Just replaced pads on our 2018 NX300 w/80k miles on the factory pads. Used Akebono pads and Advic rotors.
Akebono makes many oem brakes, including for some toyota/lexus models. Have used them without issues for many years.
Reviewing the Carfax, it was a rental car for about 50k and then it was a personal car for the next 53k. Both seem to have kept up with maintenance decently as far as oil and filter changes go, but not much else. I didn't see any rust on the bottom, it drives smooth, suspension still seems good, and the dealership replaced the brakes (and put nitrogen in tires so the car goes 1000000x faster).
I do my own work at times and replaced brakes and rotors on my car for less than $200 in parts in about three hours of work. if I’d worked smarter it would’ve been two.
I love my 2017 Yaris IA, really a Mazda 2 made in Mexico, now at 180k miles and still purring like a kitten. No part failures, just front brake pads
Using akebono working fine. Only did it because I was on a budget constraint, while aftermarket perform as good, they don’t last as much.
Used to swear by Akebono pads and they never let me down. For rotors I'd go with Centric or Raybestos - they're solid without breaking the bank. Skip the cheap stuff from AutoZone though, learned that lesson the hard way
I got what I was lead to believe were quality pads and rotors Akebono pads, dont remember the rotors.
Ever since i've had noise from my braking system. Took it in to get looked at and was told it was fine, just the noise was from not replacing the rotors.
I bought my car in 2020, its a 2015 Mazda. Bought it with 92,000 miles currently has 118,000. At this point I have had break pads replaced twice [last time in the beginning of 2024] and rotors replaced once [in 2022]. I took my car to a mechanic in December 2024 and he said breaks looked fine [took it in for another issue]. In May 2025 the car started making a squeaking noise when breaking. I know I should have brought it in then but I am flat broke, I had no money to spend. I have been driving it like that since then. The car runs fine otherwise, I have no problem with breaking [no input lag] and no vibrations on the break pedal.
I used the akebono asp and pro act on my lexus. They were pretty crap for the application. They lacked any bite and you had to really push to get any decent braking. But thats probably ceramic pads in general. They were very low dust through and quiet. Switched to a forza street performance pad and night and day difference and the pad was still low dust, low wear and virtually silent. Just hard to get them.
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If choosing brake pads across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare brake pads across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Akebono were overall better than OEM Mazda.
In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads Akebono were overall more popular than OEM Mazda.
By vote balance, brake pads Akebono surpassed OEM Mazda:
By number of reviews, brake pads Akebono surpassed OEM Mazda:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, brake pads Akebono led more car-specific ratings than OEM Mazda:
Akebono are chosen by owners of cars such as: Honda Civic, Hyundai Santa Fe, Infiniti G, Lexus LS, Audi Q5, Audi S4, Lexus RX, Subaru Outback, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Tundra, and others.
OEM Mazda are chosen by owners of cars such as: Mazda 2, and others.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of brake pads Akebono with: EBC, POWER STOP, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech, Mintex.
Also available: comparisons of brake pads OEM Mazda with: EBC, POWER STOP, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, OEM Volkswagen, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech, Mintex.
You can also see who is better among other brake pads manufacturers: EBC or POWER STOP, EBC or Akebono, EBC or Hawk Performance, Brembo or EBC, Akebono or POWER STOP.
