What we can help you buy on 1688
A brake pad is the part of a car where a bad purchase has consequences beyond the money. It is also the part where listings say least: "ceramic" and "semi-metallic" are used loosely, and the compound decides everything about how the pad behaves.
So the checks here are about the material and the paperwork, in that order.
Request a quote for brake parts
Ceramic, semi-metallic and low-metallic behave differently in cold bite, dust and disc wear, and a listing will happily call any of them ceramic. We ask for the compound and the friction coefficient class stamped on the pad rather than the marketing word.
Replacement brake parts face type-approval in most markets. We ask which approval the part actually holds and whether the certificate names this part number — not whether the seller says it can be arranged.
Vehicle compatibility lists on 1688 are copied between sellers and are frequently wrong. Pad length, width, thickness and the backing plate shape are what decide fitment, so we confirm those against your reference part.
For discs the numbers that matter are new thickness, minimum service thickness, and the hardness of the casting. A disc that arrives at the wear limit is not a bargain.
Whether the price includes shims, clips and a wear sensor changes the comparison entirely, and it is usually stated in the listing photograph rather than the specification.
Asbestos in friction material is banned in most markets and still turns up. We ask for the declaration in writing rather than assuming.