A recent thread showed that Consumer Reports rated the Z-brakes as poor reliability, especially the 2005-year. Now, over the past couple years I've seen complaints about trany, windows, paint, axle-clicking, oil consumption, but not one word about brakes (other than brake dust). Has anyone had poor reliability with brake-related parts/mechanics?

 

Nope just dont get them checked enough.

 

my brakes are sqeaking like mad with 25k on the clock. What kind of brake problems are the 05's having?

 

Got mine replaced as a condition of purchase when i bought it a month ago. When i test drove it those brakes were completely done. Not like making the simple "change me please" sound, more like a grinding "change me now" sound.

Car was 31k when i picked it up

 

I haven’t the faintest idea about the brake reliability. Maybe the dealers are scamming owners about replacing pads, and the owner rates brakes as "problematic."

 

David is right. 2006 models haven't approached that time with the brakes yet, as they're still relatively new. But mark my word, in a year or two, they'll also have that half-circle from CR.

 

i got almost 30k on mine and my brakes seem fine on my 06.

 

the brakes on pre 06 are terrible. they werent properly coated (or so i read)and were prone to uneven pad wear. my rear (yea, as in 1 side) went out at 22k, and front at 35k. now i roll project mu

 

The brakes tend to go thru pads quickly. It is not uncommon for people to have to replace pads after 20-25K. Of course if you want alonger wear, you can always go to a less grip type but will not get as good of stopping power.

The bottom line is high performance cost money.

 

Can't quite comment on reliability, as I encountered little to none before it was time to switch out the original ones. But be prepared to pay a siginificant mark-up price if you get your brakes done at one of the local "chains". When I needed the brakes on my 97 Corolla changed Meineke charged me roughly $200-300. When I took the Z in a few months later the price jumped to $600+ for the "regular" service and $800+ for the "platinum" service.
I asked what the difference was and one of the mechanics told me not much, so I opted for the lesser amount. <And please save the "Well you bought a 30k car so quit being cheap" comments>

 

at 48000 km my front and back require replacing...$$$$$$$ pads & rotors..

 

As I recall, the 2005 had the full-circle (black). One would think that it would take more than accelerated pad-wear to warrant a full-black. Apparently not.

 

damn, my brakes are making the "change me please" sound right now, I have 27k. I think I may change em out myself. Is the Z any harder than any other car to change pads?

 

I remember my 03 needing changing in the 25k range too. And the brake dust was horrendous. Are the pads the same between the 03-05 and the 06+??? I ask because when I wash my car, there is hardly any brake dust compared to the older Z.

 

Here's a great how-to thread on z brakes. I've done lots of brakes before but did my first z brake job a couple weeks ago. The thread was helpful for wrench sizes but if you've ever done a brake job there won't be any surprises.

https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-suspension-diy/58195-how-to-change-brake-pads.html

Also, if you're a real noob, there's a bit more brake job background here (see post #33):

https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-suspension/310937-ultimate-brake-pad-thread-what-s-the-least-noisy-with-minimal-dust-2.html
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Well 03 to 05 had crap for brakes, they are way to small. 06 the seemed to have fixed the problem with bigger rotors and 2 piston fronts. I hated my stockers, now i have the 06 setup. IMO its much better, but i will still have a BBK on my car before long,

 

no problems at all with mine. I have an 03 with aftermarket wheels. I see little to no brake dust, I do have aftermarket rotors, cross-drilled and slotted.

 

ive never had problems with my 03 brakes...the poor reliability probably has to do with the pads wearing out quick.

i switched mine out a little after 20k

 

My brakes on my 06 are great once they are warmed up- but backing out of the garage they squeal like a raped pig...and I only have about 9500 miles on mine.

 

brakes r grt