Worn Brake Pads
Worn brake pads mean the friction material is near or below its service limit. This can cause squealing, grinding, longer stopping distance, brake warning lights, or rotor damage if ignored.
Can I Drive?
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Most Likely Causes
- 1
Normal pad wear
Brake pads wear down with mileage and stop-and-go driving.
- 2
Sticking caliper slides or piston
A sticking caliper can wear one pad faster than the other.
- 3
Driving with heavy loads or frequent braking
Towing, hills, city driving, and aggressive braking increase pad wear.
- 4
Incorrect pad material or missing hardware
Wrong pads, missing shims, or bad clips can accelerate wear or create noise.
How to Diagnose It
- 1
Measure pad thickness
Inspect inner and outer pads on both sides. Inner pads often wear faster and may not be visible through the wheel.
Tool: Brake gauge, jack stands
- 2
Inspect rotors and hardware
Look for scoring, grooves, heat spots, seized slide pins, missing clips, or uneven wear.
Tool: Flashlight, basic tools
- 3
Listen for wear indicator or grinding
A high-pitched squeal can be a wear tab; grinding usually means the pad is gone and rotor damage has started.
Tool: Observation
How to Fix It
Replace pads before metal contact
Install correct pads and hardware before backing plates contact the rotors.
Service or replace rotors as needed
Replace or resurface rotors if they are below spec, grooved, warped, or damaged by metal contact.
Repair caliper slide or piston problems
Clean/lubricate slide pins where allowed or replace sticking calipers so new pads wear evenly.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not replace only the outside pad you can see; inspect inner pads too.
- Do not put new pads on badly damaged rotors.
- Do not ignore a grinding brake noise.