Your car’s brakes are one of the most critical safety systems on your vehicle. Thankfully, there are usually some clear signs to let you know when your brakes need to be serviced or replaced.
“Brake maintenance is one of your top priorities when your car goes in for routine car services,” says Johnny Pretorius, Sales Director of MotorHappy, a supplier of motor management solutions and car insurance options. “Most car maintenance plans include wear and tear parts, like brake pads, in their offerings. Service plans include the inspection of brakes and topping up brake fluids, but not the replacement of wear and tear parts.”
A maintenance plan is far more inclusive than a service plan. It covers the parts and labour costs of servicing a car, as well as replacing parts that have a natural wear cycle like wiper blades, globes and fuses, clutch, gearbox, electrical components, batteries, etc. These plans are good for cars with higher mileage or expensive cars that are known to have high-cost parts.
Below are the top 3 signs that your brakes need replacing:
1. The car shakes when you stop. This could indicate an issue with the rear brakes. You can usually tell if it’s your rear brakes by gently applying pressure to the emergency brake. If your car shakes when you stop, you need to get them checked by a specialist auto care mechanic to ensure your safety.
2. Your car makes a noise when you stop. This is one of the most obvious indicators that your brakes should be replaced. The noise that you hear is caused by a component called a wear indicator which is attached to most brake pads. The initial warning squeal means that you have time to make it safely to a mechanic for repair.
3. Your steering wheel shakes when applying pressure to the breaks. This is another common indicator that your brakes need a service or need replacing completely. This symptom occurs to practically any make or model of car if there’s an issue with the brakes. The steering wheel shakes because of warped front rotors. In many cases, this can indicate that your brakes need servicing rather than full replacement and can be dealt with through pad refinishing. However, if the issue is caused by rust, then a full brake replacement may be required.