Brembo OE Brakes for the Volkswagen Touareg: Which Parts Fit

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Brembo OE parts for the first-generation Volkswagen Touareg are mostly a rear-axle story: the Brembo OE kit KT00C28 pairs two UV coated rear rotors with a set of ceramic rear pads and covers 2006-2010 Touareg Base, VR6 and TDI trims. For the front axle and for a pad-only rear job, the Touareg also takes Hawk Performance Ceramic front pads and EBC Redstuff rear pads, but the rear pad choice depends on how the backplate is drilled. Here is how to tell which parts fit your truck before you order.

What Brembo OE Parts Fit the 2006-2010 Touareg

The part that matters most is the Brembo OE rear brake kit KT00C28 for the 2006-2010 Touareg. It is a complete rear axle job in one box:

• Two Brembo rear rotors, part 09.C884.11 - UV coated, high carbon cast iron, vented.
• One Brembo rear pad set, part P85111N - a NAO ceramic pad built as an OE-equivalent replacement.

The kit is listed for 2006-2009 Touareg Base and TDI trucks and for the 2010 VR6 and TDI. That is the later part of the first-generation Touareg run. The redesigned truck that arrived for 2011 is listed under a different Brembo rear kit, so do not assume a 2011 or later Touareg takes KT00C28.

Why the Brembo Rotor Is Worth It on a Heavy SUV

The Touareg is a heavy, all-wheel-drive SUV, and a lot of them tow. That puts real heat into the rotors, and heat is what cracks and distorts cheap castings. Brembo's Prime rotors address that three ways:

• High carbon iron. Brembo raises the carbon content of the cast iron for a higher damping coefficient, which cuts noise and vibration.
• Pillar venting. Brembo's patented PVT design uses pillars between the two braking faces instead of straight vanes. Brembo says this raises resistance to thermal cracking by more than 40 percent.
• UV coating. The coating covers the braking band, outer diameter and hat, so the hub face and edges do not rust the way bare iron does, which matters on a truck that sees road salt. Brembo states there is no need to strip the coating before installation.

Brembo's Prime rotors are also type-approved under ECE R90, the European standard for replacement brake parts, which checks that a replacement rotor performs comparably to the original.

Front Pads: Hawk Ceramic for the Touareg

For the front axle, the Hawk Performance Ceramic front brake pad set HB632Z.586 is listed for Touareg fronts across 3.2L, 3.6L, 3.0L TDI and 4.2L trucks. Hawk's Performance Ceramic compound is built for quiet operation and very low dust, with stable friction output and gentle wear on the rotor.

Two cautions before you order:

• Check your front caliper. Hawk's fitment notes call out some 2006-2007 Touaregs specifically as trucks with 330 mm front rotors and 4-piston calipers. Touareg front brake packages varied by engine, so look at your caliper (piston count and the brand cast into it) and compare the old pad shape before you buy.
• Iron rotors only. Hawk states these pads are not for carbon ceramic rotors.

Rear Pads Only: The Backplate Pin-Hole Check

If your rear rotors are smooth, run true and still measure above the minimum thickness cast or stamped on them, you can replace just the pads. This is where Touareg owners get caught: EBC splits the rear pad for these years into two different parts based on how the steel backplate is drilled.

• Two pin holes at the top of the backplate: EBC Redstuff ceramic rear pads DP31944C. This set is listed for the Touareg 3.2L and 3.6L V6 and the 4.2L V8.
• Two holes at the bottom of the backplate: a different pad, DP31836C, listed for some 2008-2009 Touareg 3.6 trucks.

The only reliable way to know which one you have is to pull a wheel and look at the old pads, or pull one pad and compare it side by side. Model year alone will not tell you on a 2008 or 2009. Redstuff is a copper-free organic pad enhanced with ceramic granules and contains no steel fibre, so it runs clean on the Touareg's large wheels. It is a harder compound that takes longer than a typical pad to fully bed in, so expect its best bite after a break-in period rather than on the first drive.

Symptoms That Tell You Which Parts You Need

• Squeal or a pad warning on the dash, smooth rotors: pads only. Pick the pad by axle and, at the rear, by backplate drilling.
• Grinding, deep grooves or a lip on the rotor edge: the pads are down to metal or close to it. Replace rotors and pads together; at the rear, the KT00C28 kit does both.
• Pulsing pedal or steering shake under braking: usually uneven rotor thickness or pad deposits. New rotors with properly bedded pads is the dependable fix.
• One pad far thinner than the other on the same wheel: a sticking caliper or seized slide. Fix that first or the new parts will wear the same way.

What to Replace at the Same Time

• Rotors and pads together. Brembo notes that pads typically last about half as long as discs, so every second pad change is often a rotor change too. If the rotors are worn, grooved or under minimum thickness, the KT00C28 kit is the simpler buy than separate parts.
• Pad wear sensors, if equipped. If the dash pad warning came on, the sensor has worn through and should be replaced with the pads.
• Slide and guide hardware. Clean the caliper bracket abutments and replace worn clips. See our brake hardware kits.
• Brake fluid. If the fluid is dark or has not been changed in years, flush it with the fluid type printed on the reservoir cap.
• Calipers and hoses. Browse brake calipers and brake hoses if yours are seized or cracked.

How Hard Is the Job

A pad and rotor job on a first-generation Touareg is a reasonable DIY job for someone who has done brakes before, with a few things to respect. The wheels and caliper brackets are large and heavy, and the bracket bolts are tight, so have a breaker bar and a good jack stand setup. Check how your truck's parking brake is set up and follow the factory service procedure for releasing it before you pull the rear rotor. Tighten the caliper bracket bolts and wheel bolts to the values in the factory service manual, not by feel. After the job, bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops from speed before towing or hard driving.

Before any brake work, run your VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup. At the time of writing, NHTSA's database showed no brake-component recall campaigns for the 2006-2010 Touareg, but checking your specific VIN takes a minute. For other options, see all brake pads and brake rotors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Brembo KT00C28 kit fit a 2011 or newer Touareg?

No. KT00C28 is listed for 2006-2010 Touareg Base, VR6 and TDI trims. The 2011 and later Touareg is listed under a different Brembo rear kit.

Is the Brembo kit front or rear?

Rear. It contains two rear rotors and one rear pad set, which is a complete rear axle.

Do I have to remove the coating from Brembo UV coated rotors?

No. Brembo says the rotors install as a direct replacement without removing the coating, and the hat and edges stay protected from rust in service.

How do I know if I need EBC DP31944C or DP31836C rear pads?

Look at the old pad's backplate. Two pin holes at the top means DP31944C. Two holes at the bottom, found on some 2008-2009 Touareg 3.6 trucks, means DP31836C.

Can I use Hawk HB632Z.586 pads with carbon ceramic rotors?

No. Hawk states this pad is for iron rotors only.

Sources

1. Brembo OE KT00C28 kit listing - KT00C28 contents (two 09.C884.11 UV coated rear rotors, one P85111N NAO ceramic pad set) and 2006-2010 Touareg trim fitment
2. Brembo Parts: Prime brake rotors - high carbon iron damping, patented PVT pillar venting with more than 40% higher thermal crack resistance, UV coating, ECE R90 approval
3. Brembo: UV coated disc - coating covers braking band, outer diameter and bell; no need to remove it before installation; pads typically last about half as long as discs
4. Hawk Performance: HB632Z.586 - Performance Ceramic compound, 0.586 in thickness, front Touareg fitment, 330 mm rotor and 4-piston caliper note on some 2006-2007 trucks, not for carbon ceramic rotors
5. EBC DP31944C fitment listing - DP31944C rear fitment on Touareg 3.2L, 3.6L and 4.2L V8 AWD; Redstuff needs an extended break-in
6. EBC DP31836C fitment listing - 2008-2009 Touareg rear pads with two holes at the bottom of the backplate use DP31836C
7. EBC Brakes: Redstuff product focus - Redstuff is a copper-free, ceramic-granule organic pad with zero steel fibre and a bedding-in coating
8. NHTSA recall lookup - VIN recall check; no brake-component campaigns returned for the 2006-2010 Touareg in the NHTSA recalls database at time of writing