FAQ: Vibration under braking: warped rotors? NO!

[Helo58]

Glad you finally caught on!

We are all forever in your debt for resolving such a complicated issue in one forum post. Thank you!

 

[MisterMac]

We are all forever in your debt for resolving such a complicated issue in one forum post. Thank you!

Plus, I accomplished it in less words than your single post which was full of assumptions, yet otherwise impressive quantities of verbiage. You should appreciate having actual facts from someone who has been through the entire process with the actual products.

If you had been correct, the original issues would have continued with the replacement rotors. I drive through mountains daily and use my brakes mercilessly. Though, I imagine your overwhelming opinion of self will never accept that you were wrong, either in part or in whole. It is good for our readers to be exposed to all possibilities.

 

[Helo58]

Plus, I accomplished it in less words than your single post which was full of assumptions, yet otherwise impressive quantities of verbiage. You should appreciate having actual facts from someone who has been through the entire process with the actual products.

If you had been correct, the original issues would have continued with the replacement rotors. I drive through mountains daily and use my brakes mercilessly. Though, I imagine your overwhelming opinion of self will never accept that you were wrong, either in part or in whole. It is good for our readers to be exposed to all possibilities.

No, really, I am super duper serious. You nailed it. You are the brake whisperer.

 

[D-C]

Plus, I accomplished it in less words than your single post which was full of assumptions, yet otherwise impressive quantities of verbiage. You should appreciate having actual facts from someone who has been through the entire process with the actual products.

If you had been correct, the original issues would have continued with the replacement rotors. I drive through mountains daily and use my brakes mercilessly. Though, I imagine your overwhelming opinion of self will never accept that you were wrong, either in part or in whole. It is good for our readers to be exposed to all possibilities.

Thanks for the information provided, so I assume there has been a revision to the part number on the discs ? My cars booked in 2 weeks for a review of the brakes along with the 10K kilometre service.

Its good to have the correct information before going in

Cheers

 

[BabblingBafoon]

Plus, I accomplished it in less words than your single post which was full of assumptions, yet otherwise impressive quantities of verbiage. You should appreciate having actual facts from someone who has been through the entire process with the actual products.

If you had been correct, the original issues would have continued with the replacement rotors. I drive through mountains daily and use my brakes mercilessly. Though, I imagine your overwhelming opinion of self will never accept that you were wrong, either in part or in whole. It is good for our readers to be exposed to all possibilities.

I hate to feed trolls, but it happened to me after rotor replacement. Sorry to burst your enlightened bubble.

What I don't understand is why someone without the problem would even read this post, let alone offer up "factual" advice on something they never experienced or dealt with themselves.

 

[MisterMac]

Thanks for the information provided, so I assume there has been a revision to the part number on the discs ? My cars booked in 2 weeks for a review of the brakes along with the 10K kilometre service.

Its good to have the correct information before going in

Cheers

Check your rotor part numbers. See if they match the bembo number.

I hate to feed trolls, but it happened to me after rotor replacement. Sorry to burst your enlightened bubble.

What I don't understand is why someone without the problem would even read this post, let alone offer up "factual" advice on something they never experienced or dealt with themselves.

I was one of the first to identify the Warped rotor issue. I was also one of the first to have all my rotors replaced under warranty. Go back and check the threads.

 

[MisterMac]

Furthermore, did you bed your new brakes once you got new ones from Kia?

 

[Helo58]

To those who are having brake problems, do not let @MisterMac 's comments sway you one way or the other. Considering that not all Stinger owners are having, or have had, brake problems, by his logic, the problem was "solved" from the giddy-up. I have no idea why a single person would consider their singular experience with the brake issue the basis for solving all of the brake issues mentioned to date. Why not just say that you changed rotors and not pads and that the problem has not reappeared? Simple enough right?

As stated many times before, whether YOU suffer from it or not, the brake pads depositing onto the rotor surface unevenly is a well documented issue by multiple Stinger owners. The brake pads are the problem. It may be one lot of one production run, 12 lots of 3 production runs, etc. but some brake pads are bad. It is documented in at least two Stinger reviews by automotive journalists and Kia's own on-site techs solved the problem by using a different compound of brake pad, not swapping the rotors.

Lastly, your position sounds so much better if you can substantiate your claim with new rotor part numbers, a Kia tech bulletin, or something more substantive than you single personal experience. Instead you make bold claims and then ask others to look up part numbers and refute your claim. And for the record, being the first (or one of) to experience and identify the pad deposit issue doesn't make you the authority on the brake issue anymore than being the first person to eat Chateaubriand makes you Anthony Bourdain.

By the way, I am glad that you do not have the rotor problem anymore. I hope that everyone else has a similar experience once their "fixes" are put into place.

 

[MisterMac]

To those who are having brake problems, do not let @MisterMac 's comments sway you one way or the other. Considering that not all Stinger owners are having, or have had, brake problems, by his logic, the problem was "solved" from the giddy-up. I have no idea why a single person would consider their singular experience with the brake issue the basis for solving all of the brake issues mentioned to date. Why not just say that you changed rotors and not pads and that the problem has not reappeared? Simple enough right?

As stated many times before, whether YOU suffer from it or not, the brake pads depositing onto the rotor surface unevenly is a well documented issue by multiple Stinger owners. The brake pads are the problem. It may be one lot of one production run, 12 lots of 3 production runs, etc. but some brake pads are bad. It is documented in at least two Stinger reviews by automotive journalists and Kia's own on-site techs solved the problem by using a different compound of brake pad, not swapping the rotors.

Lastly, your position sounds so much better if you can substantiate your claim with new rotor part numbers, a Kia tech bulletin, or something more substantive than you single personal experience. Instead you make bold claims and then ask others to look up part numbers and refute your claim. And for the record, being the first (or one of) to experience and identify the pad deposit issue doesn't make you the authority on the brake issue anymore than being the first person to eat Chateaubriand makes you Anthony Bourdain.

By the way, I am glad that you do not have the rotor problem anymore. I hope that everyone else has a similar experience once their "fixes" are put into place.

@Helo58, this is well written and my apologies for poor communication. One size does not fit all. I simply want those who may have limited funds to have hope of getting their rotor issues corrected for free by the manufacturer. In reading this post, and mine, I now see that I what I had hoped to communicate was not achieved. That is on me.

 

[MisterMac]

The reason I am suggesting to check the part numbers on your front rotors is that the Brembo (j5500) and non-bembo (j5000) are similar. When my rotors were replaced, the tech said the part numbers on the originals were not clear. He said it was possible the non-brembo rotors were installed on my car during the manufacturing process. Kia corporate had the shop send the rotors off somewhere (Lala land?) to be checked. I would hope that if the non-brembo rotors were installed, and it is tied to a particular range of VIN numbers, Kia would issue a TSB. The dealership has not had further contact from corporate on this.

I was not able to verify the original part numbers with my own eyes and for 10,000 miles I have refrained from saying anything on this rotor issue. My immense hope was that the replacements would also fail and I'd have justification for upgrading my pads and rotors. However, after having no further issues, I am inclined to believe his assumption was correct. The rotors without issues are clearly j5500.

Of course, this is the same tech who was unable to figure out the issue with my XM radio for a week, even though I provided a video of this lack of sound. Then, when he replaced the head-unit and amplifier, he forgot to transfer my NAV disc from the old head unit. It took another five days to have it shipped back to us for install.

I suppose if enough of us with early 2018 models with Brembo Brakes check their part numbers and find j5000's installed on the front, we will know if that is the actual problem.

 

[Kamauxx]

For what it's worth my car is a Nov17 build and I had my rotors machined around 3k miles ago. When I got the car back I swapped out the stock pads for Girodisc and the properly bedded them. Mileage on the new pads is still low but the issue hasn't reoccured, yet.

 

[Helo58]

@Helo58, this is well written and my apologies for poor communication. One size does not fit all. I simply want those who may have limited funds to have hope of getting their rotor issues corrected for free by the manufacturer. In reading this post, and mine, I now see that I what I had hoped to communicate was not achieved. That is on me.

No worries @MisterMac . Thanks for posting this. I think we all want the best for Stinger owners, there is no doubt about that. Please continue to let us know if your brakes remain problem free. I am on new pads and rotors and so far so good after 4k miles.

 

[MisterMac]

The reason I am suggesting to check the part numbers on your front rotors is that the Brembo (j5500) and non-bembo (j5000) are similar. When my rotors were replaced, the tech said the part numbers on the originals were not clear. He said it was possible the non-brembo rotors were installed on my car during the manufacturing process. Kia corporate had the shop send the rotors off somewhere (Lala land?) to be checked. I would hope that if the non-brembo rotors were installed, and it is tied to a particular range of VIN numbers, Kia would issue a TSB. The dealership has not had further contact from corporate on this.

I was not able to verify the original part numbers with my own eyes and for 10,000 miles I have refrained from saying anything on this rotor issue. My immense hope was that the replacements would also fail and I'd have justification for upgrading my pads and rotors. However, after having no further issues, I am inclined to believe his assumption was correct. The rotors without issues are clearly j5500.

Of course, this is the same tech who was unable to figure out the issue with my XM radio for a week, even though I provided a video of this lack of sound. Then, when he replaced the head-unit and amplifier, he forgot to transfer my NAV disc from the old head unit. It took another five days to have it shipped back to us for install.

I suppose if enough of us with early 2018 models with Brembo Brakes check their part numbers and find j5000's installed on the front, we will know if that is the actual problem.

My build date is 02/18.

 

[MisterMac]

For what it's worth my car is a Nov17 build and I had my rotors machined around 3k miles ago. When I got the car back I swapped out the stock pads for Girodisc and the properly bedded them. Mileage on the new pads is still low but the issue hasn't reoccured, yet.

Crossing my fingers for you. Too bad you had to have a lot of life shaved off your rotors to get where you are.

 

[MerlintheMad]

My build date is 02/18.

Same here. But I brake like a grandpa (I am a grandpa), which is why mine at over 16,500 miles are almost like new.

 

[Ozstung]

Same here. But I brake like a grandpa (I am a grandpa), which is why mine at over 16,500 miles are almost like new.

Ditto. 12,000km. Kia said at the 10,000km service there was very little wear. I tend to look into the distance and take my foot off the accelerator when approaching lights or stop signs.

The only thing i have noticed after the service check is there appears to be a lot more travel in the pedal.

 

[BabblingBafoon]

@Helo58, ...I now see that I what I had hoped to communicate was not achieved. That is on me.

I was holding off on writing any more, but I really appreciate the fact that you owned up to your post being a bit off-putting, hence why people came back at you the way they did (myself included).

I agree with you that there is a path to try and resolve the issue through the dealer/manufacturer, and those seeking the low cost option should absolutely explore this.

For myself, and possibly others, I am not convinced that the rotor itself was the problem and there is a LOT of merit to the pad deposit hypothesis. Pads depositing on rotors is not unique to this vehicle and it happens quite often, as the OP's linked article states.

I, for one, while I actually AM a grandpa, still enjoy occasionally driving like a total hooligan and going very fast and breaking very hard, sometimes for slightly extended periods of time (like curvy back roads, or opening 'er up on a seemingly clear stretch of highway). On the curvy backroad situation I have experienced brake fade where I HAVE to stop driving spiritedly or risk running off the road because the car won't stop in time. To me, this is taking the pads beyond their intended usable point and bringing the pads to almost a melting point. For the highway scenario, which is actually more often for me, especially knowing of the fade problem on backroads (scary!), it is quite easy and quick to get into some crazy triple digit speeds (the max I hit was 150mph, but 120mph is fairly common for me) and if you need to scrub that speed off SUPER quick, I can tell you the pads start to deposit onto the rotors during that exact stop. I have felt the vibration during that initial braking session as the brakes heat up. The worst is if this results in you having to drag the brakes (backed up traffic all of a sudden around a curve) or worse, come to a full stop (traffic jam on the highway). I even started to experience some fade in this highway braking scenario, and that is probably even scarier than the thought of running off the road because it would involve hitting someone else in a vehicle. I never actually got close to this, but you can feel when the brakes start to NOT slow you down as quickly, yet you are still gaining on the vehicle in front of you faster than you want/should.

I have also been in vehicles with over-engineered brakes that had zero issue with driving of this sort, so my personal belief is that the brakes on these vehicles are just not "beefy" enough to take this kind of abusive driving... there is a trade off they made for low dust and quiet braking that results in softer pads that can't take the abuse.

Because I'd still like to be able to do these things, I would like to upgrade my brakes (rotors/pads... maybe even pistons for 6 pots) to something that can take that abuse better and not give me the pucker moments. I realize I *could* change the way I drive/brake and never experience these issues, but I don't want to do that and I am willing to spend the money to replace components knowing the car wasn't originally designed for this... which is why I am looking for great alternatives and seeking that advice.

As you said, one size does NOT fit all, and I also think it's great that you shared more details of your experience and parts for people to look into!

Having an opinion is fine, but thinking anyone with a different one is "wrong" is where things break down.

 

[MisterMac]

Well, @BabblingBafoon. You've hit on one of two things I dearly miss about my SRT Charger: Those aggressive Brembo brakes that never missed a grip (drilled & slotted rotors plus super dusty pads) and the sweet sound of a real V8 with a CORSA exhaust. Thanks!

 

[Helo58]

Well, @BabblingBafoon. ... and the sweet sound of a real V8 with a CORSA exhaust. Thanks!

I had a Lexus ISF with Borla catbacks and the biggest thing I miss is the V8 sound. The brakes were great too but very dusty and corrosive due to the metallic pads. I had to repaint the calipers and wheels as a result. Definitely glad the Stinger has ceramic pads.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Because I'd still like to be able to do these things, I would like to upgrade my brakes (rotors/pads... maybe even pistons for 6 pots) to something that can take that abuse better and not give me the pucker moments. I realize I *could* change the way I drive/brake and never experience these issues, but I don't want to do that and I am willing to spend the money to replace components knowing the car wasn't originally designed for this... which is why I am looking for great alternatives and seeking that advice.

Well, @BabblingBafoon. You've hit on one of two things I dearly miss about my SRT Charger: Those aggressive Brembo brakes that never missed a grip (drilled & slotted rotors plus super dusty pads) and the sweet sound of a real V8 with a CORSA exhaust. Thanks!

The one off-putting thing about all this brakes and pads upgrade talk for me is the related dust, the corrosive environment around (especially) the front wheels and rotors. I want to know that my car has the potential to let me be a "hooligan" (even if I never am), i.e. tires, brakes and suspension mods all make her track worthy: and yet I want to avoid the brake dust.

If I drive with upgraded, dusty brake pads, will they put out dust if I use the brakes the same way I am now? To recap: at 16,555 miles (yesterday) my brakes are still almost "like new". If I had been on track worthy pads the whole time, braking like I do (like @Ozstung does ), what kind of brake dust issues would I have been seeing, compared to the OE pads?