Toyota dealership won't reveal brake pad material or manufacture

I just asked Toyota parts Department in person what material their OEM brake pads are made from for my 4th Gen, and was told they can't say. Nor who makes them. WTF??? Seriously? Shame on you Toyota. Anyway, I am so discouraged right now, and I have developed Google analysis paralysis in trying to find out information on this brake pad part # 446535290. Seems to be a nothing burger.

In past purchases, I know my OEM 4runner brake pads were semi-metallic, but now I have no clue. Ceramic? Anybody have any info on this??????

 

Most say the OEM pads are made by Akebono and that they are ceramic.

That being said here's a link to ToyotaPartDeal and it says "Manufacturer Note: MARK SUMITOMO PS558H " doesn't say what material but I'm pretty sure it's ceramic, all recommended aftermarket pads listed for our 4th Gens are ceramic pads.

https://www.toyotapartsdeal.com/pag...extra1=&extra2=&filter=()&keywords=brake pads

 

Did you ask the same info for the glove door latch? Why in the world would a parts counter guy know any of that information? They take orders and fill them. They handle countless parts for hundreds if not thousands of variations of the way too many different vehicles Toyota makes. No one at a counter knows this info and if they claimed to know it, I wouldn’t believe it.

 

My rear pads lasted to about 90k miles, and fronts around 115k. And they worked fine the whole way. I have no reason to be concerned about the materials from which they’re made.

 

Why would they give you the part number? I don’t understand why people who have zero intention on purchasing a part from the dealer call and ask for the part number. When I worked in parts that shit use to annoy the hell out of me. You’re going to waste my time to shop somewhere else? Pass. And 99% of the time the manufacturer doesn’t list what the item is made out of in the parts catalog.

 

Mine are kriptonite, made by lex Luther.

 

Mine are made from Unobtanium; which is ironically easy to obtain!

 

Umm duh, because they work for Toyota and that is their job. Oh, and they have a computer with info we the buyers don't have access to.

 

They didn't give me the part #, I gave it to them. And Yes, I have intentions of buying OEM if it is semi-metallic like previous years. Not interested in ceramic. I, as a consumer would simply like to know what the part is made of but they won't say. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so. Like you said, pass.

 

A: counter guys does not know answer to question. Nor does he give a shit in knowing the answer.

B: it is a loaded question because it’s possible there are multiple OEM suppliers.

 

Thanks for the link man. I did see that also on the Toyota website. I just wish I could find out if they are semi-metallic or ceramic. My original pads were semi-metallic and I liked their stopping power vs ceramic.

 

Ehh, they should at least know what the bleep they are made of, (semi-metallic or ceramic). But they don't and they work for Toyota. Should be their job.

 

Like I said they won’t know what it is made out of. The catalogs from the manufacturer do not specify.

 

Two careers ago, I worked in disc brake manufacturing. If you asked me "what's the pad made of," I'd be thinking about the recipe for the friction portion of the pad. And that certainly would have been too much to ask, for I wouldn't have been allowed to answer it with any specificity.

I wonder if perhaps the OP simply isn't asking the right question -- his question appears to simply be whether the friction material is a ceramic or a semi-metallic compound.

To be fair, the parts counter guys still may or may not know, care, or want to find out for you.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

 

Have you own the 2007 T4R since new, I would be very surprised if it had semi-metallic pads on it when it was new.

Why don't you just get a good set of aftermarket semi-metallic pads?

 

I've owned my runner for 8 years. The last 2 OEM sets I bought from the dealership here in Alberta said they were semi-metallic, but I realize that may not even be true. But I think they were due to the dust level on wheels. I have found BOSCH semi-metallic rear pads, but fronts are proving to be a bit of a challenge here in Canada, slim pickings it seems. Raybestos is the only semi-metallic I've found so far, though mixed reviews with them.... the hunt continues.

 

The Toyota pads are most likely outsourced to the lowest bidder. Buy something better from one of the many aftermarket brake companies that make pads in all sorts of compounds.

 

You could buy Akebono on Rock Auto, but they are listed as 'ceramic', there are other brands listed as 'semi metallic' though.

 

Don't get the ones with -AZ in the part number is all I know.

 

Would you explain why please, what does the AZ signify?

 

Callahan Auto Parts make them in their Sandusky Ohio Brake Pad facility. Young Tommy Callahan took the company over from his father after he suddenly passed, nice young man.

 

Economy pads. They're cheaper than the good ones. Saw it on The Care Car Nut channel.

 

I prefer Zalinsky. They have a better guarantee.

 

Is that Tommy boy? Good kid.

 

All Zalinsky sells guaranteed piece of sh!t. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from Callahan.

;-)

 

It is a Toyota branded part, of course they may not know the manufacturing company.

 

They are ceramic pads from Akebono. The ones with AZ in the number are different, idk who makes those.

I wouldn't expect them to know.

 

That’s a tempting offer. But I should warn you that sending human feces through the mail is a crime. Don’t ask me how the colon cancer screening guys get away with it.

 

Always looked like some green organic material. Carbon ceramic will save your rotors and no fade.