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Brake job miles?
- Thread starter seenhear
- Start date
Durwood101
Member
My brakes according to all other accounts prematurely wore out. I was only at 45k when brakes starting squealing, Tesla replaced all 4, not cheap I can tell you. I sort of knew going in that Tesla was going to be absurdly expensive, but as handy as I am, just wasnt up to doing a brake job on my own. I guess I could have taken the car someplace else, but then it became a matter of convenience over cost I guess.....hoping u dont fall down out of disbelief at what Tesla will quote you on a brake repair.
vcor
Tech Specialist
Slightly related, the latest software update will use the brakes to act like regen when regen is not available (battery near or at 100% SOC). Still, this is so new (and rarely used), I don't think it would affect brake wear much.
You would think but I found AP using the brakes more often than I would. One issue is AP likes to run hot to a stop light and has to use a touch of brakes to slow down. You can now see this on a 3/Y with the new firmware update. When AP is slowing down, the top power line obviously turns green to the left. Now there are parts of the green line that will turn gray indicating brake pedal is being applied.
Stopped by one of 3 local Tesla SC's yesterday to beg for a slot for them to do my brakes. They took a look at the brakes and confirmed they are pretty well done. Quote is $2200-ish all in, about $1550 of which is just the parts for pads&rotors for all four wheels, a couple ancillary parts, then labor and tax. The parts cost is pretty surprising. Labor not so much. $500-ish labor to do four wheels I think isn't extraordinary.
Durwood101
Member
A quick check shows $140 per rotor and about $20 per pad (Tirerack - just a easy source, not where I would go). So all 4 would be $640. So they make almost a grand on the parts so they can get by with just $500 for labor.
In what world do all 4 rotors need to get replaced just because you hear 1 corner (front 99%) of the time with a wear indicator?
You might (actually most likely) just need $40 in parts and about 1.5 hours in relatively low skilled labor.
It would take a pretty agressive driver to warp or otherwise ruin back rotors - especially if the front pads lasted 94k miles.
No salt and low humidity in Silicon Valley - so caliper problem pretty unlikely.
104k miles on my 2015 - original front pads. Oh yeah - all the other parts original too.
In general, you would expect to replace pads about twice as often as rotors and fronts twice as often as rear. Very rough estimate. But that would still mean the OP should get 400k miles on the rear rotors. Just because BMW started the trend (and all the greedy dealers followed) of replacing rotors preventatively, does not at all mean it makes sense. A slightly thin rotor will dissipate heat a bit better. And it won't break outside of a race track.
In what world do all 4 rotors need to get replaced just because you hear 1 corner (front 99%) of the time with a wear indicator?
You might (actually most likely) just need $40 in parts and about 1.5 hours in relatively low skilled labor.
It would take a pretty agressive driver to warp or otherwise ruin back rotors - especially if the front pads lasted 94k miles.
No salt and low humidity in Silicon Valley - so caliper problem pretty unlikely.
104k miles on my 2015 - original front pads. Oh yeah - all the other parts original too.
In general, you would expect to replace pads about twice as often as rotors and fronts twice as often as rear. Very rough estimate. But that would still mean the OP should get 400k miles on the rear rotors. Just because BMW started the trend (and all the greedy dealers followed) of replacing rotors preventatively, does not at all mean it makes sense. A slightly thin rotor will dissipate heat a bit better. And it won't break outside of a race track.
I really appreciate the insights there. I still can't find a non-Tesla shop in my area who will work on Tesla brakes. Silicon Valley, no less!
Everything you've said aligns with my understanding of brakes (I'm a mechanical engineer, I understand friction and wear, and energy and momentum of a moving vehicle, LOL). But I feel stuck with no 3rd party shops nearby who will do this work.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
I’d tell Tesla you just want the pads replaced. Agree with the above comments, can’t think of any reason why you’d need to replace all 4 rotors at less than 100k miles if they aren’t warped or otherwise compromised.
They’re just brakes… there’s nothing special about them at all. You could maybe source parts online from tire rack or similar and ask an independent shop to install… ?
They’re just brakes… there’s nothing special about them at all. You could maybe source parts online from tire rack or similar and ask an independent shop to install… ?
Probably the same reason many tire places won't repair/replace Tesla tires despite them being just tires. I'd guess that they are worried about causing unintended damage to the car which they would then be responsible for.
Durwood101
Member
Just shy of 45K. In another "brake" thread, i also talked about not feeling like I did anything wrong in so far as a driving style, my normal driving is alot like that of a 70 year old, no offense to older guys, but I seriously treat this car like a baby, i never speed or hard brake. I must be the one person that is the anomaly because from everything I ever read on this subject, Model S brakes weren't needing this early of replacement under normal driving condition
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Yeah, my pads started squealing at 93k miles and I felt like that was early.
I finally found a shop that does work on Teslas, and they were happy to check out the rotors for me, and I'm waiting for a quote from them. Front rotors are ready to be replaced @3mm but the rear rotors are fine according to them, at about 6mm.
I recently did my front brakes at about 60k miles due to pulsing in the rotors. The pads had plenty of life left but pads are so cheap I changed them too while getting the rotors done. Tesla wanted nearly $2000, I had a local shop do it for $600 all-in including labor. The parts were about $400, depending on the quality of the parts you select.
Nothing special about Tesla brakes, just get them from any auto parts store or website and move on. Make sure to get coated rotors though or you'll rust quickly.
Nothing special about Tesla brakes, just get them from any auto parts store or website and move on. Make sure to get coated rotors though or you'll rust quickly.
Thought I'd post an update.
My quote from Tesla using OEM parts, was $2260 for all four. $1020 for the fronts only.
Quote from a local shop that services Teslas, using aftermarket "OEF3" brand parts (never heard of them) was $840 all in for fronts only, and their quote for doing it with OEM parts was slightly more than Tesla's quote.
$600 all in? Damn. What parts/brand did you use?
My quote from Tesla using OEM parts, was $2260 for all four. $1020 for the fronts only.
Quote from a local shop that services Teslas, using aftermarket "OEF3" brand parts (never heard of them) was $840 all in for fronts only, and their quote for doing it with OEM parts was slightly more than Tesla's quote.
beatle
Active Member
I used Powerstop coated rotors (AR84000EVC) which were ~$120/pair and Bosch BC1474 pads (~$47) for the front. The pads are no longer listed as fitting the Model S fronts on Rock Auto, but they do fit. You'll just have these "ears" on them:
There are other decent pads out there though. More aggressive pads may dust more, need higher brake temperatures for good bite, and may not be silent.
There are other decent pads out there though. More aggressive pads may dust more, need higher brake temperatures for good bite, and may not be silent.
Sig72
Member
I got a rock stuck in my front left that machined a groove in the rotor, so I replaced both front rotors and all 4 pads. That was last year around 135k miles, I’m at 158k now and have had zero subsequent issues
zoomer0056
Active Member
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