> before that there were also issues with asbestos in brakes, but thankfully those haven't been used since the 90s as far as I know

I’d be careful with assuming that. A lot of consumables are imported directly from China, and the cost of car maintenance can be eye-watering, so it’s exactly the type of part I’d expect to be procured as cheaply as possible.

People care about the brand of tyres on their car, I don’t even know of any brake pad brands.