Chery Tiggo 8: The Worst Brake Pads Ever

Chery Tiggo 8: The Worst Brake Pads Ever

The 2023 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro 2.0 TDGI Max Executive 7 DCT is a beautiful vehicle with a punch to match. It has captured the South African market in a way that German brands did before when they were financially accessible. However, my personal review of the vehicle is mixed—50% satisfaction and 50% regret due to the braking system, specifically the brake pads, both front and rear.

The vehicle has lousy brakes. For starters, with all the dials and warning lights, it does not have a warning light for brake pads to show when they need to be replaced. This means you operate on guesswork and the sounds the brakes make when they have worn out. The brakes on this vehicle are so bad that you need to budget for them as they wear out quickly. You can hardly travel 10,000 km before the brakes wear out.

In early 2023, I bought the brand new Chery Tiggo 8 Pro 2.0 TDGI Max Executive 7 DCT. I repeat, brand new, with a full service and maintenance plan. When I realized that my brake pads were worn out after driving a couple of thousand kilometers, I sent the vehicle in, and the maintenance covered the cost. Later on, I claimed for the pads replacement, but the maintenance plan rejected my claim as I had not traveled 25,000 km since the previous claim. This means I have to cover the costs. I lodged a claim with customer care, who promptly rejected my claim on account of "driver behavior" without investigation and directed me to the Ombudsman. (Talk about a supplier who could not be bothered).

In the same year, Chery released a newer version with improved features, including the grill, tailgate, lights, and stunning interior. I then bought this vehicle. Soon, I was reminded that the brake issue was not addressed. To be specific, the brakes are soft. So soft that the brake dust can create squeaky sounds, making you think the pads are worn. When you take your vehicle to the dealership, they just clean the discs and return the vehicle. The same sound plays when the pads are actually worn out, so you need a crystal ball to know whether to replace the pads or not.

Now, with the motor plan replacing the brake pads every 25,000 kilometers, while your brake pads wear off around 10,000 kilometers, you need to budget for the costs as below:

+/- R2700 (excluding VAT) for the pads

+/- R700 (excluding VAT) for the labor

My last bill was R4200.00. This time, customer care did not care enough to even reply to my email. The technicians working at Chery agree that they are receiving complaints about the brakes—the sound they make, the high rate of wear and tear, and the cost that must be borne by the customer even when there is an active motor plan in place.