Has ANY LEAF required a brake pad replacement yet?

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suwaneedad

Active member
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
34
Location
Atlanta
Years ago, I recall reading here that no one had yet to require brake pad replacement. My LEAF turns 6 next month (70k miles) and no sign of brake pads needing to be swapped, despite losing regen for 6-12 months when my original battery was losing capacity (pack was replaced under warranty). Wondering whether there is any record yet of a LEAF's OEM pads wearing out?!
 
They are ceramic pads so I expect them to last a long time. I typically get 75,000 miles on ceramic pads on SUVs with automatic transmissions so I expect the LEAF with regeneration to go much further. My experience has been that the rotors and pads both wear out at the same time when using ceramic pads.
 
Supposedly on regen vehicles they last a really long time. My Highlander Hybrid is now at 140k+ on the original pads. I inquire about them everytime I take it in and so far they haven't needed replacement.
 
we've done a couple of seasons hillclimb racing with ours and are nowhere needing new pads. I don't think they will be a good investment for an aftermarket manufacturer....
 
I'm coming up on 87,000 miles, and down to 8 battery bars. I'm on the original pads, but they're down to about 4/32". With the severely degraded battery, I don't get as much regen as I used to, so the pads have been getting more of a workout lately. So I'm probably going to replace them before my next state inspection in the spring.
 
Two comments.. First, I have never heard of a set of brake pads going 75K miles, especially in an SUV. 30-40K? Yes...
Second, I don't think there has to be an aftermarket for the Leaf pads.... Aren't they same as the Versa or Juke??
 
powersurge said:
Two comments.. First, I have never heard of a set of brake pads going 75K miles, especially in an SUV.
The brake pads on our 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, which I purchased in April of 2002, are now 15.5 years old and have over 120,000 miles on them. The pads still have plenty of material on them and the braking is still as silky smooth as it was the day I brought the car home. I suppose I may need to replace the pads someday. Time will tell.

The LEAF is accumulating about the same number of miles each year as the Honda Civic Hybrid did, but I do not expect the brake pads to last nearly as long. First the vehicle is quite a bit heavier plus with three capacity bars gone, we often get NO (zero, zip, nada) regen on the nearby mountains this time of year meaning we must use friction brakes to maintain speed.
 
powersurge said:
Second, I don't think there has to be an aftermarket for the Leaf pads.... Aren't they same as the Versa or Juke??

I bought these for the front:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00495V8LC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And these for the rear:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KULEP9G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It might be my imagination, but I think they might not be quite as meaty as the pads my car came with, though I couldn't swear to it.
 
powersurge said:
Two comments.. First, I have never heard of a set of brake pads going 75K miles, especially in an SUV. 30-40K? Yes...
Second, I don't think there has to be an aftermarket for the Leaf pads.... Aren't they same as the Versa or Juke??

1. Semi-metallic pads 30k to 40k miles on SUVs with automatic transmissions; ceramic pads 70k or longer.

2. LEAF is much heavier than Versa and Juke so it has much bigger brakes. OEM ceramic pads should last at least 75k miles unless there is a lot of mountain driving combined with lack of regeneration caused by deteriorated battery.
 
This thread reminds me I have to use the friction brakes occasionally to avoid having the rotors rust.
 
powersurge said:
.... I have never heard of a set of brake pads going 75K miles, especially in an SUV. 30-40K? Yes...

Depends on the SUV, driving style, and of course highway/city mix, but as an example many 1st. gen. BMW X3 owners get over 100K miles on front and rear pads.
 
103,500 miles and counting and per my local Nissan dealership @ 100K miles, the pads are still at about 60% of life left. :D

And no, I don't know of any LEAF driver who's had to replace his/her brake pads.
 
EU Leafs don't have the same brake pads as the ones made in Japan (2011-12).
New ones are much softer. Have a lot of copper in them. Also are extremely expensive.
Front set lasted for 90 000 km, 3 years. Vehicle has lot's of regen available.
Brake discs are excellent. Though they do rust up slightly it's non-issue.

I think US Leafs have different brake pad material.
 
Our LEAF's brake pads are down about 50%, which isn't too bad. It helps that we're no longer regularly using the LEAF, unfortunately, to descend the mountain that we live on. However, regen limitations have been affecting our local driving more and more, so I imagine we'll eventually have to change the brake pads.
 
larrycookjr said:
Just replaced the front brakes on my 2012 LEAF at 77,700 miles and exactly 6 years.

Are you on your first or second battery pack? Trying to determine when you went through a period of reduced re-gen...which would (theoretically) cause additional brake wear.
 
Stanton said:
larrycookjr said:
Just replaced the front brakes on my 2012 LEAF at 77,700 miles and exactly 6 years.

Are you on your first or second battery pack? Trying to determine when you went through a period of reduced re-gen...which would (theoretically) cause additional brake wear.

First a correction, it was the rear brakes that were replaced. I find that odd as any other car I've owned always went through front brakes faster.

I have the original battery, down 25% according to LeafSpy, down 2 bars on the dash. I have to charge to 100% (currently 214 GIDs) half the year to make my 40 mile one-way commute. So for half the year I lose regen for the beginning of each commute as well as due to the cold, typically between 10 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit for the worst few months.

Is my regen permanently reduced due to the battery degradation?
 
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