BRAKE FAQ: A company would not sell an unsafe brake pad?

Not true, some inexpensive brake pad manufacturers are constantly playing the odds game by weighing profit against braking performance. Their pads may perform well during normal operating conditions like city and highway driving, but if the pads encounter a situation like a panic stop or steep hill decent, they could fail or have longer than normal stopping distances. This is because they might not have spent the money for testing or on quality raw materials. They are betting that you might not encounter extreme conditions. Would you really want to “call their bluff” when you have to go “all in” during a panic stop?

In the United States, there are no federally mandated laws that regulate the performance of replacement brake pads. The burden of selecting a safe replacement brake pad is up to the shop and driver.