Brakes are part of your car that can literally save your life in situations outside of your control, but only if they are good enough to bring your car to stop even in the worst conditions.
This is a reason why many people switch to aftermarket products and why we today compare Brembo brake pads vs. OEM.
The main difference between Brembo and OEM brake pads is that Brembo’s products are engineered to perform better than any other pads. In comparison, the OEM parts are always made to be just good enough or at least attempted to be.
But which is better? Should you stick to the OEM or switch to aftermarket brake pads?
Are the Brembo products better, and are they worth their price?
Let’s check out by comparing them in detail.
Brembo vs. OEM Brake Pads Comparison Table
Before getting too detailed, let’s check how Brembo roughly compares to the rest of the brake pad market, but also how OEM products fare against their own competition.
This table should give you a bite-size preview of what follows, but also a general idea of how Brembo manages against OEM brake pads.
| Brembo | OEM | |
| Origin | Italy | – |
| Price | High | Low to high |
| Performance | Above average | Low to average |
| Durability | Above average | Low to average |
| Variety | Average | High |
Brembo Brake Pads vs. OEM Detailed Comparison
In the car industry, there are OEM parts that vehicles come equipped with, and very often, the “OEM” parts you can replace them with when they get to the end of the road.
And, you can’t really tell which is which, as both big and small brands are guilty of this practice of selling low-quality replacement parts.
And the original factory parts usually have better alternatives.
But, it is not always a question are the aftermarket parts just better. But also, are they better enough?
And are they worth the money you would pay for them?
Let’s see in detail the example of Brembo brake pads.
Origin
The origin of some products can tell you a lot about them.
Is it an established company with a long tradition of innovation in its products and technology?
Are there many complaints about the quality? And much more.
Brembo is an Italian company that, from its first day, has produced brakes and brake system parts for racing.
They are arguably the brake technology company with the highest annual gross income. But also the company that has innovated the most in this industry.
Today, they are the official brakes suppliers for most FIA-sanctioned competitions.
There are many OEM producers of brake pads, arguably more than there are car companies in the world.
And, in the wise words of Gennaro Gattuso, they are “sometimes maybe good, and sometimes maybe” not so good.
Price
Brembo brake pads are known to cost a bit. Depending on the vehicle model and make, their price ranges between $30 and $550 for a set.
This is very much above the market average of $35 to $150 per set.
For many luxury and sports car brands, Brembo makes OEM parts, but when bought from carmakers, such parts come with a significant markup.
There are many OEM products and as many price ranges. But in general, they span between $15 and $750, roughly covering everything from low to average price points.
Performance
Brembo has been the leader in innovation brake technology for decades.
And when it comes to the performance of their brake pads, they are excellent.
Bed-in times are between non-existent and surprisingly short. And the only criticism can be given to the fact that to get most from the pads; you will also need Brembo brake discs.
Compared to Brembo’s aftermarket products, OEM brakes are sub-par.
While they often perform to the specs, in comparison, they are spongy, don’t bite as good, and have a very pronounced brake fade during long braking.
Durability
Some Brembo brake pads are built to last quite a long time, but some sacrifice longevity for the performance.
Most of their products should last you between 40 and 45 thousand miles. But depending on your driving and braking style, it could be longer and also shorter.
OEM parts, on the other hand, when it comes to longevity, very often leave a lot to be desired.
On average, they should last you around 35 thousand miles. But you shouldn’t be surprised if you have to change them once every year.
Related: Textar Brake Pads vs. Brembo (In-Depth Comparison)
Brake Pad Variety
Brembo is a company with racing DNA in their products, and they also make OEM brakes for the likes of:
- Mercedes
- Porsche
- Ferrari
- Maserati
but also for tuners such as:
- Abarth
- AMG
- Alpina
- Super- and hypercar makers such as Pagani
You can find them also in less prestigious brands such as:
- Renault
- Peugeot
- Fiat
And they are always an upgrade option over the base OEM brakes and pads. But still, there are many car brands for which you will hardly find Brembo brake pads.
Unless you decide to change the whole brake system, the other option is going OEM, as those exist for everything.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Brembo Brake Pads
The major advantage of Brembo brake pads is their performance. They are simply much better than the OEM offerings.
And the only OEM products that have performance comparable to Brembo aftermarket products are Brembo OEM products.
Aftermarket parts are also much more affordable than their own OEM parts, as they don’t carry the car maker markup.
But compared to other OEM products, Brembo parts are priced much more, and for some cars, they are not available.
Advantages and Disadvantages of OEM Brake Pads
Price and availability are generally two advantages of OEM parts, except when you can find the same part at a lower price, just sold directly by the part manufacturer and not the carmaker.
The disadvantage will always be that you get what you pay for. The low price does mean low-quality materials, quality control, and life span.
Related:
- ATE Brake Pads vs. Ferodo (In-Depth Comparison)
- Duralast Gold vs. Duralast Brake Pads (In-Depth Comparison)
- SafeLine Brake Pads vs. Ferodo (In-Depth Comparison)
Final Thoughts
People don’t say for nothing that they are upgrading something with aftermarket parts. And that holds true for brake pads.
Brembo brake pads can cost much more than the OEM parts. But performance and safety-wise, you are getting a much bigger upgrade.
And they will last you longer, in some cases even coming out as more affordable per mile driven.