2009 Volkswagen Jetta: rotors or pads wearing out early

Filed Oct 1, 2014 · Brakes · 62,000 miles · NJ

I replaced the brake pads on the above described vw. For more completeness it is a vw jetta 2009 sportwagen, tdi (diesel). The 4 front brake pad thicknesses were about 3/16", the 4 rear brake pad thicknesses were 1/16". This is very unusual. All cars that I have owned etc. Experience faster front pad wear than rear pad wear. This is also what vw expects as they have the electronic wear sensor on the front brake pad. I believe that this may be caused by a defective proportioning valve or by a too soft pad material.

Filed May 5, 2014 · Brakes · 63,000 miles · MD

Left rear brake assembly drags prematurely wearing brake pads and rotor. Worried that it may cause possible fire.

Filed Apr 25, 2014 · Brakes · 84,000 miles · CA

Second repair: must replace both rear brake calipers due to them seizing up. Uneven brake pad wear. 40% on right rear pad remaining. 2% on left rear pad remaining. Issue also occurred under warranty at 10,000 miles. Several others report this issue occurring only to the left rear pad.

Filed Feb 23, 2012 · Brakes · 57,000 miles · TX

Rear passenger side brake pad worn down to metal while rear driver side has 5 mm left on it. Dealer indicates a faulty caliper. Would not even entertain the possibility of a sticking left parking-brake cable or not properly adjusted parking cable that might not be letting the left rear caliper release completely (cable readjustment it's a pain since the rear half of the center console has to be disassembled to get access to the primary adjuster nut and mechanics do not like to mess with it). Dealer would not replace rear pads and rotors if I did not also replace the caliper, even though service manager acknowledged that diagnostic was only based on visual inspection and not on taking apart the rear brake assembly to properly inspect the caliper. For the auto technician to know it is a faulty caliper (instead of sticking cable or other issue) without removing it from the vehicle and only upon visual inspection must mean that vw is aware of the faulty calipers and keeping quiet about it until the customer walks into the dealership with the problem. Premature and/or uneven rear brake pad wear appears to be a common issue on jettas, as has been extensively documented on jetta owners forums and websites. As indicated by a vw mechanic on an internet forum "vw needs to design into the parking brake adjusting screw inside the rear caliper piston a more robust system to spring the rear calipers piston back away from the pads after brake application. Internal brake adjuster screw spins out as the piston travels out with wear of the pads. Problem is vw knows the adjuster screws internal threads drag too much to allow the natural tendency of the piston o-rings to roll back the piston to the pre brake application usage position of the brake. I have had to replace several calipers to get the calipers that release the pads tension properly after braking application."

Filed Jan 25, 2011 · Brakes · 18,370 miles · FL

This is my second complaint regarding the rear brake wear on the 2009 jettas. This problem is common amongst thousands of other drivers over the internet that have yet to report the problem to the federal safety agency. I first had excessive rear brake wear on my vw at less than 15, 000 where I lost my brakes completely and damaged the rotors. This was before the recommended service period on my new vehicle. The brakes and rotor were replaced and the dealer only cited it as 'premature wear' and that it was covered under warranty. I am now at 18,000 and have noticed that my brakes are still wearing much faster than the front brakes. That is only 3,000 miles in which they are at the halfway wear point. The oem brake wear is supposed to occur between 30,000 and 40,000 miles. This is not the case and may be the result of the new redesign of the vw which may have contributed to the defective wear issue. I am scheduled for another service repair and vw of america has provided a case number to look into the matter (not resolve it or take ownership over the problem) please look into this or at least search the internet to see how many others are having the exact same issue with 2008 - 2011 vws. Please initiate an investigation before someone has an accident or dies as a result of this issue!!!

Filed Jan 10, 2011 · Brakes · 30,000 miles · CT

Premature rear brake wear and failure. Heavy brake dusting on rear wheels since new. Rear brakes need to be replaced at 25,000 miles and 50% of the miles were highway miles. Spongy brake petal and heavy rear wheel brake dust reported to dealer 3 times when new and at the normal service intervals. Vw dealer service manager said all 09' jetta's rear brakes are wearing out between 20,000 and 30,000 miles. Either rear brake design or materials are defective causing premature wear and failure.

Filed Jan 4, 2011 · Brakes · 40,000 miles · FL

I just discovered a brake problem on my wife's vehicle and wanted to bring your attention to it. My wife complained that she was hearing noises coming from the rear wheels and that the brake pedal felt different. I went to check the car and found that the disk brake on the passenger side had been damaged by the pad. The damage occurred on the inside of the disk while the outer part of the disk was ok. In fact, the outer pad of the brake seems to be in great shape and capable of providing many more miles of braking. The disk on the rear driver side does not appear to have any damage nor does it show signs of premature wear. I immediately called the vw dealership here in orlando service department. They indicated that the uneven wear of the brake pad could have been due to the parking brake partially engaged. They also said that the oem brake pads of this vehicle are expected to last about 36,000 miles. Our vehicle currently has 40,000; therefore, there was no immediate cause for concern. I inquired about an appointment to have the brake system inspected for manufacturing problems and they indicated that the warranty for that kind of issue had ended at 36,000 miles. I made a quick search online for related issues and found that a good number of 2009 jetta drivers have filed safety complaints with the federal safety agency about the same problem. This is a mechanical problem that I would expect from other manufacturers and am taken aback that I now see it on a vw. We have come to trust vw engineering and manufacturing to a point that makes it hard to understand we are dealing with something like this on a new car. But, the question still remains about what in this car braking system could possibly cause it to wear so remarkably premature and uneven. We certainly hope this is not something we will have to 'live with' in terms of ownership of vw vehicles. I respectfully request your prompt attention to this and a quick response. Thank you

Filed Dec 30, 2010 · Brakes · 30,982 miles · TX

2009 volkswagen jetta 30,898 miles rear brakes rotors worn and pads gone. Front brakes still have 40,000 miles left on pads, look new according to certified ase brake mechanic. Car does not stop safely. Mechanic was shocked at the brake wear on rear rotors and pads and the extreme wear on the back pads and rotors. Certified ase mechanic advised that front wheel drive cars brakes should wear evenly, not entirely on back brakes. Vehicle not breaking right at low or high speeds. Car still under manufacturer warranty, dealer refuses to replace.

Filed Dec 7, 2010 · Brakes · 20,153 miles · OH

My 2009 vw jetta has been prematurely wearing rear disc brakes and experienced a reduction in brake performance. My car has less than 20,000 miles and I already had to take it to the dealer for new rear pads and rotors and it cost me over $400!!!! This is a safety issue because most people that purchase a new vehicle will not take it into the dealership until may 30,000+ miles. This seems to be a very common issue with 07-09 vw jetta's and it should be fixed by vw!

Filed Nov 23, 2010 · Brakes · 29,900 miles · AL

My 2009 vw jetta sportwagen tdi has worn out the rear brake pads in less than 30 thousand miles, while the front pads are at 75%. When the car was new I noticed that there was more brake dust on the rear wheel than on the front. I was told that this car had a system to balance the braking between front and rear. The excessive rear pad wear is a good indication that there is no balance between front and rear braking, and that there is a problem with the rear braking that could cause the rear of the car to skid in heavy braking.

Filed Sep 18, 2009 · Brakes · 100,015 miles · TX

2009 volkswagen tdi jetta 10,000 miles. Brought car into dealer and pointed out that I believe something is wrong with esp system. Both back rotors are hot enough to burn you after driving short distances with very little breaking. Dealer determine driver side caliper was bad. They are replacing driver side caliber. Says it was dragging and causing esp system to pulse. Wife has the same problem on her 2009 tdi jetta which has 12000 miles on it. Both cars have exhibited this problem have been occurring since new. It is causing premature brake pad and rotor wear to rear. Car is still in shop after a week waiting on parts.