Mechanic Gets Hired to Replace 'Brake Pads Only.' Then He Looks at the Rotor Assembly and Can’t Believe His Eyes

A mechanic begins what he thinks will be a simple brake pad change and discovers the car desperately needs new rotors.

Diary of a Mechanic (@mechanicaldiary) posts videos of his work exploits on TikTok. In a Sep. 5 video, he reveals that a customer came in and ordered him to change the brake pads—and nothing else.

The mechanic didn’t realize how big of an issue that would be until he started the job and found extremely worn and cracked rotors. You can only guess how many times this customer has ordered the “pads only” special. “Customer states: Replace pads only,” the mechanic writes in the onscreen text.

In the caption, he reiterates, “Pads only?!”

Viewers React to the ‘Pads Only’ Customer’s Rotor Assembly

In the comments, viewers expressed concern about the safety of whoever chooses to drive this vehicle with worn out rotors.

“I’m sorry, but how? Does the owner of this vehicle have to remind themselves to breathe as well?” asked one.

“Is that a rotor or an oversized heavy throwing blade?” joked a second person.

“Like pads are the least of your worries,” said a third viewer.

Someone else said, “Had to have been making noises and not braking properly for some time.”

Another person joked, “That’s the new racing version with weight reduction.” The mechanic replied, “Anti-heat rotor.”

Is It Safe to Drive With Rotors Like This?

Brake rotors work together with the brake pads to slow your car down when you hit the brake pedal. Due to the friction, both components will wear out over time. So this customer’s strategy of replacing just the pads is not going to work indefinitely.

Driving with bad rotors puts your car at risk of brake failure, which can lead to an accident. It can also impact your ability to handle the vehicle, which is also a safety risk. It makes sense to check in with your mechanic and ask about the state of your rotors before insisting on a pads only replacement.

A Reddit user posted to r/cars five years ago asking if this is a good idea. One person responded, “Inspect [the rotors] for extreme wear, and if you’re in doubt ask a professional to inspect them.”

Another person said, “Depends on the rotors. If they are chewed up at all they will wear your pads down quickly. If they are smooth, you can get away without changing them.”

Motor1 contacted Diary of a Mechanic via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We’ll update this if he responds.