Brake pads Textar or OEM Volkswagen

I’m on 108000kms in my 2017 GLI and it runs like the day I bought it. I do the maintenance on time when needed and it is trouble free. So far all I’ve had to do is the brakes.

Since we had good luck with OE, went OE for replacements. So far, a few hundred miles in, all good.

The rest (brake pads), I guess this is OEM but if you go to Sharjah and buy the parts yourself, I am confident you can get much lower prices, especially if you buy aftermarket such as Textar which is a OEM supplier.

I've done an almost complete overhaul on my bought-from-OG-owner low-k '07 B6 3.6 wagon. DSG from an R36, completely rebuilt suspension front to back on airbags, brakes, wrap, interior, sound system (the list goes on and on) for less than the purchase price of a used-by-who R36.

Have original brakes on it at 66000 miles.

From what I heard they changed the pads on the 2020 because people complained the 2019 pads were noisy.

i had my brake pads and rotors replaced all round a month or two ago. mechanics quoted me $1000 but had it done by a family friend for around $700.

so much dust with textar pads on Zimmerman rotors.  3 weeks later my alloys are black.

I have 4,800 miles on a 2023 MK8 and my brake pads are sticking to the rotors.

I’m not a mechanic by any means (I do try to work on my car myself for what I can fix and know how to do) but I’m gonna throw my own car under the bus and say VW. Why tf do I need specialized tools, and why do barely any after market parts fit my car?