Hella 355014031 Front Brake Pads | Tiguan Passat Q3

The Hella 355014031 is a front-axle disc brake pad set built to OE spec for the VW Tiguan, VW Passat, and Audi Q3. If your front brakes are getting thin or your wear sensor light just came on, this is the set that puts you back to factory feel without guesswork.

These are low-metallic pads. That compound gives you strong, predictable stopping power and handles heat well on the daily commute and the occasional loaded highway run. The friction material is bonded to a steel backing plate that's shaped to the exact caliper this platform uses, so the pads drop in without shimming or filing. Braking feel is firm from cold and stays consistent as the pads warm up on a longer drive. Hella has been making friction parts for European vehicles for a long time, and it shows in the fit.

Fitment is the whole game with brake pads, so here's the short version. This set covers the front axle on the Volkswagen Tiguan (2009 to 2018 first generation), the Volkswagen Passat (2012 to 2018), and the Audi Q3 (2015 to 2018, including the Q3 Quattro). It replaces OE part numbers 5N0698151, 5N0698151A, 5N0698151B, and 5N0698151C. If your current pads carry one of those numbers, you're in the right place. Always double-check against your own vehicle before you order, since VW and Audi ran more than one caliper across these years.

The set includes the integrated pad wear sensor, which is the piece a lot of budget sets leave out. That sensor is what triggers the dash warning when the lining gets low, and running without one means you lose that early heads-up. Getting it in the box saves you a second order and a second trip under the car. If your old pads still have the sensor wired in, transfer the connector to the new one during the swap.

A quick word on the numbers, since brake pads live and die on precise measurements. These pads carry WVA reference 24333, with lining thicknesses around 20.6 mm and 19.9 mm and a pad width near 155.1 mm. Those figures match the factory caliper window on these cars, which is why the set seats square against the rotor and wears evenly across the face. Undersized or uneven pads are what cause pulsing and early lip wear, and that's the whole reason to buy to the correct reference instead of a generic close-enough pad.

Install is straightforward for anyone comfortable with a caliper. Pop the caliper, compress the piston, swap the pads and the sensor, and torque everything to spec. We always recommend fresh anti-rattle hardware and a thin film of brake grease on the backing plates and slide pins to keep things quiet. Once they're on, bed them in properly. A series of moderate stops from about 35 mph, letting the brakes cool between them, seats the friction material to the rotor and prevents glazing. Skip that step and you'll chase a squeal you didn't need to have.

Who's this for? Owners who want a proper OE-grade replacement and don't want to overthink it. It's a sensible, no-drama pad that brakes clean and lasts. If you tow with your Tiguan or run a lot of stop-and-go city miles, low-metallic is a smart pick because it sheds heat and holds up under repeated hard stops. Just know that any metallic-content pad throws a little more dust than a ceramic, so plan on rinsing your wheels a bit more often if you like them spotless.

Bottom line: it's the right pad for these three platforms, it comes with the wear sensor, and it fits like the factory part because it's built to the same numbers. Order the set, grab some hardware and grease, and you'll have a front brake job that feels exactly like it should.