My OEM rear brake pads are much, much thinner than my fronts. I have an 02' 1.8T Q Tip w/ 30k - pads never changed. I always thought the fronts did a majority (like 75/25 split) of the work. Are the back pads much softer than the OEM fronts? Is it the damned ESP system braking in back for me? Of course I attempted to get an explanation from the dealer, but everyone knows what the said - "It's normal." Any help understanding this would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

The rear pads are smaller , less area to "grind" off from brake wear. They can go down quicker. Depends on your braking habbits

 

For some reason the braking on B6's is rear-biased. You probably have noticed a faster buildup of brake dust on the rear wheels, and the same on other B6's in you area.

I believe that ESP contributes - I had the ESP turned off 100% of the time for a week, and noticed that the buildup on the rears was considerably less. Still faster than on the fronts, but only a little. This may have been psychological, but the car also felt more nimble and responsive. I run with ESP off most of the time now.