Brake pads Zimmermann or OEM Volkswagen

PartReview Score

Rank #28 in ranking

4.0

Braking

4.0

Dust

3.8

Noise

1.0

No data

PR Score

Ranking

Votes

Reviews

Average rating

Properties

Car

PartReview Score

Rank #25 in ranking

129

154

3.5

Braking

3.4

Dust

1.6

Noise

1.3

Owners' choice:

Reviews

All

Zimmermann

OEM Volkswagen

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

17GaSoWay 25 Jan 2026, 13:05

Braking:

Rating 4.5

When I traded our ‘17 Gsw with 191k mi. it still had original brakes all around. We try to be easy on the brakes, coast down to 40 or so if possible before using brakes at stop signs.

Pros: original brakes lasted long

Vehicle: Volkswagen Golf

Mileage: 191000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

Eimanatox 15 Jan 2026, 12:19

Braking:

Rating 5.0

I made it to 240k on my ‘19 before I had to change the fronts. I still have 6/32 on the rear pads at 255k now too. The factory pads are crazy good

Pros: factory pads crazy good

Vehicle: Volkswagen Jetta

Mileage: 255000 km

Zimmermann › Brake pads

SnooPeppers2172 8 Jan 2026, 00:00

Braking:

Rating 4.0

I replaced the Brembo with the Zimmermann myself, so far so good, the original Brembo brakes warped after less than 15.000 km, I have now another 15.000 km driven with the Zimmermann and they are as good as new.

Pros: good as new

Cons: Brembo brakes warped

Mileage: 15000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

thecorradokid 23 Dec 2025, 15:21

Braking:

Rating 5.0

Especially if you've got a 2019+ Mk7.5, stock Performance Pack brakes will be plenty. That's what I brought to the Dragon. Just make sure your brake fluid is good and you're not due for new pads and rotors for a bit.

Pros: stock brakes are plenty

Vehicle: Volkswagen

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

NineG23 21 Dec 2025, 22:36

Braking:

Rating 4.0

1.4 auto is a good box. Will be nippy but get the brakes checked and renewed if necessary.

Pros: good box, will be nippy

Vehicle: Volkswagen Lupo

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

VWestlife 25 Jan 2026, 03:17

Braking:

Rating 3.0

When I traded in my 2018 Jetta at just under 90k miles it still had the original front pads and rotors, but the rear brakes needed to be done at 60k miles, and then within my last year of ownership one of the rear calipers seized and needed to be replaced.

Pros: long-lasting front pads

Cons: rear caliper seized, rear brakes needed replacement

Vehicle: Volkswagen Jetta

Mileage: 90000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

Ill_Attention4749 6 Jan 2026, 04:36

Noise:

Rating 3.0

My only issue is squeaky brakes on reverse. The dealership told me to do some hard braking when they get squeaky, and that actually helps.

Pros: hard braking helps

Cons: squeaky brakes on reverse

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

AdDowntown3258 15 Jan 2026, 19:07

Braking:
Noise:

Rating 2.0

I think their break pads are not lasting long. On my 1.5 DSG Kushaq I’m also not getting the break bite which I used to get and they make screeching sounds when are applied, considering the car has only done 17k km till now.

Cons: not lasting long, screeching sounds

Vehicle: Volkswagen

Mileage: 17000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

Tricky-Engineer8741 6 Jan 2026, 12:58

Noise:

Rating 2.0

I also have squealing brakes when they are cold and reversing. When they're done, I'll have them replaced with good aftermarket brakes.

Cons: squealing brakes when cold

Vehicle: Volkswagen

Mileage: 8000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Brake pads

pattycakes7575 6 Jan 2026, 04:54

Noise:

Rating 2.0

Only issues have been the insanely squeaky brakes, the sound quality on the speakers in the cold and crappy wipers.

Cons: insanely squeaky brakes

Vehicle: Volkswagen

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Which brake pads to choose — Zimmermann or OEM Volkswagen?

If choosing brake pads across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.

We compare brake pads across these categories:

Comparison of brake pads Zimmermann and OEM Volkswagen

PR Score.
Overall ranking.
Vote balance.
Average rating.
Number of reviews.
Feature ratings.
Car owners’ choice.

Which brake pads are better — OEM Volkswagen or Zimmermann?

In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads OEM Volkswagen were overall better than Zimmermann.

Zimmermann received a PR Score of 85 out of 100, and OEM Volkswagen scored 63 points.
Zimmermann ranked 28 in the overall ranking, and OEM Volkswagen ranked 25.
The average rating is higher for Zimmermann (4) than for OEM Volkswagen (3.5).
Brake pads Zimmermann have better feature ratings than OEM Volkswagen:
- Braking - owners believe, that this property for Zimmermann is better than OEM Volkswagen.
- Dust - drivers claim, that this property for Zimmermann is outperforms OEM Volkswagen.
- Noise - reviews suggest, that this property for OEM Volkswagen is preferred to Zimmermann.

Which brake pads are more popular — Zimmermann or OEM Volkswagen?

In March 2026 on PartReview, brake pads OEM Volkswagen were overall more popular than Zimmermann.

By vote balance, brake pads OEM Volkswagen surpassed Zimmermann:

For Zimmermann, the ratio of positive (36) to negative (6) votes is 30 votes.
For OEM Volkswagen, the ratio of positive (309) to negative (180) votes is 129 votes.

By number of reviews, brake pads OEM Volkswagen surpassed Zimmermann:

For brake pads Zimmermann there are 14 reviews: 12 positive, 0 neutral, 2 negative.
For brake pads OEM Volkswagen there are 154 reviews: 85 positive, 27 neutral, 42 negative.

Which brake pads do car owners prefer — Zimmermann or OEM Volkswagen?

In March 2026, according to PartReview, brake pads OEM Volkswagen led more car-specific ratings than Zimmermann:

OEM Volkswagen are chosen by owners of cars such as: Volkswagen Corrado, Volkswagen Phaeton, and others.

Brake pads Zimmermann have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.

Other comparisons of brake pads

If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.

For example, comparisons of brake pads Zimmermann with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech, Mintex.

Also available: comparisons of brake pads OEM Volkswagen with: EBC, POWER STOP, Akebono, Hawk Performance, Brembo, Ferodo, Bosch, STOPTECH, Carbotech, Mintex.

You can also see who is better among other brake pads manufacturers: EBC or POWER STOP, EBC or Akebono, EBC or Hawk Performance, Brembo or EBC, Akebono or POWER STOP.