Brakes on electric vehicle

[nlittley]

Hi all,

Posting to hopefully prevent some pain for others.

I recently had my 20 plate corsa-e in having rear pads and discs replaced after one of the pads came away from its metal backing, resulting in disc damage.
I wasn't even aware of the problem as most braking is done with the regen, and i hadn't noticed any drop in braking performance or pull.

What has been interesting after reading around this, is that it seems to be a problem with under-use of the brakes. It was serviced less than 6 months ago, and no issues were identified then but I don't think it's a particularly comprehensive service of the brakes (even though it probably should be)

Be aware if you have the electric car, it's a thing. To reduce the risk, make sure your brakes are properly inspected at service (mention to them when you go in maybe) and consider a regular brake check and hard brake. On another forum we've discussed putting the car in neutral for a period down a hill which will eliminate any regen braking and ensure the pads and discs engage a bit more and callipers move.

I'm currently in discussion with Vauxhall as to whether this should be a warranty repair as it sounds like a part has failed to me, not just worn out in the usual way. I'll keep you posted.

Best wishes
Nathan

[meooo]

Back when I worked in a dealership we had to strip and clean rear callipers because sliders and securing pins would seize up/rust and not operate. This was never an official part of the service but we did it anyway at around 36000 miles. Just recently I’ve had to do the same thing on my wife’s Meriva at 40000 miles, as you’ve been told it’s because the rear brakes do very little work and rust up as a result.

[h2onorth]

Good point, same issue on any vehicle with regenerating brake system