By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse
On a 2008-2014 Scion xD the front brakes wear out first, and usually by a wide margin. The xD uses ventilated front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, and the front discs do most of the stopping work on every stop, so most owners will replace front pads (and often rotors) at least once or twice before the rear shoes need attention. The rears still need regular inspection, because drum brakes fail in different ways than discs: leaking wheel cylinders, broken springs and out-of-adjustment shoes.
How the Scion xD Brake System Is Laid Out
Scion's own specification sheet for the xD lists the brakes as ventilated disc in front and drum in the rear, with anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. It also lists Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control and Smart Stop Technology, which cuts engine power if the brake and gas pedals are pressed together in certain situations. The xD is front-wheel drive with a 1.8L four-cylinder engine.
That layout matters when you shop for parts. There are no rear pads or rear rotors on a stock xD. The rear axle uses brake shoes inside a drum, with a wheel cylinder pushing the shoes outward. So a full brake job on this car means front pads and rotors plus rear shoes, drums and hardware, not four sets of pads.
| Axle | Brake type | Wear parts | What typically goes wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Ventilated disc | Pads, rotors, caliper hardware | Worn pads, grooved rotors or rotors with thickness variation, sticking slide pins |
| Rear | Drum | Shoes, drums, springs and adjusters, wheel cylinders | Leaking wheel cylinders, weak springs, shoes out of adjustment, scored drums |
Why the Front Brakes Wear First
When any car brakes, weight shifts forward onto the front tires. The front tires then have more grip, so the brake system is designed to send more of the braking force to the front axle. The Motorist Assurance Program, an automotive repair industry group, puts the front share at about 70 percent of braking force on a typical vehicle. The xD adds to this effect because it is front-wheel drive, so the engine and transaxle already sit over the front wheels.
EBD on the xD adjusts front-to-rear brake force based on load and conditions, which helps keep the rear from locking up, but it does not change the basic picture: the front discs handle most of the heat and wear. The rear drums carry a lighter share of the work, so the rear shoes on a daily-driven xD commonly outlast more than one set of front pads.
Things that shorten front pad life on this car: lots of city stop-and-go driving, carrying a full load of passengers and cargo, hilly routes, and hard stops from highway speed. A stuck caliper slide pin can also wear one front pad much faster than the others.
Symptoms: Front Problem or Rear Problem?
You can often tell which end needs work before you pull a wheel.
Signs the front discs need attention
- High-pitched squeal from the front wheels when braking, often the pad wear indicator
- Grinding noise, which usually means the pad friction material is gone and metal is contacting the rotor
- Steering wheel shake or pedal pulsation during stops, a common sign of rotor thickness variation
- The car pulling to one side under braking, which points to a sticking caliper or uneven pad wear
Signs the rear drums need attention
- Wetness on the inside of a rear tire or sidewall. NAPA's technical notes call a leak on the tire the main tell-tale sign of a failed wheel cylinder
- A pedal that feels low or needs pumping, which can come from rear shoes that are out of adjustment or from a fluid leak
- A parking brake lever that pulls up farther than it used to
- Scraping or clunking from the rear, which can mean a broken return spring or loose hardware inside the drum
Any time you see a fluid leak or the brake warning light stays on, get the car inspected before driving it further.
What to Replace, and What to Replace With It
Front axle
Front pads should always be replaced as an axle set (both sides). Inspect and measure the rotors when you change pads. If they are below minimum thickness, deeply grooved, or causing pulsation, replace them in pairs. The minimum thickness mark on the rotor is the discard limit; use that number, not a guess. You can browse brake pads and brake rotors, and we carry a front drilled and slotted rotor pair built for the 2008-2014 Scion xD 1.8L. For quiet daily driving with low dust, many owners choose ceramic brake pads.
At the same time, clean and lubricate the caliper slide pins and replace the pad abutment clips if they are rusted or worn. A brake hardware kit covers these small parts.
Rear axle
Scion's scheduled maintenance guidance tells technicians to check brake linings (shoes) and drums for scoring, burning, fluid leakage, broken parts and excessive wear, and to check the front discs for runout and wear. When the rear shoes need replacing:
- Replace rear brake shoes as a pair, both sides
- Replace the return springs and hold-down hardware, since heat weakens them over time
- Resurface or replace the drums if they are scored or worn past the limit marked on the drum
- Inspect both wheel cylinders. If one is wet or weeping, replace it; brake fluid on new shoes contaminates them and they must be replaced
- After any hydraulic work, bleed the brakes. NAPA notes that brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air, which leads to internal rust in wheel cylinders, so a fluid flush is worth doing at the same time
Use the brake fluid type printed on the xD's master cylinder reservoir cap and in the owner's manual.
Recalls and Known Issues to Check
NHTSA's recall database lists campaign 09V338000 (Service Brakes, Vacuum) for the xD. In cold climates, condensation could freeze and block the brake vacuum port, which could increase stopping distance. The remedy was a newly designed intake air connector that relocates the brake vacuum port, installed by dealers at no charge. If you own an early xD, especially one from a cold-weather state, run the VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup or ask a Toyota dealer to confirm the campaign was completed. A hard pedal on a cold morning is not always a pad or rotor problem.
How Hard Is the Job?
Front pads and rotors on the xD are a straightforward job for a home mechanic with basic hand tools, a jack, jack stands and a torque wrench. The caliper bracket comes off to remove the rotor. Tighten caliper and bracket bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual.
Rear drum work is more involved. Springs, adjusters and the parking brake linkage have to go back in the right order, so take a photo of one side before you take it apart and work one side at a time, using the other as a reference. Adjust the shoes before refitting the drum, then check the parking brake. If you replace a wheel cylinder, the system must be bled; NAPA describes it as a two-person job, with a helper pumping the pedal while you open the bleeder. If you are not comfortable with hydraulic work, the rear drums are the part of this job worth handing to a shop.
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Shop Brake Pads & Kits →Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Scion xD have rear disc brakes?
No. Scion's specifications for the xD list ventilated front discs and rear drums. You need rear brake shoes and drums, not rear pads and rotors.
Should I replace front and rear brakes at the same time?
Not unless both are worn. On the xD the fronts wear much faster, so replace them on their own schedule and inspect the rears each time the wheels come off or the tires are rotated.
Do I need new rotors every time I change front pads?
Not always. If the rotors are above minimum thickness, smooth and not causing vibration, new pads can go on after the rotors are checked. Grooved, heat-spotted or thin rotors should be replaced in pairs.
Why is there fluid on the inside of my rear tire?
On a drum-brake rear axle, thin slippery fluid on the inside of the tire usually means a leaking wheel cylinder. Replace the cylinder, replace any contaminated shoes, and bleed the brakes.
Are drilled and slotted rotors a good upgrade for an xD?
For a daily driver they mainly help with wet-weather bite and give the car a sportier look. Pair them with good quality pads and bed the pads in after installation.
Sources
- Scion xD 2013 specifications sheet - ventilated front disc and rear drum brakes, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, VSC, TRAC, Smart Stop, FWD
- NHTSA recalls database, Scion xD - campaign 09V338000 brake vacuum port freezing and remedy
- Scion Scheduled Maintenance Guide - inspection points for brake linings, drums, pads and discs
- NAPA Know-How: Wheel Cylinder Replacement Tips - wheel cylinder leak signs, shoe replacement, hygroscopic fluid, two-person bleeding
- Motorist Assurance Program: Which Brakes Go Bad First - front brakes handle about 70 percent of braking force
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