The front brake pads on my 09 RX-8 R3 were changed by my dealership in the spring of 2012. The car already had 100,000 kms on the clock when the new pads went on. I'd never had any problems with my brakes before this point but ever since the new pads went on, they have been squealing at very low speed and light pedal pressure.

The dealership service manager has brought the car in three times to try different fixes (all at no charge) and they have filed some sort of technical query with Mazda Canada. So far none of the attempted fixes have worked. I never had squeal before with my old pads. So, given all the different measures that have been attempted, I'm forced to conclude that the most obvious source of noise is the likely culprit - the brake pad compound has changed and now is different from the pads that I had on the car previously (all Mazda parts).

Does anyone know if Mazda changed the supplier for their OE pads this year?

 

It's probably not the compound... Apply brake lube on the backing of the pads where it meets the calipers, bed the pads, and report back.

 

Did the pads get bedded in properly?

 

A variety of measures have been attempted to eliminate the brake squeal. The first time the car went in with the complaint they attempted to address the problem by putting a bright red silicon on the outsides of the pads and shims (as recommended by Mazda Canada technical services). On the second visit a month later they suspected glazing, so ground down the pads slightly. On the third visit they chamfered the pads (apparently the old brake pads had beveled edges whereas the new pads had straight edges that met the rotor at 90 degrees). I did go through the process of seating the new pads but the squeal still persists. I think all the logical solutions have been tried and that is why I am forced to conclude that the composition of the pads has changed and it is the actual composition of the pads that is causing the squeal. I should point out that I have no complaints about the function of the brakes. Both on the street and the track, they perform completely satisfactorily. I just wish they would be quiet, like they were for the first four years I owned the car.

 

I am not sure about all this. My dealer said my front brake pads were worn out (I am at 40K), that I needed new ones and the cost to clean rotors and new brake pads would be about $480. I took my car to a local GoodYear place and as I waited in the waiting room, they brought my front brake pads to me, said they still had 60% and did I still want to have them changed. I said "no, just put the originals back on" and they did, charged me $15 only and said the dealer had been trying to rip me off.

Well, now the brake pads they put back on started squeeling when I brake. They suggested I take the car to an empty road, drive and brake a bit hard and for a few times and perhaps they will get better,that sometimes when they remove the pads and put them back on. it may still take some time. He said that if it bothered me, they will put new pads on.