Brakes wear out gradually, which is exactly why people put off having them looked at. The pedal moves a little further, the noise becomes normal, and the car still stops. Then one wet morning it does not stop where you expected it to.
The symptoms worth acting on
A grinding noise
A high-pitched squeal on a cold, damp morning that clears after a few stops is usually surface rust and nothing more. A metallic grinding that gets worse the harder you brake means the friction material has gone and metal is now cutting into the disc. That turns a pad job into a pads-and-discs job, and it does it quickly.
A pedal that pulses or a wheel that shakes
Pulsing through the pedal under braking usually means a warped or unevenly worn disc. It is most obvious slowing from motorway speed on the A1.
The car pulling to one side
A pull under braking normally points at a sticking caliper or a collapsed flexible hose on one side. It is a safety fault, not a comfort issue, and it will fail an MOT.
A soft or sinking pedal
If the pedal creeps towards the floor while you hold it at a junction, stop driving the car and get it recovered. That is a hydraulic leak or a failing master cylinder, and it does not improve on its own.
How long brakes should last
- Front pads: typically 25,000 to 40,000 miles, less on short urban journeys.
- Rear pads: often twice the life of the fronts, though electric handbrake mechanisms complicate the job.
- Discs: commonly two sets of pads, unless they have been scored by worn-out pads.
- Brake fluid: replaced every two years regardless of mileage, because it absorbs water and its boiling point falls.
What to expect from the quote
Ask for the fault, the parts, and the labour separately. Ask whether the discs genuinely need replacing or whether the pads alone will do. Ask to see the old parts. Any garage that will not walk you through those three things is not the garage for you.
Brakes are also one of the most common MOT advisories, so if a test is due in the next couple of months it is worth having both looked at in the same visit rather than paying twice for the car to come in.