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I took my car to get the rear brake pads changed (2017 GLE350) about a month ago with new rotors.
The rears are gone already with less than 1,000 miles on them! There is a noticeable burning smell frkm the backs. I suspected the car was not put in service mode to retract the parking brake. The shop confirmed this was done. But why would this happen then?
Last edited by Uranium238; Mar 1, 2026 at 09:35 PM.
Not being in the mode the retract the pads just makes it a SERIOUS pain in the *** to get the new pads in. Now, say they really screwed the pooch and forced them had the caliper out and a piston fell out...then that freaking thing will kinda clamp down on the pad, not be properly adjusted - KILL your MPG as it was dragging going down the road and eating your brake pads in about 1000mi.
Rotor has definitely changed color. I see the pads are gone on both sides in the rear, not one side. It would be unusual for both sides to suddenly have stuck calipers. I recall FCP Euro's youtube video mentioning the pads are directional on these. If installed incorrectly, overheating the discs can occur. They do smell after driving.
Assuming someone put them on backwards/wrong...I would then go CRAZY. New pads, new rotors, new seals (anything rubber in the region) new bearings at a minimum - if not a new hub due to heat soak.
Shop will refund parts and half of labor charged (install). Absolutely no confidence in these guys. Doesn't sound like they want the car back (said they have no time this week to take it apart again.)
I'm going to examine this myself, take pictures and send them the bill if I see further damage. It's a slide caliper, nothing complex about it. I bet the float pins were never even removed and greased and the caliper slides are binding with the pad to prevent movement on both sides due to pad installation gone wrong.
I don't think it's possible both rear calipers would fail at the same time. I can also put the parking brake into the retract position for service. The noise can be hearbefor the retraction.
Last edited by Uranium238; Mar 2, 2026 at 10:27 AM.
I cant say that I agree that putting in a pad "backwards" would cause this. I changed rears just last week (EBC pads were indicated on them what went where). I seriously looked hard at them and could not figure how it would even be possible to put them in backwards, well, unless I put the backing in and the friction media to the outside of the caliper. In the image (of my pads I took out last Thursday) - granted NOT THE SAME PADS. The package of rears has four identical pads in it. The "direction" is right to left - unless you put in the pad backwards (yours, in the image are not backwards)....it is not the pad. In the image - the R and L indicate are visible from the outside of the caliper (meaning all letters are outward of the rotor). Backwards just makes no sense....
Note: that really is my set of pads...not some internet image.
Last edited by OldManAndHisCar; Mar 2, 2026 at 02:26 PM.
Odd, I maybe nuts. On the pads in my image - you can put the wear sensor on any of the pads. This is not the same as the wear sensor in the GLS or regular E or C. The pads that have a hole in them for the sensor to go into the media - if I am not mistaken, the sensor (not the OE one) would even reach the hole if it is on the outboards side of the caliper....I may be 100% wrong. That said, having replaced quote a few of them - other than the hole, I have never seen a difference in the pads themselves (and a few times all four pads had that hole).
In this image (from FCP) we see your correct brake pads. The shape, thickness and what not seem to be identical. The only variation would be what two pads have the hole in the media to fit the sensor...it would make sense that if the wrong pad was in the wrong place the sensor (wire) would break. The pads rubbing and what not? I cant comprehend the physics behind why that would be. The caliper is a dumb hydraulic device. The sensor does nothing more than complete a dumb circuit.
Once you have your car back in your possession after the brakes get replaced (again), jack up the rear axle and spin the tires. Are the brakes still binding? Is it possible that your brake fluid is so shot that the proportioning valve is sticking on the rear brake circuit and can't release pressure as it should?
If your caliper pins were not sliding I'd expect to see only the inboard (piston side) brake pad to be bad, and as has been mentioned it isn't too likely that BOTH calipers are suffering the same condition. Look upstream. Why aren't the calipers releasing?
Last edited by rapidoxidation; Mar 2, 2026 at 05:59 PM.
Did the shop know to put the parking brake in service mode? And then take them out of service mode. Since the parking brake uses the same pads that are used for the service brakes, the service mode releases the calipers so the pads can easily be replaced.
I am 99.9999% sure the second you put the car in D the service mode is off and the calipers wind back in...I was thinking about this over dinner (had to keep my brain off of office politics).
I bet about anythign this rumor of backwards pads stared with a shop that created the same issue...told the customer that "we had the pads in backwards" as that is easier than "we did not know what we were doing, did not know how to change the brakes or even the fact that the car has a service mode for the brakes"....and thus, an internet rumor begins.
Last edited by OldManAndHisCar; Mar 2, 2026 at 08:18 PM.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
