Shudder on braking - 2012 Mazda 5 sport

JMJinNC

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2012 Mazda5 Sport 6-speed
So the shuddering while braking on our 2012 Mazda 5 Sport is getting worse. Will not get into a debate about warped rotors, but needless to say, time to get this fixed. I can get the rotors turned and lose the car for a few hours, or just swap them out (which I should be able to do myself).

Any input here would be helpful - is it fairly straightforward to swap the front rotors & pads? Recommendations for aftermarket (but not racer/performance) rotors & pads?

FWIW, I've done an uneventful rear rotor & pad change on my 2002 SAAB wagon (mechanical drum parking brake inside disk rotor).

Thanks - JMJ
 
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So the shuddering while braking on our 2012 Mazda 5 Sport is getting worse. Will not get into a debate about warped rotors, but needless to say, time to get this fixed. I can get the rotors turned and lose the car for a few hours, or just swap them out (which I should be able to do myself).

Any input here would be helpful - is it fairly straightforward to swap the front rotors & pads? Recommendations for aftermarket (but not racer/performance) rotors & pads?

FWIW, I've done an uneventful rear rotor & pad change on my 2002 SAAB wagon (mechanical drum parking brake inside disk rotor.

Thanks - JMJ

Depends on if the rotors have rusted to the hubs. Probably not an issue for you as the car is fairly new. Do they salt the roads where you are at? Otherwise, easy to get the rotors and pads out in my opinion. I've both sanded and turned our front rotors. Replaced pads with Hawk HPS - appear to dust more, but brake fine. Good luck.
 
I'll throw my hat in the "replacement rotors" ring. Mine was shuddering horribly before I replaced my rotors a while back and the improvement is huge. Even if the rotors are rusted to the hubs you shouldn't have any real trouble with the swap out.
 
Take a look at my recent brake job: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...-Mazda5-brake-pad-and-brake-rotor-replacement


I'd recommend the centric high-carbon rotors on the front. I'd get more aggressive pads than the Akebono ProAct that I used, though. I'd go with the Centric Posi-Quiet ceramics or Hawk HPS ceramics if I were to do it again. The whole process is pretty simple and is a huge improvement.

I have my Centric high carbon rotors waiting and the Akebono Proact pads are on their way to me now. Why do you wish you had gotten more aggressive pads? Are the Akebono ProAct pads not as good as stock? I 'thought' the Akebono Proact pads were the way to go. I hope I do not regret that purchase!
 
So the shuddering while braking on our 2012 Mazda 5 Sport is getting worse. Will not get into a debate about warped rotors, but needless to say, time to get this fixed. I can get the rotors turned and lose the car for a few hours, or just swap them out (which I should be able to do myself).

Any input here would be helpful - is it fairly straightforward to swap the front rotors & pads? Recommendations for aftermarket (but not racer/performance) rotors & pads?

FWIW, I've done an uneventful rear rotor & pad change on my 2002 SAAB wagon (mechanical drum parking brake inside disk rotor.

Thanks - JMJ

I have had brake shudder since 25k miles (currently have 30k on the car). It is a shame that either the factory pads or rotors are such junk on this vehicle. I have religiously lubricated my brake sliders, flushed brake fluid, and used a torque wrench on my lug nuts; but still got the shudder. I would suggest you replace the rotors and pads, which is exactly what I am planning on doing once all the parts get here. I think resurfacing the rotors is not worth it if you can DIY the rotor replacement. In my mind, thinner resurfaced rotors will just be more susceptible to problems in the future

I do not have any first hand experience with the parts yet, but I purchased Centric High Carbon rotors. They were not much more money than the Centric Premium rotors and I figured since I was DIYing the brakes I could spend a little more for hopefully a better brake rotor. I purchased the Akebono ProAct pads from some recommendations on this form and from recommendations on the site Bobistheoilguy.com. I hope I do not regret that choice after reading Orangutan's response above. I certainly do not want worse braking than stock, but I also do not need any better.
 
The ProAct pads work just fine: smooth, silent, and dust-free. They brake just fine, too. I'd guess they're about equal to OEM stopping power. I would like more braking power, though, and I went the ultra-conservative route for this brake job to play it safe.
 
Thanks for the responses all. The 5 has almost 60k on it now, and the use of salt here in NC is very limited. It's due for it's 60K service, so I might lump that in if I don't have the time to do it myself.

JMJ
 
Kind of a late response but: I had a severe pulsation and from the look of my very grooved front rotors and nearly gone brake pads, I went ahead and replaced the front pads and rotors. During the 'after' test drive, I still noticed the bad pulsation, DRAT! A gentle tug of the e-brake confirmed it was the rears all along (and the rears looked new!). After replacing both rear rotors, the problem was solved.

I wouldn't bother turning rotors because depending on how uneven the surface is, you will make them thinner, and more prone to warp.
 
Speaking of this, my 5 has been shuddering for the last 5000 or so miles. I currently have 44,000 miles on the 5, the brakes look great, but the rotors must be warped. (eek2)
 
warped rotors can be caused by a defect or wear

but if your rotors have less than 15,000km on them your calipers may be seizing and causing dragging and unnecessary heat.

Make sure the caliper is working, and the slider pins are smooth and not pitted, or rusty. Or they will just warp again.
 
Update - I had my local service place (not Mazda dealer) replace my shifter mechanism and turn the front rotors. No mure shuddering! Still enough thickness on the rotors, so I will monitor this and replace rotors next time.

JMJ
 
Update - I had my local service place (not Mazda dealer) replace my shifter mechanism and turn the front rotors. No mure shuddering! Still enough thickness on the rotors, so I will monitor this and replace rotors next time.

JMJ


Hi guys,

First post here, I apologize if I'm resurrecting this old thread. I got my stock rotors replaced last week on my 2012 Mazda 5. It was at 56K km (~35K miles).

Previously I had been having vibration on my steering wheel whenever I was braking, and the dealer determined that my rotors were warped and that my rotors and front brakes needed replacing. However they said there was still life left on the brakes and it was not safety concern. But I had endured this for about a year, and the vibration was getting worse in the last couple of months, and I would also feel it when braking at slower speeds.

When the problem initially happened, they offered to clean the rust off the brakes, and it did 'fix' the issue temporarily, for about a month. When I asked then to do it again a few months later, they said it wasn't possible anymore on these brakes. I'm not an expert on cars, so I don't know if there was an alternative to spending the hundreds of dollars on the replacement.

Anyways, it was an expensive replacement but I'm hoping the new ones are much better.
 
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