2013~2016 CX-5 Weak Brakes - Fully Loaded

[George___42]

Hello Everyone,

I have a 2013 Mazda CX5 I got as Fixer-Upper (It's been a great car, got 6.9L/100km driving between cities)

But, I've noticed I've had to press the brakes decently hard when the car was fully loaded (5 Adults, 1 Suitcase)
This was to stop from 100kmph to zero when traffic went to a stop on the highway.

I do know this car has brakes that go further down than most cars due to how mazda tunes the brakes,

But what about this? Is it the same for you guys, or should I be looking into better Pads and Rotors?
This is my sister's car, so it was the first time I drove in a while, and she drives alone so I never got any complaints before.

But obviously if the brakes are bad, I'm going to swap them ASAP

 

[dan25man]

When's the last time the brake fluid was changed? I'd start there first. Old brake fluid will collect water and over time the water can make the brake system feel spongier than intended. Your sister probably didn't notice as it's a slow change. Honestly most people are really fine tuned to "feel" bad brakes.

Glad you noticed now and not in an emergency. It could also worn pads and rotors. Very easy to visually inspect the pads and or measure the rotor thickness. Not sure what the limits are for the 2013-2016 rotors.

 

[HyFlyer]

Could even be something like frozen caliper slide pins. I've seen that happen and the outside pads don't touch the rotors so only the inside pads are working. That would GREATLY reduce braking power!

Do you live in an area that uses road salt and winter conditions?

I would start with going through the brakes (front and rear) and look for any uneven wear on inside vs outside and left vs right pads and check to see if the caliper slide pins are free and moving and the pads are free and moving inside the bracket clips.