Other than tires, brakes are one of the most important parts of any car, regardless of age. Many people focus on power and acceleration, but stopping power is a vital part of safe vehicle operation, handling, and the driving experience. Drum brakes were the gold standard of the automotive industry for decades, but disc brakes overtook them as vehicles became heavier and faster.
Automakers commonly use cast iron and other alloys in modern brake discs for their durability and low cost, but carbon-ceramic discs have become popular in high-performance and luxury vehicles. They are lighter and offer better performance at high temperatures, making them preferable for track-driven vehicles, where constant braking requires consistent brake feel and stopping power.
The biggest downside of carbon-ceramic brakes is the cost, which can be several times that of traditional cast-iron discs. Even though they tend to last longer – up to 100,000 miles in some cases, versus half that for some cast-iron discs – replacement costs can reach deep into five-figure prices when it’s time for new brakes.
Carbon-Ceramic Brakes: Worth It?
High-performance stopping power comes at a premium. Here’s what you need to know.
PROS
● Extreme Durability
Last 100,000+ miles compared to 60,000 for conventional rotors. May outlast your vehicle.
● Heat Resistance
Superior performance under extreme heat. No brake fade during track days or spirited mountain driving.
● Weight Savings
Weigh 50% less than steel rotors. Reduces unsprung weight, improving handling and acceleration.
● Minimal Brake Dust
Generate very fine dust that blows away naturally. Keeps wheels cleaner than traditional brakes.
CONS
● Significant Cost
$3,000–$15,000+ upgrade cost vs. $500 for standard brakes. High-end cars can exceed $20,000.
● Cold Weather Issues
Pedal feels mushy when cold. Take longer to reach optimal operating temperature than steel brakes.
● Limited Daily Benefit
Advantages only matter for track use or aggressive driving. Overkill for typical commuting.
Bottom Line: Carbon-ceramic brakes shine on supercars and track vehicles but rarely justify their premium for everyday driving. Conventional brakes work just fine for most drivers.
Used Cars with Carbon-Ceramic Brakes
If you’re shopping for a used car and see carbon-ceramic brakes listed as a selling point, it’s important to research how much life they have left. The vehicle’s mileage isn’t always a good indicator of brake life, because 1,000 miles of hard track and performance use can age the discs much faster than 10,000 miles of leisurely daily driving.
A visual inspection can reveal many obvious issues, but a pre-purchase inspection is essential to get an accurate idea of how long you’ll have before needing new brakes. A qualified mechanic or shop can measure brake disc thickness and inspect the discs for cracks, damage, and uneven wear – things even a trained eye couldn’t identify with a quick look on a dealer’s lot.
Unfortunately, you might not have a choice of brake disc material for some makes and models. High-performance cars like Mercedes-AMG, Audi S and RS, and many Porsche models come with carbon-ceramic brakes from the factory that require replacement with the same product. That said, it’s often possible to upgrade from cast iron to carbon-ceramic with aftermarket components if you need a performance boost.
Editor’s Note: We have updated this article since its initial publication.
why can’t you just replace CCB with steel rotors when they need replacing?
IMHO, Carbon Ceramic brake rotors and Carbon fiber wheels don’t belong on street vehicles. Oil from the road, other chemicals or debris will wreak havoc on those materials. They just aren’t durable enough. The CCB rotors may last 100K miles, but those are street miles. If the car is tracked, they will need replacement sooner. Just search for “carbon ceramic brakes for track days”. They just don’t last for track days.
Carbon fiber wheels don’t bend, they crack. If you curb one, it needs to be replaced because the structural integrity has been compromised. I’ve seen a picture of a carbon fiber wheel that cracked and started de-laminating. A piece whipped around and cut in to the brake line (not all the way through).
You aren’t considering that a rotor replacement brake job on an AMG Mercedes or Porsche Cayenne Turbo S is well over $5,000 with steel rotors. So why would somebody worry about having rotors that cost double that last 4 times as long (they do).
Hello Chuck! Great Point
If you think replacing ceramic brakes in an AMG is expensive, you should look into replacing the motor. Owning one of those without a warranty is foolish.
Some excellent points, but some things cannot be forgotten. You cannot swap a steel for same size ceramic- the weight alone will mess up the vehicule’s characteristics and ECU readings. CCBs are BIGGER but ultra light. Same size steel rotors and the vehicle might barely accelerate.
Second item, is that M Perf BMW are rated for 140,000 Kms despite spirited driving- but I also bed them in regularly. good ceramic brakes, if not tracked often, can reach 250,000kms + unless oil hits them or they get accidentally damaged (and why special tools needed when working on the car, even for winter wheel swap, a tech can crack a disc without knowing. Winter wheel change is likely more fatal to CCBs than anything else.
Finally, no evidence that they will drop in price. Price has been steady for a decade, well, maybe it dropped with inflation. But unless surely mass produced by some 3d printing, these things will cost 10k plus..
Yes, carbon ceramic braking systems are much lighter than steel ones, decreasing about 1/3 weight. And it is much safer to drive when people need to brake suddenly, for the continuous carbon fiber braking system, it can last 150,000 miles. As to the price, since there are only 3-4 companies in the world have the ability to produce the carbon fiber braking system, so perhaps it will keep the same for some period. But if anybody wants, you can contact with me Aiden, +8613691936163, from LeMyth (focused on continuous carbon fiber braking systems, having office and factory in China)
Delete this
Man I really thought that carbon ceramic brakes were maybe $1,500 per rotor or something, not $11,000+. I have a business (Araparts.com) selling ignition coils, but I might just think about carrying conversion kits as these cars age. Anything has to be better than $11,000!!
You could buy a Rolls with the money you spent on brakes!
If the elimination of brake fade is the only benefit, then skip the “carbon ceramic” checkbox and get a brake cooling duct kit installed at least on the fronts. Honestly though, most people who buy cars with these brakes aren’t going to the track anyway.
CC brakes are “relatively” new in consumer cars. Give the auto manufacturers and 3rd party part companies a few years for the economies of scale/manufacturing prices to drop. I expect the CC replacement for this car will be much more reasonable in 5-10 years.
Yes, it will be much more reasonable, and we are on it.
You can find this technology I’m talking about on Electric Cars. It’s called Regenerative Braking.
One benefit not mentioned is that there’s no brake dust. Makes keeping your wheels clean a breeze.
As a mercedes tech, ive seen a number of vehicles with carbon ceramic brakes. What you didn’t mention is how susceptible they are to damage caused by oils. The rotors can absorb oil and it will affect their ability to break and dissipate heat. I saw one w212 e63 amg wagon where a carbon ceramic rotor literally fell apart, like a section was missing from the braking surface. It was like a crater in the rotor. Im not sute if that was from a stone maybe thrown by a lawnmower, or a damaged spot from oil contamination, but it was an expensive repair for that customer. There will be companies to offer retrofits, if you ask me, carbon ceramic brakes are a terrible choice for a road cat, because they are so grabby in their operation, and expensive to boot. I will be sticking with steel, both for my brake rotors and my suspension.
Where there is a market, there will be an aftermarket. Look at Abbot and their airbag retrofit for air ride Mercedes. It’ll be expensive, but not cut off near vital body parts expensive.
Looking past the many factual inaccuracies in this article, count on more aftermarket options as demand grows. Converting to iron (not steel!) is only one of them. The real risk is CCM rotor damage, not wear, due to their hardness. The one thing secondary buyers should have checked is oxidation. If the car was driven hard enough to bring brakes temps up over 750°C (not easily achievable on the street), there may be some surface pitting/checking. If excessive, pad wear will go up substantially as the rotor acts like a cheese grater. Some CCM rotors can be carefully reground to improve the surface, while many cannot due to their construction. Buyer beware!
One other unmentioned benefit is weight reduction, Carbon rotors weigh quite a bit less than steel, Which reduces a whole lot of rotational mass. But, this is no excuse for a 15k brake job, on something short of a supercar. I wonder how long it will be untill bolt in steel rotors start being produced for these cars!
When the 2018 Mercedes E63 wagon hits the market later this year, I plan to trade in my current E350 wagon for the new rocket…and I will be getting the carbon brake option. Less weight, safer stopping on mountainous roads (no fade) and the fact that I will drive <80,000 over five years makes it a no brainer.
They reduce unsprung weight too.
Doug, I totally disagree. Most of the vehicles sold with Carbon Ceramics will never see 100,000 miles over 4 decades. Most likely gas will be banned and we will be electric only before they wear out. Thus, this issue will never arise. Plus, most likely the aftermarket will also produce replacement steel rotors for popular sizes eliminating the need. Also, Carbon Ceramic brakes are become more common and this typically leads to reduced manufacturing costs. I am not concerned.
Why would gas being banned have anything to do with the brake technology used? Sure, not as much stopping power will be necessary on cars that can turn the power to the wheels on and off at will (nobody who is not stupid has ever shifted their gas-powered car into neutral at a stoplight), but luxury electric cars will likely still be offered with carbon ceramic brakes and/or huge calipers as an option. It’s not like the master cylinder burns gas when fluid is pumped to the calipers.
“Imagine, if you will, a $2,500 single option on a Toyota Camry.”
sure, but you can’t get a base model with a V6. It’s part of a package. Plus, a whole engine is more important than the brakes, which are a wear item. The engine on a Camry is expected to last the car’s life.
Wont the price of these CC brake components go down in 7 or 8 years?
almost certainly.
Fluid pressures and fluctuations are also managed differently.
No one has mentioned the issue of carbon brakes sustaining damage from rocks etc – I remember reading that this can be an issue and some have failed well below 100k.
You assume that carbon ceramic discs will be just as expensive 10 years from now as they are today. How expensive were carbon ceramic discs in 2004, compared to 2014?
2006 to today the replacement costs are pretty much the same on Porsche and Ferrari. These will never be mass market (and should not be) so very limited volume in the world.
In regards to a “conversion”, I have a 2005 Lexus GX and one of the bags in my air suspension started to fail. Instead of spending $1.5K to replace it and then wait a year and the other one go out… I converted to Coil Springs. I anticipate that the right buyer will view this as a good thing when it comes time to sell, as the fail rate is considerably lower. Everything else in these cars are rock solid.
So what’s the engineering difference between swapping ceramic with steel? You have the rotor hat and the rotor and a couple of holes to line up.
Just curious what possible difference there is that requires a 3rd party retrofit to work. Is ceramic thicker? Proprietary B.S. ?
Lots of electronics issues will kill used cars anyway, it’s already getting difficult to find an ECU for many older vehicles at less than the cost of a whole car and the more modern stuff has a lot more ECUs in it than the older ones did. My mate has an effectively dead in the water Triumph motorcycle as he can’t even find a reapir company that will fix his ECU and replacements cost more than a whole bike of the same age.
Agree – I heard of someone with a ’93 Dodge Ram that won’t run because it needs a particular part that neither Chrysler nor anyone else makes anymore.
Eh, I’m sure by the time you need to get the brake rotors replaced you’ll have plenty of non-carbon replacement options. Or you could just find an E63 wagon that doesn’t have them.
In 2024 Corollas will rock CCB’s. Mercedes et al. will have discombobulated-protonic-plasma brakes. Get your wagon, it’s gonna be just a “brake Job”.
Counterpoint: 100,000 miles on your typical Carrera GT, GT2, SLS Black, etc. will take more than 10 years…and some may never even get close to those miles.
Also, another perk of carbon ceramic brakes is the drastic reduction in brake dust.
If your having to replace carbon ceramic rotors regularly then you should stop taking a hammer things or stop doing constant time attack laps around the ring… Come on Doug I know your better than this…
*you’re
I don’t track my cars, and I typically get about 100K out of a set of rotors. I do a lot of freeway driving, so I am actually coming up on 100K miles on the factory pads on my daily driver.
Nothing on these cars is simple. I’m sure parts swapping steel for ceramic is just the tip of the iceberg: you’d have to convince all of the vehicle’s computers and other systems to make the move too. Likely not trivial.
If I was facing a $15k brake change, why wouldn’t I source non-Carbon Ceramic factory brakes or a high-quality aftermarket solution like AP Racing or Brembo? Solve the problem forever for $4k-$6k and parts will be cheap going forward.
That is already who makes the factory parts. They do charge $10k plus for parts alone
Two other significant advantage (for me) of CCBs… there’s no brake dust and they typically bite much harder. I know it sounds insignificant, but on a 991, its worth it to me.
I’m not sure about your assertion that the fancy rotors will need to be replaced at 100,000 miles. I have 85k on my steel rotors and original pads and they are in fine shape. But my commute is all highway.
Is 100k the manufacturer (der Hersteller) recommended rotor change interval?