the_joseph•4d agoOG Member

Warning: cheap brake pads from Amazon almost killed me on the highway last Tuesday

I got a set of ceramic pads for $22 on Prime day. Seemed like a steal. Bolted them onto my 2002 Civic last Friday. Drove fine for a few days around town. Then on I-75 near Atlanta, I hit the brakes hard for a stalled car. Pedal went straight to the floor. No stopping at all. I had to swerve onto the shoulder. The pads had delaminated from the backing plate. All that was left was the metal tab riding on the rotor. I limped home at 25 mph with the e-brake. Now I'm stuck buying real pads from Autozone for $45. Anyone else trust cheap online brake parts and regret it?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert_craig4d ago

Man that pedal going to the floor is a terrifying feeling, I've been there with cheap parts before. Delaminating on the highway is no joke, you're lucky you had room to swerve onto the shoulder instead of into that car. Glad you made it home okay and yeah, $45 for peace of mind with real pads is way better than $22 for a heart attack.

rivera.jake4d ago

I must have been the poster child for bad decisions that day, swerving onto the shoulder while my brake pedal kissed the floorboard. My wallet was sweating bullets right along with me, hoping that $22 gamble would somehow pay off. Now I just tell people my brake pads are on the "excitement plan" - you never know if they'll work or just give you a story to tell at parties. Nothing like a little near-death experience to remind you that cheap parts are just expensive lessons in disguise.