2004-2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor Brake Job Guide: Symptoms, Costs and the Right Parts

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A brake job on a 2004-2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor usually means front pads and rotors first, with the rear pads and rotors following later. Every Endeavor uses four-wheel disc brakes: vented discs with a two-piston caliper up front and solid discs with a single-piston caliper at the rear. This guide covers what wears, the warning signs, what to replace together, and the recalls worth checking before you order parts.

How the Endeavor Brake System Is Built

Mitsubishi's launch information for the 2004 Endeavor describes a vacuum-assisted, four-wheel-disc brake system on every trim. There are no rear drums on the service brakes, so a full brake job is pads and rotors at both ends.

Two details surprise owners. First, the rear rotor is slightly larger in diameter than the front, but it is a solid disc, not vented, so it sheds heat more slowly and should never be swapped for a front part. Second, the Endeavor was Mitsubishi's first SUV with a foot-operated parking brake pedal instead of a hand lever. That pedal pulls a cable to the rear brakes, so rear brake service is also the right time to check the parking brake.

ABS was standard on all-wheel-drive Endeavors and the Limited 2WD at launch, and optional on front-wheel-drive XLS models. Whether your truck has ABS matters when you bleed the system, and it matters for one of the recalls below. The specs above are from the 2004 launch; parts changed over the run, so always order by year, drive type and VIN.

Symptoms Your Endeavor Needs a Brake Job

• High-pitched squeal while driving that goes away when you brake: the pad wear indicator is touching the rotor, which means the pads have reached their service limit.
• Grinding or scraping: the friction material is gone and the steel backing plate is cutting the rotor. At this point the rotors are almost always scrap.
• Steering wheel shake when braking from highway speed: front rotor thickness variation. The Endeavor is a heavy V6 SUV, and hard stops from speed or towing heat the front rotors quickly.
• Pedal pulsation felt through your foot only, with no steering shake: often the rear rotors.
• Pulling to one side: a sticking caliper slide pin, a seized piston, or a collapsed hose on one side.
• Soft pedal, or a pedal that slowly sinks at a stop: a hydraulic problem, not a pad problem. Check for leaks and see the master cylinder recall below.
• Vehicle creeps on a hill with the parking brake set: parking brake cable adjustment or the cable itself.

The red brake warning light is not a pad wear light. If it stays on after you release the parking brake, check the fluid level first; low fluid usually means worn pads or a leak.

Front vs Rear: Which Wears First and What Goes Together

Like most front-heavy SUVs, the Endeavor does most of its stopping on the front axle, so front pads normally wear out well before the rears. Measure pad thickness at every tire rotation instead of guessing, since driving style and towing change the wear ratio a lot.

Front brake job

• Front pads and new front brake rotors (vented). On a vehicle this age, rotors that have already been through one pad set are usually near their minimum thickness.
• New abutment clips and pad hardware from a brake hardware kit. Old clips are a main cause of noise and uneven pad wear.
• Clean and relubricate the caliper slide pins. Replace a caliper if the piston boot is torn, it leaks, or the piston will not retract smoothly.

Rear brake job

• Rear pads and solid rear rotors as a left and right pair.
• With the rotors off, inspect the parking brake components and cable operation, then adjust per the service manual.
• Check the rear flexible hoses for cracks and bulges; replace from our brake hoses if in doubt.

Always replace pads and rotors in axle sets, both sides at once. For most owners a quality ceramic pad is the right daily-driver choice on the Endeavor because it runs quiet and low on dust. Browse ceramic brake pads by year and drive type, and if you tow, choose a pad and rotor set rated for heavier use.

Recalls to Check Before You Buy Parts

Three NHTSA brake-related recalls touch early Endeavors. Run your VIN before spending money, because a dealer may replace the part at no charge.

If you are doing the front brakes on a 2005 and the caliper recall status is unknown, check it first. A brittle caliper is not something you can spot by looking at it. The same goes for a 2005 with ABS and a pedal that sinks at a stop: that matches the master cylinder recall description. If the recall work is already done and you still need hydraulic parts, see our brake calipers and master cylinders.

How Hard Is the Job and What Drives the Cost

For someone with basic tools, jack stands and a torque wrench, pads and rotors on the Endeavor are a straightforward driveway job. The front caliper has two pistons, so push them back evenly. The rear caliper has a single piston. Rusted rotors seized to the hub are the usual time sink; penetrating oil and a soft-faced mallet on the rotor hat usually free them. Clean the hub face down to bare metal before fitting the new rotor so it sits flat, or you will build in the runout that causes vibration. Torque caliper bracket bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual, lugs in a star pattern.

What drives the price of an Endeavor brake job:

• Pads only vs pads and rotors: rotors are the biggest parts cost, and most Endeavors this age need them.
• One axle vs both: doing front and rear together costs more today but saves a second shop visit.
• Parts vs labor: labor is usually the largest part of a shop bill. Doing it yourself removes it.
• Extras found during the job: a seized caliper, cracked hose or fluid flush adds cost. Old, dark fluid is worth flushing while the system is open.

After the job, pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the vehicle, then bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops without coming to a full stop, and let the brakes cool before parking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Mitsubishi Endeavor have rear drum brakes?

No. The Endeavor has four-wheel disc brakes: vented discs in front and solid discs in the rear. The parking brake is applied by a foot pedal through a cable to the rear brakes.

Are Endeavor front and rear rotors the same?

No. At launch the front rotors were vented and 11.4 inches in diameter, and the rears solid and 11.9 inches. They are different parts and are not interchangeable.

Should I replace rotors every time I replace pads on my Endeavor?

Not automatically, but usually on a vehicle this age. If rotors are below the minimum thickness stamped on them, are deeply scored, or cause vibration, replace them. New pads on worn rotors often bring back noise and pulsation.

Why does my Endeavor shake when I brake?

Steering wheel shake is most often front rotor thickness variation, frequently from heat or from rotors mounted on a rusty hub face. A pulsing pedal without steering shake points more toward the rear rotors.

Was there a brake recall on the Mitsubishi Endeavor?

Yes. NHTSA lists a front brake caliper recall (06V068000) and a master cylinder recall for ABS-equipped vehicles (05V409000) on the 2005, and a parking brake cable lock nut recall (05V069000) on 2004 and 2005 models. Check your VIN to see whether the work was done.

Sources

1. Mitsubishi Motors North America - 2004 Endeavor chassis press release - four-wheel disc layout, rotor sizes, caliper pistons, foot-operated parking brake, ABS availability
2. NHTSA - Recall 06V068000 - front disc brake caliper metallurgy recall
3. NHTSA - Recall 05V409000 - master cylinder internal bypass on ABS vehicles
4. NHTSA - Recall 05V069000 - parking brake pedal cable lock nut
5. NHTSA recalls data - 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor - model years, summaries and remedies for the brake recalls