Hello all,

I have a 2005 ML350 and replaced the front pads @ 13,000 miles. replaced all tires @ 15,000 miles. I now have 25,000 miles and my brakelight came on. I checked the front brakes and found that they are pretty worn. MB is telling me I need brakes and my rotars will need to be cut.[:@]
I have one more year to go on my lease and at the current rate, will need to replace the brake pads yet again. I do all local driving and downshiftalot. I definitly do not ride the brakes.
Does anybody else have this problem? If so, is it very common??

 

Sorry to say but no one can really tell you if you need brakes without taking a look at the vehicle. If your rotors look worn, that doesn't really mean that you need a brake job. Rotor are meant to wear as part of the braking process. The pads of course, are meant to wear much faster and are the true indication of whether or not you need to have the brakes done. If you cut the wheels hard to one side you may be able to see the caliper and access the condition of the pads. You should be able to see the friction material of the brake pad. If it is more than say 1/8" thick, and the brakes work well, I would guess that you may be able to stretch some more miles out of the brakes even with the somewhat worn rotors. If there is excessive brake noise or if you can feel a vibration in the steering wheel when braking, then that is a different story. The worn rotors are a sign that you could possibly use a brake job, but you might not need one. Another option is to just swap out the pads. It is not the best thing to do, but is something that is quite easy to do on your Mercedes. Do a search for front brakes and you will see what I mean. Dealers and repair shops are in the business of selling parts and labor to install them. Best of luck!

JP

 

My brake light came on at 36000km and I replaced the front pads myself.. Very easy if you are at all mechanically inclined. You will need a torx socket to remove the caliper bolts. I bought ceramic pads from my nearest NAPA dealer which included a new wear sensor , $145 cnd The rotors looked fine left them alone so far they work great and way less black dust on the wheels is a bonus.

 

Same with my ML, the dealer wanted $1500 to do the front pads and rotors, I got the parts off ebay (German made)including new sensors and my son put them on in an hour. Total cost with shipping was around $250. The Mercedes pads are soft so they brake well but wear fast. After doing these I had my son replace the brakes on my SL600 as well, because when you pull into the dealer with a V-12 the price seems to quadruple.