Re: OEM brake pads?? how bad are they !!!?
I have a 2009 Civic with 44,000 miles on it. We bought it used from a dealer with 24,000 miles on it in Dec. 2009. I just came from the dealer. My front brakes are squealing because the inner pads are down to the wear indicators.
The Honda mechanic said he thinks the pads are original; we live in a rural area and do no "city driving." He said that Honda pads are NOT ceramic. He said that After Market pads MIGHT -- be thinner than Honda pads and not last as long. If the material is harder (like ceramic), they MIGHT score the rotors. He recommends we use only Honda pads - for $60 a pair. He did not tell me that after market pads might squeal.
I have been told, by a VW service manager, that after market pads will squeal if used on a 2001 New Beetle. He scared me into paying VW $400 for new pads and rotors in 2003. The VW was DESIGNED to replace both front pads AND rotors each time the pads are changed. In my case, the car had 22,000 miles on it!
So, I am off to some other sights like cartalk.com to see what I can learn about after market pads. I had very good luck with after market ceramic pads on my 1995 Nissan Maxima. The pads had "heat cracks" after about 80,000 miles but they still seemed to work fine.
If I buy after market pads, I will ask for a guarantee that they won't squeal.
The saga continues ...