Brake ?

2012 double cab Tacoma 4x4...Just bought it with 33k ..mow at 37k ....I took a peek at the front brake pads ...there appears to be 1/4'' plus of pad visible.....I only looked thru the opening of the rim.....how close am I to needing to change them....are the stock pads bonded to the backing plate or are there rivets?....

 

That sounds like a nearly new pad to me. It is probably best to pull the wheel off and check both pads, tho, when they are more worn. How soon you need to change them depends on many factors--driving habits, conditions, etc.

 

The stock brake pads last FOREVER......I have had the same ones on since I bouht my 2011 in 2010......and I speed and brake like crazy.

 

You may want to check your pads again for thickness. If you take a ruler and look at how thick a 1/4 of an inch is, that is a lot of brake pad still left. In most states you can run your pads to 1/16 and be legal, your pads should have a thickness warning device that warns you that 1/8 of your pad is left.
According to how much you use your brakes, you could get another 4 to 6 months out of those pads. Or you could go ahead and change your pads early and not worry about the thickness of your new pads for a year or more. Good Luck.