Hella Pagid Rear Brake Pads Audi A4 A5 Q5 S4 S5

The Hella Pagid 355025381 is a rear disc brake pad set built for a long list of Audi models, from the B8 A4 and A5 through the Q5, S4, S5, and SQ5. If your rear brakes have started to sing, feel soft, or you've just pulled a wheel and seen the friction material getting thin, this is the honest, OE-grade replacement to put back on the car.

Hella Pagid isn't a bargain-bin name. It's one of the friction brands that shows up as original equipment on European cars from the factory, and this set carries the Audi OE number 8K0698451D. So you're not guessing about fit or feel. These are low-metallic pads, the same family of compound most of these cars left the dealer with. You get strong cold bite on the first stop of the morning, steady pedal feel when the brakes are hot after a long downhill, and predictable stopping that doesn't fade when you lean on it.

Who's this for? Owners and independent shops doing a straightforward rear brake job. The B8 and B8.5 platform is one of the most common Audi chassis on the road, and the rear pads wear faster than a lot of people expect because the electronic parking brake and the car's stability system both work the rear corners. If you're chasing a grinding noise or a dash warning, replacing the rear pads with a set that matches OE spec is the right move.

The set includes the mounting hardware, so you're not hunting for new clips or anti-rattle shims at the counter halfway through the job. That matters more than it sounds. Reusing old, corroded hardware is how a fresh set of pads ends up squealing or sitting crooked in the caliper. Fresh clips let the pads slide clean and seat square against the rotor.

One thing worth flagging for the DIY crowd: most of these Audis run an electronic parking brake on the rear calipers. That means you can't just wind the piston back by hand. You'll need a scan tool or the factory procedure to put the parking brake into service mode before you retract the pistons, then wake it back up when you're done. It's a five-minute step if you have the tool, and a real headache if you find out about it mid-job. Plan for it.

A few honest notes before you order. Audi built these platforms with more than one brake package, so rear pad shape can change with the car's PR number and rotor size. Match the OE number 8K0698451D, later superseded to 8K0698451G, to your car or check your build sheet before you commit. Second, plan to inspect your rotors while you're in there. If they're scored, below spec, or heat-checked, do the rotors at the same time so your new pads bed into a clean, flat surface. Third, take the time to bed the pads in properly. A series of firm slowdowns from moderate speed, letting them cool between, transfers an even layer of friction material onto the rotor and sets you up for quiet, consistent braking.

These are designed and engineered in Germany to the same standard the cars were built to. For most drivers doing normal street and highway miles, a low-metallic pad like this is the sweet spot: real stopping power, good heat tolerance, and a long, predictable service life. And if you're weighing whether it's time, rear pads on these cars often go around the 30,000 to 50,000 mile mark depending on how you drive, though heavy city miles shorten that. Pull a wheel and eyeball the friction material. If you're down near the backing plate, or the wear indicator is chirping, don't wait. Rear pads that run to metal will chew into the rotor and turn a pad-only job into pads and rotors. Order the set, grab your rotors if they need it, and knock the job out in an afternoon.