Hi All,

I have a 2020 Polo and I'm really worried about the amount of dust on the alloy wheels. I'm having to clean the tyres every few days because they get so black so quickly. I've also noticed that on some occasions after long distances the brakes start squeaking. Is that a sign to change them? Is it common for the Polo to have this issue? Is it my driving style as I'm relatively a new driver?

My extended warranty does not cover the brake pads if they do need changing. Please recommend a cost friendly place where I can go get them checked and replaced.

Thanks for your assistance.

Some brake pads cause massive amounts of brrake dust on wheels, others very little, no matter your driving style.

Agreed.

The only way to see whether something is abnormal, is to monitor the wear of the pads and discs. Opinions probably differ widely on this, but I would say that with moderate driving (mixed commuting), a set of front pads should last at least 30,000 km.

I wouldn't rely on any signs or assumptions to decide whether they need to be changed. Rather, inspect them. Any driver should really know how to change a wheel, and once you have the wheel off, it's a matter of seconds to check the wear on the pads. (The outer pad can even be checked, at least approximately, without taking the wheel off.)

Excessive Dust is caused by a few things:

Driving like a Loon i.e.: late, heavy braking at every stop sign/traffic light will eat pads quickly.
No, you are not Hamilton/Norris/Verstappen et al.

Inferior Pads and Disks & low-quality pads.
Once, my driver went thru a set of (orange tub) pads in a week! (LWB single cab Hilux delivery bakkie)

ATE is Good, OEM fitment, but they are a bit dusty.
Good initial bite when cold but fade when pushed hard for long.
Been experimenting with family fleet: Excellent results with BOSCH, HELLA/PAGID,
and BREMBO: Paid R700 a set of pads for my A4 at my local Midas, R175 cheaper than ATE @ GW!
And they have the peel off self-adhesive backing: NOT a single Squeak!

New pads on a worn/uneven disk will go quickly too. Skim till tolerance is reached

Stuck/Dry Calliper sliding bolts may cause constant binding + accelerated wear
= more dust.

And Heavy-duty degreaser/cleaning products/carwash foam, sprayed onto pad material: DO not do that!
It will make the friction material softer than a CEO's hands. (Don't ask....)