Brake pads and rotors
Pads and rotors are the Miata's most frequent brake job, and owners argue about pads more than almost anything. This page lists the kits two sellers offer and what owners reported about pads. It is not a repair guide.
How to read it. Seller descriptions are from their own pages, and owner accounts from Miata.net forum threads, both read on 1 October 2026 and dated below. Owners disagree, and none of it was tested by me. There are no prices on this page.
Replacement kits
| Seller | What it says it offers | Fits (as stated) |
|---|---|---|
| Moss Miata, stock replacement kits | semi-metallic pads and aftermarket plain rotors, bundled; it says they fit exactly like OEM and cost less than Mazda parts, and recommends replacing pads and rotors together. 12-month warranty, not covering labor | by rotor size: NA 1.6 (1990-93) 235 mm front and 231 mm rear; NA 1.8 (1994-97) 255 and 251; NB without sport brakes 255 and 251; NB sport brakes 270 and 276 |
| Moss Miata, uprated kit | Brembo-brand replacement rotors and aftermarket ceramic pads, front and rear. The page says it fits 1990-2002 but lists the same rotor sizes through 2005, so check the fit with Moss | NA 1.6, NA 1.8, NB, NB sport brakes (by rotor size) |
RSpeed lists complete front-and-rear brake kits and Flyin' Miata sells big brake kits, per search results; I did not open them.
What owners say about pads
From "Brake Pad Experience/Reviews" (July to September 2018, NA and NB; I read the first part). One long-time owner reviewed the pads he had used, and others replied. These are individual opinions, and several posters disagreed:
- Factory pads. He found them inexpensive, quiet, almost dust-free and long-wearing, but with poor initial bite.
- Hawk. The Hawk HP and HP+ gave good bite on the street but made noise and a great deal of dust, and he called HP+ the dustiest he had used and hard on rotors. Other posters said Hawk dust can also harm wheel finish.
- Porterfield R4-S. Some owners liked them; others found weak initial bite, heavy pedal effort and dust. A poster who liked them said to bed them in as the seller says, while another reported the maker told him no bedding was needed.
- Carbon-kevlar pads (G-LOC, Carbotech). The reviewer rated his street G-LOC pads very low in dust and noise and good in bite, but said they need clean rotors, either new or scrubbed of old pad material, so a transfer layer can form. Other posters said Carbotech race pads dust and can squeal loudly.
- StopTech. Several posters liked the 309, a street and track pad, saying it worked on both. The reviewer noted it comes with shims and clips, but another said its dust is medium, and posters disagreed about how to bed it in; the maker publishes its own procedure.
- Others. Posters also named Power Stop Z26 for low dust on the street, EBC pads (opinions split), and one owner who found a seller's bundled complete brake package dusty.
- Tires and use matter. Posters stressed that pads feel different depending on the car's setup, tires and driving.
Not covered yet
- Brake lines, fluid, and caliper rebuild parts for the NA and NB.
- Brake kits for the NC and ND.
- Sticking NC caliper pins have their own page: brake caliper slide pins.
© 2026 Fischer Interactive LLC. Written for the Ref Sensor app's Miata users. The seller's page is the authority.