When should brake pads be replaced?

Brake pads are wear parts. How long they last depends on the car and how you drive. Lots of city driving wears them faster than country roads. A rule of thumb is 30,000-70,000 km for the front brakes and up to twice that for the rear.

But mileage is only a guide. The signs are what you should look out for.

Five signs of worn brake pads

1. Squealing when you brake

Many brake pads have a small metal tab, a wear indicator, that starts squealing against the disc when the pad is nearly worn. It is your car telling you it is time.

2. Grinding or scraping

A metallic grinding noise often means the pad is completely worn and metal is scraping on metal. You are damaging the discs with every kilometre. Drive to the garage straight away.

3. The warning light comes on

Many cars have an electronic sensor in the pads. When the light comes on, you usually have a few hundred kilometres before it becomes critical.

4. The car pulls to one side

If the car pulls to one side when braking, it may be uneven wear, a sticking caliper or a leaking brake hose.

5. The pedal feels different

If the pedal vibrates, the discs may be warped. If it feels soft or travels far, there may be air or moisture in the brake fluid. Both need checking soon.

Can you see how worn they are?

On many cars you can look through the wheel and see the brake pad pressed against the disc. If there is less than 3-4 mm of friction material left, it is time for new ones. If the disc looks grooved or has a clear lip on the outer edge, it is probably worn too.

Why you should not wait

A set of brake pads does not cost much. Drive on worn pads for too long and you ruin the discs, which doubles the bill. More importantly, your braking distance gets longer exactly when you need it most.

We do a free brake check while you wait. You get a fixed price before we replace anything, and we only replace what is worn.