4 Brake Problems You Can Diagnose Just By Listening
BY BENJAMIN GRACIAS SEPT. 16, 2025 10:25 PM EST
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Brakes are an important component of your car, as they allow you to stop safely and in time. However, brake components wear over time, especially brake pads in the case of disc brakes and brake shoes for drum brakes. It is critical to identify component wear and replace them on time, as ignoring them could lead to a cascading effect of failures.
Manufacturers do provide a replacement timeline for brake components, like other car components. However, depending on your driving style, your brakes could see accelerated wear, necessitating replacement well before the recommended timeline. Thankfully, moving parts emit a noise, and in the case of brake components, they use friction to slow down vehicles, a byproduct of which is heat and noise. A worn-down or damaged brake component will emit a unique sound.
Knowing these sounds will help you better diagnose specific brake issues and rectify them before they cause further damage or, worse, brake failure. We will mainly focus on disc brake equipped vehicles as most modern vehicles have stopped using drum brakes. Different brake noises indicate different brake issues. Some common ones are grinding, squeaking, thumping, rattling, clicking, and squealing.
Brake grinding
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One of the most obvious tells is a grinding noise or the sound of metal-on-metal scraping. It is a noise that you not just hear but feel through the steering wheel in case of the front brakes grinding. A common reason for this is worn-out brake pads. A brake pad contains a composition of friction material with a metal backing plate that provides structural support. The composite friction material rubs against the metal disc, and its friction stops the vehicle. Different brake pad materials exist, like ceramic and organic brake pads. The composite friction material is designed to wear away, and once it does, the metal backing plate rubs against the metal disc, leading to a grinding sound. This metal-to-metal contact can damage the brake disc, which will be far more expensive to replace than the brake pads. The solution is to replace the brake pads ASAP.
Another reason for the grinding noise could be due to foreign objects like a tiny stone getting lodged between the brake pads and disc, causing it to grind against the latter. It’s a simple fix and does not necessitate any brake component replacement. If you hear a rubbing sound while driving your car after it’s been stationary for a long time, rust has likely built up on the surface of your brake disc. Driving around in traffic and braking in between should get rid of the rust and consequent noise.
Brake squeaking/squealing
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A squeaking noise while braking is commonly diagnosed with low-quality brake pads. Besides poor braking performance, low-quality brake pads tend to emit a squeaking noise. Another reason could be the brake wear indicator on the pad coming in contact with the metal disc. Also called metal squealers, these are small tabs on the pads that give out a high-pitched squeal, indicating it’s time to change your brake pads. A chirping noise, which is similar to a squealing noise. It could be due to a foreign object, like a loose brake hose, coming in contact with the rotating wheel or disc. A good way to identify this issue is to check if the intensity of the chirping noise changes with vehicle speed.
A groaning or creaking noise isn’t necessarily caused by a brake issue. It could be due to worn-out wheel bearings or suspension components. Braking can induce this sound as while slowing down, the suspension components move as well. Get the vehicle on a jack and rotate the wheel to check for bearing noise. If that’s not the problem, check suspension parts like ball joints and control arm bushes. If you hear a hissing sound while braking, it could be due to a vacuum leak in the brake booster. A damaged vacuum hose or a torn diaphragm would cause air to leak out, causing the hissing sound. Another way to diagnose it is the loss of brake boost, causing the brake pedal to feel abnormally stiff to operate.
Brake thumping/rattling
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A clunking or thumping noise could be due to a loose brake caliper bolt, which tightening it could solve the issue. A rattling issue could be diagnosed as improperly installed brake pads, calipers, or anti-rattle clips, causing the brake pads to move from their original position while braking. This is a serious issue that could lead to poor braking, the vehicle pulling to one side under braking, or even brake failure. A rattling noise could also be due to warped disc brakes, causing the brake pads to hit against parts of the disc. This will also lead to vibrations felt in the brake pedal and steering wheel. A disc resurfacing or replacement could be needed in this case. That said, thumping or rattling issues are more likely to be due to loose suspension components than brakes.
An uncommon sound is a moaning or low groaning sound accompanied by low stopping power. This could be due to glazed brake pads, where instead of a rough friction surface, the brake pads have a mirror-like, shiny surface. This happens due to frequent hard braking or riding the brake pedal, which overheats the brake pad surface to a point that it deteriorates and glazes over. While a temporary fix is to sand the glazed surface off, it is advisable to replace the brake pads entirely.
Another uncommon sound, but one found in ABS-equipped vehicles, is a rapid grinding sound when ABS kicks in. While this is an indicator of the ABS working properly, the phenomenon is reserved for high-speed braking or braking over low-traction surfaces. If it is a common occurrence and even happens at low speeds, it could be due to a faulty ABS or wheel speed sensor.
Good brakes save lives
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Brakes are vital parts of your car, and while it’s one thing to diagnose issues with your braking system, it’s another to prevent these issues from cropping up. There are some pre-emptive steps to ensure your brakes remain in top-notch condition. It starts with the following driving habits that ensure your brakes have a long, consistent life.
Firstly, avoid hard braking. Slamming on the brakes like your life depended on it puts excessive strain on your braking system, especially your brake pads (shoes in the case of drum brakes). This leads to excessive wear, necessitating a premature replacement of the brake pads. Keeping a safe distance from the car ahead helps you plan better in emergency braking scenarios, giving you ample time to react and gradually bring the car to a stop. Gradual braking goes a long way in preserving your brakes.
The best way to preserve your brakes is to use them as little as possible. While it might seem stupid, anticipating your stops and lifting off the accelerator gradually slows your vehicle to a point where it can stop by itself. Engine braking is your friend, and can save you if your brakes fail at highway speed. Learning to use it along with your brakes exponentially increases your braking efficiency and life. Avoid clutching in while braking, as it simply releases your vehicle from engine braking and actually ends up increasing your vehicle’s speed. Beware, though, you can do engine braking wrong too. Other hygienic driving tips are keeping your foot off the brake pedal. A constant pressure on your brake pedal, however light, causes the brake pads to rub with the disc, and prolonged exposure leads to them overheating, causing excessive wear.
Read More: https://www.jalopnik.com/1964304/diagnose-brake-problems-by-sound/
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