Expected brake life on PP/R pads+rotors

[Npdogg]

So I just wanted to see if there is any reasonable expectation on pad/rotor life for PP/R brakes. I know it is hard to quantify due to different driving styles and driving conditions. But I think it would be helpful to see if there is an average life. Please if possible leave a comment with how long your pads/rotors lasted before needing to be changed.
I am wondering as recently my front pads feel like they are on there way out. My car is at 24k and just recently had an oil change with "multipoint inspection" but no mention on brakes(good or bad). I know it would be best to take wheels off and check myself but have been unable to find time due to weather/adulting. It's also possible I may have a small rock stuck somewhere but I did check the pads/rotors with flashlight while wheels are on and could not see anything. I do about 75/25 hwy/city and regularly downshift/engine brake. I just can't believe I would need pads this quick(usually change them around 40k on previous cars). Thanks

 

[Sandman GTI]

So I just wanted to see if there is any reasonable expectation on pad/rotor life for PP/R brakes. I know it is hard to quantify due to different driving styles and driving conditions. But I think it would be helpful to see if there is an average life. Please if possible leave a comment with how long your pads/rotors lasted before needing to be changed.
I am wondering as recently my front pads feel like they are on there way out. My car is at 24k and just recently had an oil change with "multipoint inspection" but no mention on brakes(good or bad). I know it would be best to take wheels off and check myself but have been unable to find time due to weather/adulting. It's also possible I may have a small rock stuck somewhere but I did check the pads/rotors with flashlight while wheels are on and could not see anything. I do about 75/25 hwy/city and regularly downshift/engine brake. I just can't believe I would need pads this quick(usually change them around 40k on previous cars). Thanks

At 30,000 the dealer reported 30% wear if I remember right.
I do not drive like I stole it.

 

[breaking badly]

Why don't you provide any photos?

 

[N10S]

I would check the pads for wear thickness but would be surprised if they were shot at 24k. I have had two S4 Bi-turbos and a MKIV R32 all three which have brakes very similar to the golf R and GTI PP. I drove those cars pretty aggressively and other than warping a front rotor never had any pad issues. Makes me wonder if they aren't just glazed and not biting like they should?

I have been looking at the GolfR/GTI PP two piece rotor upgrades available at ECS Tuning. They are lighter than the stockers and being a two piece floating hat design run a lot cooler. That and some performance pads would be a nice upgrade for the PP/R brakes.

 

[breaking badly]

Two-piece design has nothing to do with cooling. Directional vanes run cooler.
Two-piece helps saving weight, while two-piece floating helps avoiding deformation
(thus spongy pedal) when the brakes are hot.

Sandman, I want to help him. Qualified help requires photos or precise measurements.
Brake last last 5k, brake pads last 150k. It depends on the driver. So what else should
we tell him without any photos of his current state? It would be pointless without them.

 

[Npdogg]

Thanks Sandman for the input, that would be in line with my expectations of what they should last.

N10S it could be they are glazed as you have mentioned. It does lack the bite they used to have, almost like it slips right before coming to a stop. That was what made me worried there is an issue. Though I don't have any noise from the fronts, but I always have the rear brakes squeak every morning when I back out of my driveway(which I believe is normal from research on here). So if they are glazed what do I do to fix it? Some hard stops to rebed?

And Breaking Badly thanks for the response. I know you are a very knowledgeable contributor and appreciate any feedback. But as far as photos go I haven't had time to get the wheels off since I noticed. I have no garage and the last few weekends there has been snow and rain, so not optimal weather for DIY in my driveway with my jack. I do change my own brake pads/rotors on my previous 4 cars so I do know some, but I am very much an amateur wrencher, and value all advice/info I can get on this forum. I was going to take a look tomorrow but snowing right now, so scratch that till the ground is dry.

 

[1Krautburner]

"I do about 75/25 hwy/city and regularly downshift/engine brake."

I'd be more worried about your clutch if you are doing this regularly...

 

[Npdogg]

"I do about 75/25 hwy/city and regularly downshift/engine brake."

I'd be more worried about your clutch if you are doing this regularly...

Seriously is this a thing on these cars? I know the clutch is a weak point but I'm not dumping the clutch or lugging it at high gear/low rpm. I sold my last performance oriented car about 9 years ago(02 Sentra SE-R SpecV) and have been doing the fiscally responsible/practical/boring thing with cars till now(2 Corolla S, 1 Kia Sportage). I bough the Spec V when I was 21 and I owned it for 8 years and 150k miles, I modded the hell out of it and beat the ever living shit out of that car, with no issues with the clutch. The clutch on that thing felt so much more substantial and had real engagement from day 1 till I sold it. I've driven 20 yrs of manuals and close to 750k and always downshift/engine brake coming from hwy speeds. I personally always did it to have better braking power and make the pads/rotors last longer. If somehow i wear the clutch out I'll replace it with something more solid RSR/SRE, I just can't imagine that I will kill it with my driving habits.

 

[1Krautburner]

I didn't mean to say that your driving habits are bad, I apologize if it came out that way, but downshifting and engine braking from highway speeds will absolutely shorten the life of your clutch, unless you rev-match every time...I think even more so on our cars because of the weak clutch. Pads and rotors are way cheaper than a clutch.

 

[Npdogg]

I didn't mean to say that your driving habits are bad, I apologize if it came out that way, but downshifting and engine braking from highway speeds will absolutely shorten the life of your clutch, unless you rev-match every time...I think even more so on our cars because of the weak clutch. Pads and rotors are way cheaper than a clutch.

No worries man, no offense taken, it's all good. I had just never heard of that before, or ever experienced a clutch issue in my life. I am always learning new things from this forum. I spend a lot of time reading on here and learning, but rarely post much due to my noobness on this platform. So any info is valuable. And as far as rev-matching goes I think I do? But to be honest it is so second nature I don't even think about it or realize if I am.

 

[popnloc]

I have 16k miles on my car and I drive about 60/40% hwy/city. Most days are casual, but some days are spirited drives. I've had 1 track day with the stock pads.
I had my brakes inspected today and have 10mm left on the pads. Stock PP pads are 14mm.