Historically, german auto manufacturers have put softer brake pads on their cars from the factory. I believe their theory is that softer pads "breaks in" the rotors more easily, which will deter rotor warping, leading to longer rotor life. Often, new german cars can be seen with heavy brake dust on the front wheels more than the rears, if they are not washed often, since most of a car's braking is done with the front wheels and the front is where heavy braking will occur. It is not unbelievable that the front pads on your german car need replacing at 12,000 miles. What is unbelievable is that it would cost $1,800. They may try to tell you that for liability reasons they will not replace the pads without replacing other brake components at the wheel. That is bunk! If Porsche uses these methods for breaking in their brake systems, they are not going to replace the items the soft pads are designed to help. Replacing those parts would only mean starting all over again with another brake component and it's break-in period. If, by chance, you have a defective brake system, you should be persistent in getting the repairs done at no charge. Some manufacturers don't warranty their brakes because they have no control over a driver abusing such, but it's ridiculous to expect you to have to pay $1,800 for a pad replacement. I would suggest you call the dealership, speak to the service manager and ask him for the district or regional Porsche representative, and tell him why you are asking for this information. If he doesn't immediately give you the reps. number, attempt to contact Porsche's North American Operations. You might find them on the internet. If they show a phone number, contact them via phone, keeping detailed records including the names of persons you have contact with. Ask for those persons' email addresses. Follow up with an email confirming the conversation you had and reminding them of when they said they will be contacting you about your problem. Next, contact least two other dealerships in your area to see if their price is similar. Sometimes, you have to go out a pretty wide geography to find two more since Porsche doesn't have a large dealer network like the more common auto companies. You should contact at least two others since sometimes two nearby dealerships are owned by the same people. It's not as likely that the same people will own three of your closest dealerships. Good luck on your efforts. Rob
