You are very lucky if they will install customer supplied parts and warranty labor on a customer supplied part. Prob if they did something wrong on install the will warranty it. If the new rotors warp, do not expect warranty labor for that. You want ceramic pads, they dust about 1% of the time. Lets see what gets posted about drilled slotted rotors. I do not like them. Most that I have seen, the holes and slots fill up with dirt and brake pad dust material. Volvo Brake Kit - Akebono 31499906KT1 from FCPEURO is worth looking into. See what others post here also. FYI, the rear calipers are electronic parking brake and you need to use Volvo VIDA or a better quality scanner to put the rear brakes into service mode.

 

Yeah I was very surprised that they're willing to take customer-supplied parts, I thought that was a thing of the past. I use FCP for 99% of everything I buy for the cars, and given your take (and the next one) on drilled and slotted, I may do that and get the Volvo brakes into the free replacement cycle with FCP like so many of the parts I've put on the BMW and Mini.

Good shout on the rear brakes having to be done with real-deal Volvo service mode abilities, that's why we took it to the dealer to get this figured out in the first place.

 

Slotted rotors are nice on a track car and/or if you’re experiencing fade/overheating brakes, but they will wear pads faster. Drilled rotors are junk IMO. When it’s time to replace the subpar stock brakes on our ‘19 t6, will likely go with name brand solid rotors (brembo, akebono, etc) and similar name brand aftermarket pads

 

Honestly this has always been my opinion. I was surprised when my mechanic suggested it, and said so, and he felt like the XC90 would benefit from the additional heat dissipation qualities. He also said they don't increase the wear of ceramic pads by enough to be concerned. I'm not married to drilled and slotted by any means. It's my wife's daily driver, not sure she wants her big beautiful Volvo looking like it missed the turn to a track day that it will never see anyway.

 

Personal experience is Volvo brakes are pretty damn good when they need to be. I've had 10-15 (?) emergency stops over the years in both of them and no ruffles to show. Every time I was relieved, and impressed, with the braking power. Yes, brake dust sucks, but I hand wash both vehicles and am over it. YMMV, of course, but word from 'the old days' is sticking with OEM pads/discs is the best way to go.

 

The brakes were replaced on our Volvo our 2017 XC90 T6 and 2021 XC90 T6, both for pulsating like mad. I had the dealer put on Volvo OEM rotors coupled with Brembo ceramic pads on both cars. Dealer was happy to do it, even on my 2021 that's still under factory warranty. They just won't warranty anything that fails as a result which is fair.

So far, with over 5k+ miles on both, there's no pulsating. Brake dust is significantly reduced and the god awful squeaking in the rear is almost entirely eliminated. Wear on the rotors and pads seem to be even thus far.

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How are your brembo brake pads holding up? I’m debating to get those for my 2018 xc90 t6 but heard that they squeak after a while. Can you provide an update, are they worth it? Thanks!

 

I went with regular Zimmerman rotors (front and back) bought at FCP Euro with Akebono pads on the front and Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1821 on the back. I am very happy with those.

I would also recommend reading the following thread / article on rotor vibration and the so called "warping"... I am no expert but they seem to be and, as an engineer, what they say makes sense:

Brake Rotors

A few months after purchase of the new 2018 XC90 a wheel shimmy with braking developed. Dealer replaced the pads rotors, under warranty of course, and it was cured. It's happening again. Anyone else encounter this? Anything to suggest to get rid of it for good other than returning to the dealer...

www.swedespeed.com

His point is that, it is never warped, there is a fix to try before changing rotos and that the key to avoiding problems if you do replace rotors is the "bedding" of new pads and rotors. Very much worth while reading...

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence on that thread, I did read that one. The issue with our car is simply wear rather than warping - I mentioned warping only to say it felt like warped rotors. Really it's that the rears are at 1mm - not good!! Fronts are at 5mm.

 

Thanks everyone for the input so far. Pretty sure I'm going to go with Zimmerman rotors and TRW ceramic pads, all from FCP. Still on the fence about doing fronts at the same time... what do all of you with longer ownership experiences think about my fronts being at 5mm? Is that close enough to just replace them now, or could they have a good amount of life left in them? For context on mileage and time for us, we'll put about 10,000 miles per year on this.

 

I think you will find the brake pads wear at different rates between front and rear. My rear brakes were replaced at 30K and fronts going strong at 62k. I say on a FCP service video that the rear parking brake can be moved to service position by attaching a 9 volt battery, haven’t tried it yet.

 

My front brakes were good for another 25K miles more than my rears. I replaced mine with original Volvo rotors and pads and they are performing much better than the factory brakes. No pulsating, "warped" rotor feeling or fading. Rear pads seem to be wearing evenly as well, which wasn't the case with the factory pads. Just a ton of brake dust, which I don't mind. In the past, whenever I looked for less brake dust in a pad, I got worse brake performance. YMMV

 

great to know this and Mr.phil2u with fronts laying so much longer than the rears.

I’m going to follow up with the service advisor at the dealership today to get his take on doing fronts now when they’re at 5mm or waiting. I also need to confirm the size of the rears I need to buy, I’m confused by the fact that there is an 18 in or a 17 in rear package for the XC90, but I can’t find a way to determine what we have. He did give us the part number though, and that matches with the smaller of the two Zimmerman disc options.

 

I replaced all 4 with Brembo solid rotors and ceramic pads (the red ones) and they suck. They're already pulsating with no more than 5k miles on them and the dust is awful, worse then the factory pads for sure. I thought ceramic were supposed to have virtually no dust? I'm going to try getting Brembo to replace them under warranty, but whats the point if I have to replace them every 5k. I wish I would have went with my original plan for Powerslot rotors. If the pulsating is truly pad material buildup and not warped rotors as people have said, I feel like the slotted rotors would help "clean" the pads and prevent the buildup. Even if that meant changing the pads more often, i'd take that over constant pulsating. FWIW i went through 3 sets of factory rotors. Each started pulsating after about 10k.

 

That’s really surprising. I’ve never had Brembo but definitely wouldn’t have expected that outcome either.

 

@Trevhead, just saw this post. I have a 2017 V90CC. I replaced the brake pads with the TRW and replaced the rotors and stayed with Volvo OEM for daily driving. It's the only ceramic brake pads in the market (US) I believe (at least for the V90CC) that has ceramic front and rear (Not mixing and matching with other brands). If Akebono had the rear ceramic pads, I would have gone with them because of my previous experiences. Tried something different and couldn't be happier with the result so far.

Also got it from FCP Euro, the brake pads.

***By the way those Volvo OEM front rotors are heavy (345mm).

 

@Trevhead, just saw this post. I have a 2017 V90CC. I replaced the brake pads with the TRW and replaced the rotors and stayed with Volvo OEM for daily driving. It's the only ceramic brake pads in the market (US) I believe (at least for the V90CC) that has ceramic front and rear (Not mixing and matching with other brands). If Akebono had the rear ceramic pads, I would have gone with them because of my previous experiences. Tried something different and couldn't be happier with the result so far.

Also got it from FCP Euro, the brake pads.

***By the way those Volvo OEM front rotors are heavy (345mm).

nice! Glad you weighed in on your TRW experience, other than brand recognition from seeing them at FCP over the years I don’t really know anything g about them. To do ceramics pads on the XC90 I do have to mix brands, at least if I’m buying from FCP and if I put Akebono on the front, which is probably my first choice.

 

I just talked to the service advisor at Volvo, really happy with him. Not only will they accept my supplied parts and install them with their labor warranty, I asked him about doing the fronts at the same time, with the assumption that we probably should, and given the opportunity to take my money he said absolutely not, the fronts have a lot more life in them and there's no point in touching right them now. Honesty is cool!

I've placed my order with FCP for Zimmerman discs and ceramic TRW pads for the rear, so I'll have the combo of labor warranty from Volvo and lifetime replacement warranty on the parts from FCP. Excellent outcome all around. Hopefully the parts arrive on time, next week, and we have them on the car a few days later.

Much appreciation to the group here for all the insight and communication, I realize I asked a question that's been asked a million times, there's just always something that feels unique and like I haven't found the exact info I'm looking for when I search forums, even when it comes to researching my nearly 20-year old 540 and Mini. So, thanks everyone, I'll be around and hopefully return the favor of knowledge down the road as we own the Volvo over time.

 

I prefer slotted over cross drilled, though I upgrade my (E46) M3 to slotted. She's a garage queen with the occasional track day. I have '18 XC90, and I hate the brakes on them from the factory. Haven't upgraded it yet, but they feel entirely too soft for a car that weighs this much. I was looking at a full kit with calipers thought being the dual piston calipers have a stronger grip.

 

One option for a “cheap” upgrade would be the t8 brakes. They use the same calipers and pads as t6 but use a different carrier/bracket and larger rotors. One forum member tried it and iirc, cost of t8 carriers was about $100 per corner. Only caveat is I believe the temporary spare will not fit over t8 front brakes, but haven’t confirmed this.

Another thing I’ve read on this forum is the “warped” rotors many experience are actually pad deposits building up on the rotors. So the approach of aftermarket pads on Volvo rotors might be a good way to go.

 

Hi
I have a related but simple question.

During the inspection yesterday, I was told that all four brakes will need replacement soon (50,000 miles and 6.5 years; I think timing of the recommendation is right). I am curious about the cost of changing four brakes at the dealer; I know it will be costly and want to get an idea from the forum before I call them. Thanks

 

Hi
I have a related but simple question.

During the inspection yesterday, I was told that all four brakes will need replacement soon (50,000 miles and 6.5 years; I think timing of the recommendation is right). I am curious about the cost of changing four brakes at the dealer; I know it will be costly and want to get an idea from the forum before I call them. Thanks

Depending where you are located, probably ~$1K for all four rotors and pads.

 

Thank you for all the replies. Do I need to change the rotors too? I thought if I change the pads before it's too late, then I don't need to change the rotors. May be I am wrong?

 

If the rotors are thick enough they can be turned down on a brake lathe but my and most other dealers always replace the rotors . Modern rotors are designed to be light as possible to cut weight and increase gas mileage. When I do my brakes I replace the rotors for convenience.

 

Hello

I got all these 3 yrs ago and work well.

EBC Brakes GD2016 Disc Brake Rotor EBC-GD2016 1 $315.03
EBC Brakes GD2018 Disc Brake Rotor EBC-GD2018 1 $325.79
EBC Brakes DP32260C Disc Brake Pad Set EBC-DP32260C 1 $158.46
EBC Brakes DP32246C Disc Brake Pad Set EBC-DP32246C 1 $84.02
Subtotal $883.30

labor in a regular corner shop $300 USD and 48mins work in NYC.

 

Gentlemen: Have read full review of for brake replacements. However, no mention of a 2010 S80 T6/AWD. Rear rotors/pads NEED replacement. Have used ceramic , last 3 cars, like them. Drive @ 3, 200/yr. Drive like your "great aunt Tillly" . Have not contacted Volvo dealer for cost of reg. pads vs. ceramic. Car has 151, 365 miles. Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

 

My wife and I own a 2017 XC90 T6 Inscription. We bought it in September 2021 and are very happy with it. It's time to replace the brakes. Interestingly, our experience is very similar to the OP of this thread. We started experiencing a bit of pulsing under braking, what felt like warped rotors, and our local dealer looked at it yesterday, reporting the rears to be at 1mm and the fronts to be okay but close to replacement level.

I want to replace all four corners at the same time since the fronts are close to needing replacement anyway. After research on this forum, it seems that original Volvo brakes don't have a great reputation here - my takeaway is that they are more prone to warping and shorter-than-expected longevity. First question - is that a correct assessment?

If that's the case, I would prefer to try aftermarket discs and pads. I have a trusted local mechanic who helps me with our other cars (early 2000s Mini and BMW, so I keep him busy haha) but his shop doesn't do Volvos. However, he echoed the sentiment that Volvo brakes wear and warp more frequently, and he recommended I look into drilled and slotted brake discs to help with heat dissipation.

Meanwhile, the Volvo dealership experience yesterday was excellent. They are willing to install aftermarket brakes that I provide (I couldn't believe it). Obviously they'll only warranty their labor, not the parts, which of course is logical.

I have found a kit for all four discs and pads by Powerstop that I'm interested in. Specifically, the kit includes drilled and slotted rotors and carbon fiber ceramic pads, with a 3 year parts warranty. I can share a link to what I found but I'm not sure on post rules for linking to retail sites etc.

Does anyone here have experience with Powerstop or any other aftermarket brakes that I could consider?

I'd rethink your thoughts. We own 2016 same as yours. These rotors can't be turned. Secondly, Volvo has factory pads that are thicker and wear longer. Lastly, we have 72000 and are still on second set. 99% of our driving is on roads with lights and stop signs.

 

Was never thinking of turning the rotors, that wasn’t on my list of options at all.

72,000 divided by two seems like great longevity if you’re getting about 35,000 and then some on each set. That’s great. Epitome of YMMV. I suspect that different geography, climates, traffic patterns and weather, not to mention driving styles, all contribute to many different and varied longevity reports. To that end, we live in Cincinnati - lots of hills, constantly changing weather - is warm, it’s cold, it’s icy, it’s humid. Sometimes all in one weekend in this crazy place. We’re replacing rear brakes that were on the car when the last owners had it, and they lived in West Virginia, in a part of the state that is more or less mountainous. So lots more brake use and abuse with them. No idea of the age of these brakes, I don’t have the records of that.

 

question - how many kms should we expect from brakes? My mechanic indicated 30,000 is when they typically need changing on the xc90? Seems low? But they are volvo mechs and not dealership (stealership) and I’ve found them very honest over the journey so trust their opinion.

I just did front discs and pads, rear pads. All OEM

 

My wife and I own a 2017 XC90 T6 Inscription. We bought it in September 2021 and are very happy with it. It's time to replace the brakes. Interestingly, our experience is very similar to the OP of this thread. We started experiencing a bit of pulsing under braking, what felt like warped rotors, and our local dealer looked at it yesterday, reporting the rears to be at 1mm and the fronts to be okay but close to replacement level.

I want to replace all four corners at the same time since the fronts are close to needing replacement anyway. After research on this forum, it seems that original Volvo brakes don't have a great reputation here - my takeaway is that they are more prone to warping and shorter-than-expected longevity. First question - is that a correct assessment?

If that's the case, I would prefer to try aftermarket discs and pads. I have a trusted local mechanic who helps me with our other cars (early 2000s Mini and BMW, so I keep him busy haha) but his shop doesn't do Volvos. However, he echoed the sentiment that Volvo brakes wear and warp more frequently, and he recommended I look into drilled and slotted brake discs to help with heat dissipation.

Meanwhile, the Volvo dealership experience yesterday was excellent. They are willing to install aftermarket brakes that I provide (I couldn't believe it). Obviously they'll only warranty their labor, not the parts, which of course is logical.

I have found a kit for all four discs and pads by Powerstop that I'm interested in. Specifically, the kit includes drilled and slotted rotors and carbon fiber ceramic pads, with a 3 year parts warranty. I can share a link to what I found but I'm not sure on post rules for linking to retail sites etc.

Does anyone here have experience with Powerstop or any other aftermarket brakes that I could consider?

 

I own a XC90 D5 2016 in Thailand.
As I am driving quite a lot in the city, I used to use the auto-break function all the time. After about 25,000 km I experienced severe brake pulsating. Also the wear of rear pads was very uneven. I changed all disks and pads at the dealer’s recommendation (they made me pay the disks and gave me the pads for free). After that I did not use the auto-break function anymore. I am now at 104,000 km and have no pulsating problems for the time being.

I believe that the auto-break function, systematically applying the pads to the disks at stops even when the disks are very hot, created the problem in the first place.

 

That may justify the issue. This will apply to the parking brake as well....


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OE brakes are decent. I replaced rotors and pads with EBC with their slotted/drilled rotors and Green Stuff pads. EBC tells you that they make more noise, but I couldn't any more than the OE brakes I replaced them with. I bedded them using the instructions that with the parts.

While the caliper is off I have an assistant pump the pistons out then push them back in. I do this until the pistons move in and out with uniform feel.

Before torquing I use a large syringe to empty the brake resovor add new fluid and bleed the corner that just got new parts which had all brake components cleaner and got a.very light coating of brake approved anti seize lubricant rubbed in

The EBC Green Stuff pads have a good initial bite which increases as the pads get warmed up. I enjoy a good stop almost as much as when the twin cam 6 is pushing me back into the seat...

 

OE brakes are decent. I replaced rotors and pads with EBC with their slotted/drilled rotors and Green Stuff pads. EBC tells you that they make more noise, but I couldn't any more than the OE brakes I replaced them with. I bedded them using the instructions that with the parts.

I run EBC but the reds, on an Audi A6 and Subaru WRX and have also used greens in the past, really like the bite and predictable feedback/consistency. I completely agree, OE brakes are not bad on this car. I did have both front rotors replaced at 10k however mine was a service loaner for the first 1800 miles. Another 8k on the clock with new rotors/pads (OE Warrantied) properly broken in. After this round I'll go EBC for obvious reasons but glad that the replaced ones seem ok.🤞!

I'm not certain on the rotor warping issue, seen several threads on OE rotors, seems pretty common. Wonder how much is bad batch/materials and what is excessive/poor use, seems to me there might be a design heat dissipation flaw as a ventilated disc alone really should be enough for most drivers. Depends on the driver, etc. but more than "normal".

 

The rear brakes have been done, dealer cost for labor was $425, using my pads and rotors that I purchased at FCP. Is what it is I guess, I didn't want to do this one myself. Good experience with the dealer though, very good and attentive people there.

 

A good dealer is great for the customer experience. I've also had all of my dealers gladly install or use parts I supply. We've used 4 different Volvo dealers over the years and Porsche as well each has used parts I supply when I bring them (either Volvo or 3rd party parts as needed ranging from rotors, catalytic converters, oil, and many others).

As for pads, what size does your T6 use for the rear? When I was looking for rear pads for our T8 I couldn't find any 3rd party options for the 18"rear and ultimately went with Volvo (also from FCP) which have the upside of coming with the new clips to facilitate release to minimize excess wear. I would have liked getting Akebono although I hadn't come across EBC would have been a really great option as well! I had used them on my Honda Integra and were great fun! That was a car that had issues with warped rotors, oh and another example of a dealer that let me give them pads and rotors to replace the lousy stock ones (after they replaced them twice with Honda/Acura ones).

 

Everything I’ve read says the t8 and t6 use the exact same calipers & pads. Only differences are supposedly rotors and calipers carriers/brackets.

 

TRW Aftermarket makes some really good pads. I have used them on my P3 S60 when the stock Volvo pads kept leaving deposits on the rotors and causing a steering wheel shimmy. Switching to TRW aftermarket actually eliminated the shimmy even without cutting the rotors. I have a set of rear pads waiting for my SPA car. Excellent stopping power, excellent bite and they do not cause brake pulsating even with heavy repeated use.

I see that that FCP Euro states TRW makes theirs ceramic and custom for FCP... interesting, as they look like semi metallic pads.

Akebono Ceramics are two thumbs DOWN do not reccomend!

 

FWIW…I have Akebonos in front and Brembos in rear and happy with them both, no noise nor dust to complain about. Put them on myself and plenty of anti squeal grease.