Cost of Brake Pads

Answer 1

The cost of replacement brake pads is generally influenced by supply and demand and competition among merchants.

Older cars that are considered classics, exotic, high performance cars and high dollar luxury cars will have higher brake pad cost than will cars that are very popular, everyday vehicles that have thousands or millions of that model on the road.

The vehicles of the major manufacturers often may use the same brake pads, which is attractive to parts stores because they know that one inventory item can suffice for more than one vehicle.

Brake pads for these cars will be competitively priced and are usually in stock at most parts stores.

Beyond that, the materials use in the manufacture of brake pads will play a major role in the cost of brake pads. As durability and/or performance increases, so does price.

Semi Metallic Brake Pads

This type is the most common and generally the lowest in price, since they sell more, thus enjoying manufacturing scale price advantages. They wear well, but are known to be noisier and more destructive of brake rotors.

Low Metallic NAO Brake Pads

This type costs slightly more than semi metallic. NAO stands for Non Asbestos Organic. There is less of the metal present as compared to that in semi metallic pads to contribute noise and rotor wear. Heat transfer is improved, so someone doing a lot of stop-and-go driving might experience better fade resistance.

Non Asbestos Organic

These cost more than the first two. There is no metal used in the pad material, so these brake pads are quiet and kind to brake discs. The drawback to them is that while rotors are spared, the pads themselves are not as durable. It's a worthwhile trade-off where quietness is the desired trait.

Ceramic Brake Pads

There are only trace amounts of metal in this most expensive of brake pads. They offer the quietest performance and stopping characteristics of all types. They offer the best in terms of longevity and are the most gentle on rotors. This makes the increased initial price worth considering if the intent is to keep a vehicle for the long term, since good ceramic pads can outlast the inexpensive semi metallic pads to a degree that more than compensates for the difference in price.