I’m not knowledgeable with warranty laws in the UK, but in the US brake pads are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty - they are normal maintenance parts like wiper blades. Worn out brakes at 20K miles may not be “normal” - but with modern vehicles which use the brakes all the time for traction control and vehicle stability the brakes will wear out much sooner than they did on vehicles made five or ten years ago. You don’t have to “ride the brakes” to have short brake pad life. Disks can warp in just a few hundred miles if abused - that requires their replacement.

There are some good recommendations above, but try another shop to see what they say. Do ask about pad thickness and exactly how low the brake fluid level is. Some shops are less virtuous than others…

 

I am a new Mazda owner so please bear with me.

It sounds as if the brake fluid was low and a warning light came on. A bottle of brake fluid was bought and some fluid was poured into the reservoir in the engine bay. The light then went off and no leak was found. So all was right with the world.

But now, other problems have been discovered. It turns out that the brake pads are worn out, both front and back, and the discs are damaged.

I understand that the car has pad wear indicators. These have not been mentioned. They make a noise to alert the driver that the brake pads need to be changed.

If I was OP I would ask the dealer for an estimate of the remaining life of the pads. Presumably, she will be told that the pads are safe for a few months more and will then become unsafe. That is the sort of conversation that I am used to having regarding worn brakes. If the conversation becomes more dramatic than this, I would assume that it is a sales pitch. Op should confirm with the dealer, or with Mazda, that her car has brake wear indicators that she should be able to easily hear for herself. Then she should go to a quiet area, wind the windows down, drive slowly and see what she can hear.

Edit: In the spirit of enquiry, I went out and looked at my new CX5. I identified at least two wheels and knelt before each in turn with a small torch. I saw that the brakes on the car are easily visible, the discs and part of the brake pads can also be seen. On my car, at least, the pads are not yet worn out and I was able to observe this without any trouble. You would have to give Google a workout if you do not know a brake pad when you see one, but it is easy to check the brakes on this car.

 

Never seen rear pads that needed to be changed at the same time as the front. I have probably done 1000 brake jobs in my first ten years.

 

It is becoming more common with the newer brake systems to need to service both axles at one service.
I think I started to see this more in our shop 2-3 years ago.

Not sure what 10 years some members are referring to but for me when I got my hands dirty with brake components I did front and rear SHOES regularly, turned(machined) the drums and bed in the new brake shoes before returning the vehicle to the customer. That was in the 70's both front and rear brakes worn close to the same amount! LOL Gotta keep up with the changing times with service procedures. The newer brakes systems from the late 80's and then with the ABS system being introduced the brake pad servicing changed to about 2 to 1. That is for every 2 front axle brake service you would only need 1 rear brake service. Now with the newest braking safety and computer monitored braking systems it can easily be both front and rear during brake service. Even if there is still a slightly higher material remaining on the rear many shops will still want to recommend both be changed. This is prudent and safe. In some states it is also a way for the shop to covering their **** if you deny the service and many service contracts will have you sign that you declined some services recommended. Some shops may discount if you do both front and rear at one service. If they don't offer a discount, ask next time.

The brake wear indicators DO NOT ALLAYS work for people who don't understand what they are hearing. And there is a very high percentage of vehicle owners that ignore not only those sounds but caution lights on the dash, vibrations, unusual sound ext. until something finally fails. I think that why they call dash engine check light and OIL light "IDIOT" lights? LOL

This is a forum for enthusiasts or DIY seeking advice which is in no way close to the real world of what vehicle owners do . The average owner of a daily driver may own a vehicle for years and NEVER open the hood!

 

Ahhh yes, the infamous chirping pad warning system...
Before my mother stopped driving, she once said, "It sounds like a bird is stuck under my hood".
I immediately knew what the issue was and sure enough her pads were not just worn out but completely gone, and the backing plates had nearly worn through the rotors. I was surprised she could still stop and that the tires hadn't caught fire. But she insisted it had "just started making the noise" when she told me.

Yep, old drum brakes you changed 'em all at once, might as breath in all that asbestos in one service .
How many scars you got from trying to reattach the springs. It used to be a badge of honor for those doing it with Vice -Grips.
I have changed the front and rear pads (or had the shop do it) all at the same on all my ABS equipped vehicles.
I value my time, meaning I hate having to deal with scheduling sperate days when it's already jacked up or now goes to my mechanics shop.
I'll continue to do the same with CX-5 though as I've stated before, I'll likely upgrade to a performance kit (pads/rotors) over the stock ones.

 

I've just been told my front discs and pads need replacing after 20k miles in my CX-30 and it's definitely not from bad driving... I'm convinced it's a manufacturing defect

 

What model year is this?

 

So you absolutely ruled out brake use all together without any other evidence except you don't have poor braking habits and you know thorough clairvoyancy that they are a defect?
Really..... the random odd theory is against you , I hope you realize that? Take the number of brake parts, the number of your specific model Mazda that were manufactured , the number of individual parts manufactured and the grouping of them for the production assembly, other reports of the same claim NO TSB (s), factory safety recalls etc., and yet you are convinced that with just the few factors I pointed out that it is a defect on "BOTH" your front brakes disc's and pads?

What sucks is that because this was posted on a forum it now becomes part of the universes way for others thinking the same thought to seek out and find this thread and continue the process of disinformation..

 

2020 (Got it in December)

 

I think you have me confused with someone else, you didn't say anything about my brakes that I responded to.

I posted a fuller post here
https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/maz...k-miles-51081/

I am asking for advice as I don't see how tyres and pads and discs can all have the same lifespan.