How To Tell If You Need New Brakes

Your brakes are the most important safety feature on your car. They will help you prevent accidents and faulty brakes can actually cause accidents, so it’s important to be able to tell when they start going bad. Sometimes it’s obvious, but other times you might not notice that something is wrong. One thing you don’t want to do is wait until after an accident to find out that your brakes are bad. So keep an eye out for these warning signs:

1. Appearance: Take a look at your brake pads every once in a while. It’s not hard to tell when they’re starting to wear down-if they’re less than a quarter of an inch thick, it’s time to replace them.
2. Squealing: If you hear a screeching sound when you brake, that’s another sign that your brake pads are getting worn out. Get the pads checked and replaced if you hear this noise regularly, but if you only hear the noise a few times and then it stops, it could be from sitting in rainwater for too long. That’s normal!
3. Grinding: Grinding or growling sounds usually indicate that the brake pads have been worn away completely and now the caliper and the disc are rubbing together. If this happens, you may have to get your calipers replaced.
4. Vibrating: If your brake pedal vibrates when you push it, this is a sign of warped rotors.
5. Pulling: If you find that your vehicle pulls to one side when you hit the brakes, you might have a problem with the brake line or the fluid. See your mechanic.
6. Fading: If your brakes aren’t responding as much as usual, you might have an air or fluid leak in your brake line.

If you notice any of these things, it’s important to get your brakes checked out as soon as possible. Don’t risk your safety by putting it off! Make a service appointment with our Toyota repair experts at LUV Toyota of Bradford by using the form below or calling our Bradford service department at (814) 704-0513. Please note that for a Saturday appointment, you have to give us a call.