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Front brake pad costs and warning signs (Perodua Axia)

In progressbeginner
15 minutes~RM 180parts and labour · as of Oct 26, 20265 steps
If the pedal sinks toward the floor or the car pulls to one side when you brake, stop driving and get it checked
Grinding that follows wheel speed means the pad material is gone. Do not keep driving on it
Ask for the old pads back so you can see how much material was left

Tools required: Flashlight

Steps

1

Note what the car does when you brake

Tip: Squeal, grinding, a longer pedal, or a shimmy through the wheel. Each one points somewhere different
2

Look at the pad through the wheel

Warning: Steel wheels and solid hubcaps hide the pads. Ask for a check at your next tyre rotation instead of guessing
Tip: Torch between the spokes at the caliper. New pads carry about 10mm of material; below 3mm, book the job
3

Work out how urgent it is

Tip: Grinding with a long pedal means stop now. A squeal with a firm pedal gives you a week or two, not a month
4

Get two quotes on the same job

Tip: Ask for front pads fitted, discs checked, and a separate price for discs if they are scored. Compare totals, not pad brands
5

Book it and ask for the old parts

Tip: The work itself takes two to three hours. Leave the car for half a day so the discs can be measured on the lift

Front pads on the Axia are a wear item, and fitting them is a workshop job. Nothing on this page asks you to lie under the car. What you can do is spot the wear early, and know what a fair bill looks like before you hand over the keys.

What it should cost

Item Band
Front pad set, per axle RM70 to RM120
Labour, front axle RM40 to RM80
Typical total, one axle RM120 to RM220
Add if the discs are scored RM100 to RM150 labour, plus discs

Two things push the bill up. Discs too thin to skim, and a workshop that quotes pads and discs as one package without measuring anything. The cheap version fits pads with no shims and skips the disc check altogether.

These are ranges from Malaysian workshop price lists and a dated workshop promo, checked 2026-10-26. Your town and the pad brand move them.

What to watch for

  • Pads that squeal from the first day usually went in dry, or without shims. Take the car back rather than living with it.
  • Judder through the pedal after the job is a disc or bed-in problem, not a pad problem.
  • A quote for calipers on both sides, on a car that brakes straight, is often an upsell.
  • Skimming a disc once is fine. Skimming a disc that is already near its minimum thickness is not.

What to ask for

  • Front pads on both sides, and the old parts back in the box.
  • Disc thickness in millimetres, written on the invoice.
  • Pads with shims, and the brand named before they start.
  • A short test drive before you pay, so any judder shows up while you are still there.

If you keep driving

A worn pad still stops the car. A worn pad on a scored disc stops it less well, and costs more to put right. Grinding means the backing plate is cutting metal already, and a disc that could have been skimmed now has to be replaced.