BMW X3 Brake Pads: Specs, Fitment & Wear Symptoms

A genuinely important, technical finding: once the wear sensor's first internal wear event triggers, it genuinely cannot be reused, even if it still looks intact — plus a useful fix for failed resets caused simply by the handbrake not being fully released.

Generation covered: this guide is for the third-generation X3 (G01, 2018–present), with particular focus on 2018–2023 registered examples now old enough for parts to be a common search. Check your logbook or VIN if you're unsure which generation you have.

Illustration for editorial purposes

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — front pads (aftermarket) Brembo P 06 093 / Bosch 0 986 494 940

Accuracy note: Covers the BMW X3 (G01 2017 on) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Front brake pads are sold by caliper system (ATE / Teves, TRW / Lucas, Bosch, Akebono, Brembo etc.) and by pad size, and one model usually has two or three pad sizes depending on engine, brake size and trim — a wrong size will not fit the caliper. The references below are UK aftermarket catalogue listings for this generation, labelled by brand with their width x height x thickness in mm; genuine numbers are shown only where a listing quotes one. Measure the old pad or check the caliper system against your VIN before ordering, and fit a new wear sensor where the set is only 'prepared for' one.

Front brake pads (aftermarket)	Brembo P 06 093 (129 x 70-75 x 18 mm, wear sensor prepared, TRW/Lucas/Girling system, WVA 25617/25618); Brembo P 06 099 (126 x 95 x 20 mm, wear sensor prepared, Brembo system, WVA 22425); Brembo P 06 106 (125 x 117 x 20 mm, wear sensor prepared, Brembo system, WVA 22392); Bosch 0 986 494 940 (128.5 x 70.8-76.1 x 18.35 mm, wear sensor not stated, WVA 25617); TRW GDB2098 (129 x 70.4-75.4 x 18.5 mm, wear sensor prepared, TRW restriction); ATE 13.0460-2601.2 (129 x 70.1-75.1 x 18.5 mm, wear sensor prepared and not included, TRW/Lucas/Girling system); ATE 13.0460-4897.2 (125.9 x 94.5 x 20.3 mm, wear sensor prepared and not included, Brembo system); Ferodo FDB4689 (129.1 x 17.7 mm, height not listed, wear sensor prepared, TRW/Lucas/Girling system)
Pad sizes & variants	Three sizes. 129 x 70-75 x 18 mm (TRW/Lucas/Girling-system calipers; Brembo P 06 093, Bosch 0 986 494 940, TRW GDB2098, ATE 13.0460-2601.2, Ferodo FDB4689, febi 16908), 126 x 95 x 20 mm (Brembo system; Brembo P 06 099, ATE 13.0460-4897.2) and 125 x 117 x 20 mm (Brembo system, largest brakes; Brembo P 06 106).
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order genuine pads against your VIN
Fitment notes	The Brembo-system 126 and 125 mm pads go with the larger brakes; Sets are only prepared for a wear sensor, so a contact is separate. No Pagid, Textar, Mintex or Delphi front sets; Ridex is rear only.

A Part Everyone Owns but Few Understand

Almost every BMW X3 driver knows brake pads wear out eventually. Fewer know what the early warning signs actually sound and feel like, which is exactly why so many pads get replaced only after they've already started damaging the disc underneath.

Before you buy: pad size and compound vary by trim, engine size and whether your car has the standard or "sport" brake package. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

BMW X3 Brake Pads: What They Do

On the BMW X3, brake pads clamp against the discs to convert the car's momentum into heat, slowing it down. They're a deliberately wearing part — designed to sacrifice themselves gradually rather than let the far more expensive disc take the damage.

BMW X3 Brake Pads: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: BMW X3 Front Brake Rotor & Pad Replacement DIY (2018-2023 BMW G01 X3 xDrive30i, sDrive30i)

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G01 front pads and rotors

Common Sizes

Standard trims (front)	Varies by engine — confirm via VIN

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A Genuinely Important, Technical Finding Worth Knowing — BMW X3 Brake Pads

If a brake pad wear warning won't clear despite fitting new pads, this is genuinely worth knowing: the wear sensor itself works through three internal electrical stages, moving from a fresh, low-resistance state through a first wear event, triggering a yellow warning, and finally to a fully open circuit, triggering a red warning. Critically, once that first wear event has genuinely occurred, the sensor cannot be reused or reset again, even if it still looks physically intact and undamaged to the eye — worth knowing this is why a sensor that appears fine can still need replacing alongside the pads themselves.

A genuinely useful finding worth checking before assuming a genuine fault: many failed reset attempts are simply down to the handbrake still being engaged, even if it looks released — the car needs to be in park with the handbrake fully off for the reset process to complete successfully, worth double-checking this specific detail before assuming the sensor or the car's computer is at fault.

It's also genuinely worth knowing an honest account worth being aware of: aftermarket and budget sensors, particularly cheaper ones bought online, have been documented as genuinely hit and miss when it comes to resetting properly, even though the sensor itself doesn't technically need to know which specific pad brand is fitted. Worth sticking with a genuine sensor specifically for this reason if you've had trouble getting a reset to complete with a cheaper alternative.

BMW X3 Brake Pads: Wear Symptoms, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Brake Pads Guide for warning signs to watch for, confirming fitment against your VIN, and R90-certified aftermarket brands worth trusting.

More BMW Brake Pads

The same part, covered across other BMW models.