are correct, 7mm and 5 mm leaves plenty of life remaining.

 

[RedBaron]

Ok good to know. I always thought front pads wear faster than rears. Sorry, having a hard time mathing today

Well, @Jmaz discussion aside, I've found that the rears on both our CX-5's (2014 and 2019) wear a lot quicker than the fronts, in fact I have to replace the 2019's rears now, while the fronts are fine.

But I too - on all my previous cars - had found fronts wear more. Just not on CX-5's

 

[Dermochelys]

I know 2016 CX-5s are known to wear more on the rear if the electronic parking brake hangs up, but I don't have any pulling and both sides were the same, so I don't think that's an issue.

In terms of the pads themselves, I'm the original owner of the car (purchased in April 2017) and none of the pads have ever been replaced.

 

[Jmaz]

Well, @Jmaz discussion aside, I've found that the rears on both our CX-5's (2014 and 2019) wear a lot quicker than the fronts, in fact I have to replace the 2019's rears now, while the fronts are fine.

But I too - on all my previous cars - had found fronts wear more. Just not on CX-5's

I'll second that. On previous cars the fronts wore a lot faster than rears.

 

[Jmaz]

I know 2016 CX-5s are known to wear more on the rear if the electronic parking brake hangs up, but I don't have any pulling and both sides were the same, so I don't think that's an issue.

In terms of the pads themselves, I'm the original owner of the car (purchased in April 2017) and none of the pads have ever been replaced.

Interesting. Thanks for the clarification on the pads never changed.