http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/brake-dust-a-problem-thats-not-really-a-problem/?hpw
Cliffs Notes: Joe Consumer hates brake dust, considers it a vehicle "quality" issue. JD Power considers it a quality issue, too. Ford concedes that they wrecked the Ford Focus's brake pedal feel so they could use (I assume) a different pad (it's not clear exactly what they changed), presumably to score higher in quality surveys.
People are idiots, it seems. And JD Power's "quality" metrics are dumb.
well, I just lost all faith in them. I could see it being a minor complaint.. but nothing I would dock a car for
It is pure ignorance, people want a shiny happy life, so even though brake dust is the by product of decent anchors, they bitch and moan about washing the rims, hence brake dust is now an evil thing.
Agreed. really stupid. As a product designer I wonder: could the airflow be mangaed so that air (and dust) is pulled through the wheel, across the brakes, and under the car? Instead of berkeleying the brakes up?
JD Power & Associate's ratings mean absolutely nothing to me. I consider them the American Idol of information, especially for anything automotive related.
I am an engineering student, I am completely afraid of having to design things for other people.
I think I have already made up my mind to sacrifice pay, and possibly even job stability to work at a smaller niche company so I don't have to deal with stupid stuff like this.
I hate Joe Consumer.
You could get rid of the brake dust and people would be happy, and then angry when their dust free brakes made tons of noise.
I have dealt with this same issue since I got in the business. The average goober doesn't want squeaky brakes or dusty brakes, never realizing the two are not compatible unless cubic dollars are spent.
They also expect the impossible and/or idiotic, like the guy who ran over a tree limb which punched a hole in the A/C condenser and radiator. He was convinced that there should have been a guard there to keep that from happening, thus it was a warranty issue.
And yes JD Power blows goats.
RedS13Coupe: If you're in the mechanical side of engineering, go for HVAC, plumbing, or power boilers and pressure vessels. I do HVAC and plumbing and there are far more old engineers doing this type of work then youngs ones and in the coming years will be in higher demand. Or if you want to be in imediate demand, go for the power boilers and pressure vessels and specialize in the big steam boilers, like at campuses. Theres very few of those type of engineers. You dont have to work with consumers as much, but with owners, because the're the ones hiring you to do the work.
The solution is flat black wheels. I have successfully tested this using BBQ grill flat black and re-applying as necessary. It even looks badass too. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/422/
No, the solution is silver brake pads. Engineers think they are so smart, but they miss all the easy fixes. 
In reply to Jensenman:
This reminds me of half a phone conversation I heard in a hotel restaurant a couple years back. The gist of it was that this shiny happy person talking on the phone hit a curb, hard, and broke some stuff oh his vehicle. He was very heatedly arguing that the truck was sold to him as "trail rated" so hitting a curb shouldn't cause damage and it should be covered by warranty. His tone was very aggressive and condescending so I'm sure whoever he was talking to was very happy. So, yeah, accident damage is a warranty issue to some people.
In response to this I will say:
DE-SOLV IT MOTHERberkeleyER
HAVE YOU TRIED IT?
The nice thing about Joe Consumer is that there's a LOT of them out there. With the potential of making huge $$ if you know how to deal with them.
People have expectations- not of great performace, but of not unusual maintenece. Here's another thought- lets say you have a diesel (or an early direct injection car)- is it ok to have a black bumper?
Mazda has the same problems- for fear of brake dust, they put in pads that are HORRIBLE when wet.
Basically, once asbestos was banned from brake materials, life became very, very tough.
Yes, consumers are strange folk. And are driven by preceptions in a massive way. But they also buy a whole lot of stuff.
I'm ok with JD Power, since it does give us some obscure problems that can and will be addressed to make our cars better. Mind you, I'm sure there's someone working on the brakes to give superior performance without dust. If we just accept dust, that wouldn't happen.
E-
Brakes without dust? I guess you're working on electromagnetic braking?
Willy Wonka and his everlasting break pads?
thedude wrote: You could get rid of the brake dust and people would be happy, and then angry when their dust free brakes made tons of noise.
And cost three times as much.
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