Stupid big Hondas and their stupid poor brakes

"DarkCreamyBeer" (darkcreamybeer)
08/03/2019 at 16:46 • Filed to: None

$500+ to resurface all 4 rotors on a 50k mile car. This one eats brakes just like its Odyssey predecessor. But my wife likes the Hondas because they are “reliable”. At least the transmission hasn’t eaten itself yet (knocks on wood).

DISCUSSION (16)

wafflesnfalafel > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 16:59

T hat seems to be a bit of a Honda thing - “under” brake some of their vehicles, kinda like what GM used to do with their pickups. It just doesn’t cost that much to put a bit bigger spec brake kit on from the factory and it adds so much to the driving experience and reliability of the vehicle....

jimz > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 17:02

Sounds like they’re just undersized. My Ranger loves to eat brakes too. It’s a Sport 4x4 which is literally the heaviest of the PN150 Rangers. The original pads lasted 40k, the parts store ones that replaced them lasted 25k. I put new rotors on with EBC pads and they lasted ~75k. At that point rotors and reman calipers were so cheap I did a complete system.

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 17:02

$500 to resurface 4 rotors? Thats without new pads, hardware, and labor??? Could you not have just BOUGHT 4 brand new rotors for less? I’ve done an entire brake overhaul on my Lexus LS for half of that, and it has beefy 4 piston calipers.

DarkCreamyBeer > Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's
08/03/2019 at 17:03

No that’s the whole job, parts and labor.

DarkCreamyBeer > wafflesnfalafel
08/03/2019 at 17:05

That’s my issue. It would cost them what? $100 tops to put the right size rotors on this car? Why not offer “sport brakes” or fold that into the SH-AWD package cost?

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 17:05

So with new pads and hardware and paying someone to slap them on?

DarkCreamyBeer > jimz
08/03/2019 at 17:08

That’s my take too. My wife is not blameless though. I almost never drive this car except road trips. I get in to do the drive for kids camp pickup (dropped them off in my S5), and first time I stop it from highway speeds there is a huge vibration. I ask her how long has it been this way and she says “a while, I got used to it.” Sigh. Then she drags her feet on taking it in for weeks before I finally put my foot down.

I could have just replaced the rotors myself, but this falls in the crappy job I’d rather pay others to do category.

DarkCreamyBeer > Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's
08/03/2019 at 17:11

New pads, resurfaced rotors, a couple of hours of labor. Dealership prices because: wife.

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 17:15

I totally understand. Seems steep to me, but ill get my hands dirty to keep my money

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 17:27

$500 for a full brake job (well, pads and “resurfacing”, which really is “nothing”) is about fair at a dealership, tbh. Honda pads are probably $40-50 a wheel or so, and the whole thing likely books at two hours.

Now, I had a 2015 CRV that at 85k miles still had like 4-5mm of pad material left. Honda makes its brakes to last. Likely you’re just doing a lot of city driving, left foot braking, have a very concerned stealership manager, or all three.

Edit to add: my LR4’s dealership cost for a full set of brakes and rotors is near $5000. Parts store parts are about $400. They last 30k miles if I’m lucky. Obviously, I do them myself.

DarkCreamyBeer > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
08/03/2019 at 17:58

Symptom was very bad vibration when braking at highway speeds. Rotors were definitely out of true. This has happened on both big Hondas I’ve owned. If I was the primary driver on either I’d buy that the driver is part of the problem, but my wife drives sedately (to say the least).

smobgirl > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 18:26

I was quoted $920 and $150 for the same brake job on the Abarth, which needed them done at 25k miles the first time. I didn’t even bother checking with the dealer since I could walk home from the $150 shop.

DipodomysDeserti > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 19:41

A full brake job on my wife’s BMW would run $1200 or so from the dealer, but they replace the rotors rather than shave them. Fortunately the pads and rotors were swapped for free at 49k miles (thank you CPO maintenance plan crossover). She’s at 120k now and it’s about time to do them again. I can swap everything myself for around $400 and an hour of my time, so that’s the route I’ll go.

Shift24 > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 20:23

I mean I just put better brake pads and rotors on and never had an issue.

On a Ridgeline, Odysseys, MDX, and a CR-V.

DarkCreamyBeer > Shift24
08/03/2019 at 20:40

I’d love a recommendation for better rotors on the mdx.

Shift24 > DarkCreamyBeer
08/03/2019 at 23:29

We had the previous gen MDX (2nd gen) but we went to Performance R aybestos. I got them off of Rockauto. Just be ready for Honda's stupid set screws