2013-2016 Scion FR-S Brake Parts, Pads & Rotors

The Scion FR-S is one of the lightest cars on the road with a real sporting mission. At roughly 2,760 pounds with a near 53/47 weight balance and a very low center of gravity, it does not ask much of its brakes in normal driving. The stock system reflects that: modestly sized vented rotors at all four corners with single-piston sliding calipers front and rear. That combination is more than adequate for commuting, and it is exactly why FR-S brakes so often get ignored until something goes wrong. The problem is that the same low weight that makes the car easy on pads also invites owners to drive it hard, and a canyon road or a weekend autocross puts far more heat into those small rotors than the factory pad compound was designed to absorb. Most FR-S brake complaints are heat complaints in disguise.

One practical note before you start: the rear calipers on this chassis carry an integrated mechanical parking brake, so the rear pistons must be wound back rather than simply pressed in. Plan on a caliper piston tool for rear pad service, and release the parking brake before you begin.

Common brake symptoms on the 2013-2016 Scion FR-S

• Steering wheel shimmy under braking from highway speed. Usually uneven pad material transfer or thickness variation in the front rotors after a hard stop followed by sitting still with the pedal held. On a car this light, front rotors are thin and shed heat slowly once loaded.
• A long, soft pedal that firms up on the second push. Classic sign of fluid that has absorbed moisture and boiled, or of pads that have overheated and outgassed. Flush the fluid on a real interval if you see track days.
• Fade after three or four hard stops, then a burnt smell. The factory pad compound is running out of temperature range. This is a compound problem, not a caliper problem.
• Squeal at low speed, worse when cold or damp. Missing or flattened shims, dry caliper slide pins, or glazed pad faces.
• The car pulls to one side and one wheel runs hot. A seized slide pin on a sliding caliper. Common on cars parked outdoors through salted winters.
• Parking brake will not hold on a grade. The rear caliper parking mechanism has stuck or the cable has stretched. Do not ignore it, because a partially applied rear brake will cook a rear pad set quickly.
• Fine dark dust coating the front wheels within days of a wash. Normal for many performance compounds, but a sudden increase can mean a pad wearing at an angle.

Recommended brake parts for your 2013-2016 Scion FR-S

Front pads and rotors together

The 2011-2019 Subaru Forester Impreza Outback Crosstrek BRZ Scion FR-S Toyota 86 Front Brake Kit - TRQ at $158.99 pairs new front rotors with matched pads so the friction surfaces bed in together instead of forcing fresh pads onto worn, grooved discs. This is the right call for a daily-driven FR-S: quiet, clean-running, and priced so you are not tempted to resurface tired rotors one more time. If your only symptom is shimmy under braking, this kit is the fix.

Rear pads for hard use

The Hawk Performance ER-1 Rear Brake Pads HB671D.628 - 2013-2016 Scion FR-S 2.0L Base at $266.39 ship with clips and shims and are aimed squarely at the owner who takes the car to track days, time attack, or serious canyon driving. ER-1 is an endurance racing compound, so it holds torque at temperatures that flatten a stock rear pad. Understand the trade: expect more dust, more noise, and less bite in the first minute of a cold morning commute than a standard street pad delivers. If your FR-S never sees a session, the front kit above is the smarter money.

How often should you replace 2013-2016 Scion FR-S brakes?

A commuted FR-S on original-style pads typically gets 40,000 to 60,000 miles from the fronts and 50,000 to 70,000 from the rears, because so little of this car's weight transfers rearward. Rotors often last two pad sets if they were never overheated. Those numbers collapse fast under other conditions. A car that sees regular track sessions can burn through a front pad set in a handful of weekends, and heavy stop-and-go city driving or steep mountain descents can halve the mileage. Aggressive heel-toe driving, oversized wheels with heavier tires, and a dragging parking brake all shorten life. Replace pads before they reach about 3mm of friction material, and flush the brake fluid every two years on a street car or before every event weekend on a track car.

Every part on this page has been checked against 2013-2016 Scion FR-S fitment before it was listed, so you are not guessing between chassis variants or matching a rotor diameter by eye. Orders over $75 ship free, orders leave quickly, and if you are unsure whether you need front, rear, or both, ask us before you buy. Core Brake Parts stocks brakes and nothing else, which is why the answer you get is a specific one.