Front pad lifespan.

[Yaris Hilton]

Originally Posted by o89canucks

The rotors can still get warped or glaze over without wearing much of the actual pad surface off.

It's pretty much unheard of for disk brake rotors to actually warp. They get irregular patches of brake pad material deposited on the surface when used hard, especially if left with the pads in stationary contact with them while hot (i.e., the car's stopped for a bit after making a hard panic stop), and that makes the car shudder and pedal pulsate. Turning the rotor takes that off and gives a clean new surface, but they may also clean up with gentle normal use for a while, or with vigorous cleaning.