Brake Repair - Warning Signs That Your Brakes Are Bad

Most of us take our car brakes for granted. We use our brakes as much as any other piece of safety equipment in our car, and when something goes wrong with our brakes, most of us are dead in the water. Not literally dead in a body of water, but this is in the realm of possibility if your car can't stop when driving near a lake. While you may not have the mechanical ability to maintain, replace or repair your own braking system, you can at least understand what the mechanic is telling you when you bring your car in for a brake repair job.

First off, when your brakes become worn out, they generally will give you plenty of warning signs and indicators long before they simply go out and leave you with no stopping power. Heed these warning signs and keep yourself and everyone else on the road with you safe by getting some brake repair as soon as possible if you notice something wrong.

Warning sign number one is when your car brakes grab when applied. Grabbing is a warning sign that your rotors have been either improperly scored or your brake pads themselves are too thin. It is also possible that other fluids have gotten into your brake shoes or lining and is interfering with your car's braking power. While there are multiple brake repair solutions to this problem, it is a fairly simple job that can be done by trained professionals in your local garage.

Another warning sign is a car that pulls to one side. If you have eliminated the other causes for a car to pull, such as low tire pressure or a misalignment, your next step is to have the brakes checked by someone who knows what they're looking at.

An additional warning sign of bad brakes that need repair is slow stopping power. If your brakes are slow to respond and you can’t safely stop when you try, your brakes are showing definite signs of damage.

If your car squeals when you apply pressure to or release your foot from the brakes, you've got another warning sign. The noise has been compared to fingernails on a chalkboard – very loud and very annoying. This is the last real warning that your brakes will give you before your brakes are gone completely. By this point, your car brake pads are so thin – probably less than 2mm – that they are wearing against the metal rotors of the brake system. If you have reached this stage, your car needs to be towed to a mechanic for brake repair immediately and shouldn’t be driven any longer.

If you are experiencing any of the above warning signs of bad brakes, you should take your car in to your mechanic and have it checked thoroughly. Following this, you can safely get back on the road without presenting a hazard to yourself or anyone else on the road.