Brake life on 2003 Odyssey

[Tom Taylor]

What is considered to be a "normal" miles-range for Odyssey brakes?
I know that driving habits affect brake life but what kinda mileage are you guys getting?
With 42.6K the dealer says I need front AND rear.....and says the rotors need turning. Is that typical?
Last time I will buy a Honda if that's the norm!!!

[Glen_T]

I believe it is not uncommon for minivans to only get 50k or so miles on it depending on where you drive, how much highway, etc. However, the rear brakes should never need replacement that soon. Usually they last about 2x the front brakes.

My 2003 Pontiac Montana looks like it will need front pads at around 50k, and I'm not one to ride the brakes (neither is my wife). However, it is used a lot to ferry kids here and there, so not a lot of highway miles. I think the OEMs also put on pads that may have a little more give to them so the brakes feel "grippy" and good to the customer.

Also, sometimes dealers figure they won't see your car for another 5-10k miles, and they make a guess that the brakes will need to be replaced before then. So, they tell you it's time to replace them to save you the "inconvenience" of having to come back in before your next checkup.

Also, Honda dealers "standard practice" is to turn rotors when brakes are replaced to eliminate any customer complaints of brake shudder when braking. Not sure that is always necessary in my opinion, unless you are getting some shudder now. This can typically occur, for example, when you hit the brakes on an off-ramp coming off the freeway.

Are your wear indicators making noise? If not, then I'd ask the dealer to show you in person why your brakes need replacement. If the wear indicator is not touching or nearly touching the rotors, then the brakes can go for awhile more....hope this helps...Glen

[duodad]

I'm a Service Advisor at a Honda dealer. 50K is a pretty good life expectancy out of a set of brakes on the Odyssey. The reason your van won't go through fronts twice as fast as rears is because the vehicle has been designed for the rears to apply first to counteract the forward pitch under braking.

I had one guy (really his wife) go through a set of rears at 23K. I think she was a two-footed driver. The brakes on the Odyssey are designed to be quiet and consistent, not last forever. The recommendation from Honda, called the service limit, is between 1.5-2.0 mm remaining until the wear indicator.

The reason it's not recommended to wait for the indicator is because that's when you're into the bonding material on the pads. Not very efficient braking. Also, we've seen the indicator actuall break off and people drive all the way through the pads. Yikes!

That's right about the resurfacing. If the shimmy doesn't bother you, you can just replace the pads.