6 Symptoms of Worn Brake Pads (Don't Ignore These)

Effective braking depends on quality brake pads pressing against rotors, generating friction to slow your vehicle. This friction gradually wears down pads over years of use, necessitating replacement.

How long brake pads last will depend on the brake pad material, type of vehicle, and your driving style. But without physically measuring the thickness of brake pad material, how do you know when it’s time to replace them?

Keep reading to learn the most common symptoms of worn out brake pads so you can plan getting them replaced.

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Bad Brake Pad Symptoms

Every driver should know the warning signs of worn-out brake pads. Recognizing these symptoms early can help you stay on top of brake maintenance. Here are the most common indicators that your brake pads need attention:

#1 – Increased Stopping Distances

When brake pads wear down significantly, you’ll notice your vehicle takes longer to come to a complete stop. This isn’t only an annoyance, but a big safety concern.

The main cause is a reduction in meaningful friction between each brake pad and its corresponding rotor. As the pad material thins, it loses its ability to grip the rotor effectively. This means you’ll need to apply more pressure to the brake pedal and start braking earlier to achieve the same stopping power.

#2 – Abnormal Noises

As your brake pads begin to wear, your ears become an excellent diagnostic tool. The most common red flag is a high-pitched “squeaking” or “squealing” when you apply the brakes. This sound indicates brake pad’s built-in wear indicator is doing its job.

When the pad wears down to a certain point, this metal tab contacts the rotor, creating that unmistakable sound. If you’ve been ignoring that squeal and it progresses to a grinding noise, you’ve got some trouble.

That grinding means the pad is completely worn, and metal-on-metal contact (rotor-to-backing plate) is occurring. Now instead of just dealing with replacing brake pads, rotor replacement may become necessary.

#3 – Low Brake Pedal

If you find yourself pushing the brake pedal further down before feeling any significant braking action, your brake pads are likely wearing thin. This increased pedal travel occurs because more brake fluid must be displaced to bring the worn pads into contact with the rotors.

While this symptom can also indicate other brake system issues, such as air in the lines or a master cylinder problem, worn pads are a common cause.

#4 – Scarred Rotor Surfaces

During your next tire rotation or oil change, if visible grooves, scratches, or other scarring of one or more brake rotors, brake pad replacement is likely necessitated. These scars aren’t just cosmetic; they’re evidence of metal-on-metal contact that’s been happening while braking.

Unfortunately, severely scarred rotors often can’t be saved by resurfacing and will need replacement alongside your pads.

#5 – Excessive Brake Dust Build-Up

Notice your wheels looking excessively dirty lately? That grayish-black dust coating your rims isn’t just dirt, it’s your brake pads literally turning to dust from normal braking effort.

As brake pads wear, they shed friction material, which accumulates on your wheels. While some brake dust is normal (more so with some types of pad materials), an unusually heavy build-up suggests your pads are wearing faster than they should.

Pay attention to whether this dust is evenly distributed across all wheels. If one wheel is significantly dustier than the others, it could indicate a stuck caliper or brake hose issue on that corner, causing accelerated pad wear.

#6 – Pulling Side-To-Side During Braking

If your vehicle seems to have a mind of its own when you hit the brakes (pulling to the left or right), it’s time for a brake inspection. This symptom often indicates uneven braking forces between the left and right sides of your vehicle.

Caliper/hose-related issues often result in uneven brake wear, thereby creating a side-to-side pull of this nature. Additionally, frozen or stuck brake slide pins can cause similar symptoms by preventing the pads from releasing properly.

What Do Bad Brake Pads Look Like?

Bad brake pads tend to be easily distinguishable through basic visual inspection. Pads that are significantly worn generally measure less than ¼” thick and might appear chipped, or otherwise noticeably compromised. Some brake pads feature wear bars which are cut into the center of each pad’s friction surface. When wear exceeds normal thresholds, this wear bar will no longer be evident.

It can also be helpful to keep an eye out for a heavy accumulation of brake dust on one or more of a vehicle’s rims. Abnormal production of brake dust at a single wheel end often indicates the presence of a seized brake caliper, or brake hose-related issues. In turn, a close examination of the vehicle in question’s brake pads will be necessitated.

worn brake pads — Almost completely worn pads (rotor damage is very likely).

How Long Do Brake Pads Typically Last?

The longevity of a vehicle’s brake pads is largely dependent upon the manner in which it is driven. For example, the brake pads on a vehicle driven in continuous stop-and-go traffic can be expected to wear far faster than those found on a vehicle that primarily logs highway miles, where less braking is necessitated.

Brake pad material also affects its lifespan. For example, organic pads are popular because they’re usually inexpensive, quiet, and cause low brake dust. But they generally have the shortest lifespan. Ceramic pads on the other hand are more expensive but will often outlast other pad types under similar conditions.

Generally speaking, you can expect your vehicle’s front brake pads to last approximately 30,000-50,000 miles, while rear pads tend to have a longevity of 40,000-70,000 miles.

This discrepancy lies in the fact that a vehicle’s front brake pads typically sustain higher forces under most braking applications, thus sustaining a higher rate of wear and tear.

Measuring brake pad thickness (this one looks good).

Should Pads Wear Evenly On Every Wheel?

Yes, under ideal conditions, a vehicle’s brake pads should wear in a rather uniform pattern.

This being said, a vehicle’s front brake pads will almost always wear faster than those on the rear. This is due to the fact that a vehicle’s front brakes are typically tasked with handling a greater amount of force, with every stop, due to uneven weight distribution across the length of the vehicle itself.

You might also notice that the inner or outer brake pad within a given caliper wear to a slightly higher degree than inner/outer counterpart. This discrepancy in wear should be considered normal, if not extreme in nature. Wear of this type occurs naturally due to typical caliper movement across its associated slide pins.

Any excessive brake wear at a particular wheel end, when compared to that of the remaining three wheel ends, should be cause for concern. Wear of this type often signifies a brake caliper/brake hose-related failure. Further diagnosis will be required to identify the source of such issues.

Consequences of Ignoring Worn Brake Pads

Neglecting to replace your vehicle’s brake pads is a decision you should never make. It’s not only potentially costly but also poses a significant safety risk. The expense of brake pad replacement is minimal compared to the potential consequences of knowingly ignoring this critical maintenance issue.

When brake pads aren’t changed in a timely manner, they typically wear down to the point where their metal backing plates make direct contact with the brake rotor’s surface. This causes almost instant damage to the rotor, necessitating its replacement.

Furthermore, your vehicle’s brake calipers can also become compromised in a similar fashion, as their individual pistons may overextend due to the lack of pad material. And brake caliper replacement isn’t cheap.

Even more important to consider is the possible safety ramifications associated with continuing to operate a vehicle despite knowing that its brake pads are in poor condition.

As brake pads wear beyond a reasonable degree, their ability to create the necessary friction with the brake rotors diminishes significantly. In turn, stopping distances increase, putting you and others at risk on the road.

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Josh Boyd

Josh has worked as a full-time mechanic for over 12 years, with 6 ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certifications under his belt. He began his career as an automotive technician at local Toyota dealership and has since transitioned to specializing in diesel trucks and equipment.

6 Symptoms of Worn Brake Pads (Don’t Ignore These)