[lvelement]

I had my scheduled oil change done at 30,000 miles and my Honda dealer said my front brakes are at 15%. There is no noise and no signs of brake wear from driving yet. I will have to them done at some point soon before I wear them down too much. My Honda dealer wants about $200 for the front brakes. Should I suck it up and go with them, or go to a chain like Midas or Meineke? What have others done? Who should I go to?

 

[lvelement]

30K brake pad replacements either mean you are a rougher driver with a lot of HARD breaking, you ride the brakes with a light load like they are going out of style, or the master cylinder or ABS module are putting all breaks to the front of the car and not distributing 70-30 as they should (70-30 is a guess, the ratio may be different for the E).

For the price they want for the front pads I would consider pulling the rotors and having them turned for $10 each and then spending $80 for some high performance lifetime brake pads. You come out at half the cost and it's the last time you buy brake pads not to mention your car will be able to stop better.

Yep, I can't believe I need them at 30k. I even consider myself to be a light-footed driver, especially since I always have my 7 year old with me. I'm wondering if I need to get a second opinion.

 

[lvelement]

Ditto, the factory pads do have low pad warning indicators.

I agree with the second (and third) opinion suggestion.

If the car has always been in Las Vegas, it's highly doubtful the pads are even remotely close to needing replacing.

Yep, it has always been in Vegas. I really think they are just trying to make some extra cash. I know someone with a lift so I'm going to pop off a tire next week and take a look. I'll let everyone know what I find. If the brakes are fine, I'm going to have a little talk with my dealership.