How Long Should Car Brake Pads Last?

Brake pads can last up to 60,000 miles if used under recommended safe driving conditions. However, hard driving conditions and other factors will reduce the lifespan and cause the brakes to wear down faster. Conversely, there are also steps to reduce brake wear and make them last longer.

High-Speed Braking

Slamming on the brakes while driving at high speeds is one of the leading causes of excessive brake wear. An extra 10 miles per hour can require a third more energy to stop at, especially after exceeding 55 miles per hour.

Geography

Regions and streets that have a lot of arcs and hills (San Francisco is one example) will put more pressure on brake pads since they have to work against the extra force of gravity on such steep inclines.

Gradual Braking

Gradually reducing speed before applying the brake pedal is one of the simplest ways to extend the life of brake pads. You can do this by coasting without using the gas pedal (this naturally won't work on downhill slopes).

Size

Bigger, heavier cars require the brake pads to apply more force to stop the vehicle, causing them to wear down faster. Extra weight from excessive storage has a much bigger impact on this than you might think.

Warning

Applying the brake pedal with the left foot (the foot not using the accelerator) is extremely dangerous because should the gas and brake pedal be hit at the same time, it could damage the brakes as well as wear them down very quickly.