1. Squealing or screeching noise

Almost every brake pad manufacturer includes a brake wear indicator in the pads. When these wear indicators rub against the brake rotor, you start to hear the squeal.

If you hear these squeals regularly when you brake, it’s time to take your brake pads in for an inspection. 

2. Metallic Grinding

If you hear metallic grinding or screeching instead of a squeal when you brake, consider slowing down your car to a halt immediately. 

A metallic grinding sound indicates that your brake pads are completely worn away and that your brake discs are making contact with the brake calipers. This can cause severe damage to your brake system, so you’ll have to get your car inspected as soon as possible. 

3. Thin Brake Pads

You don’t have to wait for any squealing or grinding to happen to determine if your brake pads need replacing. You can always observe and measure your braking pad to see if it’s become too thin. 

Your brake pads should be above 6.4mm (¼ inch) to function correctly. If your brake pads are thinner than 3.2mm (⅛ inch), your brakes are at serious risk of failing.

4. Indicator Lights

Some modern vehicles also have an indicator light that flashes when it’s time to change your brake pads.

However, remember that if you change your brake pads after the indicator lights up, you’ll also have to replace the indicator’s sensor. 

1. Vibration When Braking 

Vibration when you apply the brakes is another sign that your vehicle's braking system is in need of professional help. Chances are that your rotors are warped and created uneven brake pad wear at the same time.

2. Taking Longer To Stop

Another major sign that your brakes need to be checked out is loss of performance when applying the brakes. If you're experiencing less than ideal stoppage times while applying your brakes, it may mean your brake pads are worn down completely or that your brake fluid is low (often times due to a leak). For a true understanding of what's going on with your brakes, you'll want to get to a brake mechanic as soon as possible to ensure you don't lose all braking abilities.

1. The car is pulling to one side 

This could indicate one of a number of issues, not all related to the brakes. However, it is a common symptom of brake trouble and should be simple to identify. If the car pulls to one side when you apply the brakes – without manipulating the steering wheel – this likely indicates uneven wearing of your brake pads. If the car drifts to one side when the brakes aren’t engaged, your car is suffering from a different issue.

2. Brake pads are visibly thin

You can also identify worn brake pads simply by looking at them through your spokes. The brake pad will be attached to the rotor, and shouldn’t be any thinner than ¼ inch. If the pad is visibly thinner than this, you should have your pads replaced immediately. As with any brake pad problem, continuing to drive on worn or damaged brakes is incredibly dangerous, and will only become more so as time goes on.

3. Grinding noise

The grinding noise is the sound of metal on metal, and indicates brake pads which have been completely worn down. This can cause severe damage to your brake system. You will not only need new brake pads, but you will also need to have your rotors inspected for damage, with replacement rotors potentially required. Driving in this condition is incredibly hazardous; braking will naturally be much less effective, and might fail entirely.

1. Squeaking or Squealing

Most—but not all—brake pads are manufactured with built-in “wear indicators.”. Wear indicators are metal tabs located near the top of typical brake pads. When the brake pad itself wears down to a dangerous extent, the indicator will scrape against the rotor. This creates a distinctive grating noise which warns the driver that his or her current brake pads are in danger of eroding away altogether.

If this only happens rarely, the noise may just indicate a that a layer of rust has built up over the rotor – usually from moisture when the car is idle. The noise will disappear once the rust has worn off, but if it continues regularly, you should definitely have your brake pads inspected and replaced.

2. Clicking noise

In some cars, the brake pads fit snugly into a special holding device. Other vehicles keep them steady with clips, bolts, or pins. At all rates, the common goal behind these designs is to keep the brake pads from wobbling around. If they become loosened somehow (perhaps after a part of the surrounding hardware gets damaged), they’ll begin to rattle. What then results is a clicking sound that rings out whenever the brake pedal is pushed or released.

1. Warning light  

The most obvious indication is typically, a pad wear warning light will show on the car’s display board, indicating that at least one set of pads is almost worn out and require replacing. However, not all cars are equipped with pad sensors.

2. Squeaking Noise

Squeaking brakes is a common problem that is very common on most cars. There are many reasons for this such as pads stuck in the slides and not freeing off properly when you release the brake pedal causing the pad to rub the disc slightly. Also, cheap brake pads are often known to cause squeaking issues. It is always best to get even a squeak checked out as it may be the start of something more serious.

3. A loud screeching

Loud screeching sound when braking is a real warning sign that new pads could be needed, or at least require inspecting.  Some manufacturers design their pads so that there is a metal clip that touches the brakes discs as the pad wears out and the screeching noise could be warning that your pads are almost worn down to the metal backing.  This method stops the pads from going fully down to the metal and scoring your brake discs and becoming dangerous.

If you hear a grinding noise, it’s likely the pads have been worn down completely. If this happens you should not drive the vehicle and arrange for the brakes to be checked and replaced as soon as possible.

4. Visual check

It’s sometimes possible to look at the pads for wear. Depending on the wheels fitted to your vehicle, you may be able to see the outer pad by looking through the spokes of the wheel – the outer pad will be pressed against the brake disc.

5. Pulling to one side

While braking, if the vehicle feels as if it pulls to one side or the other, then you must get this checked out. Uneven pad wear will be caused by an imbalance in the braking efficiency, which needs to be checked and rectified. The most common reasons for this are seized calipers or the pads could be seized in the caliper slides.

6. Bad vibrations

If the brake pedal, the vehicle or the steering wheel vibrates when you push your foot down on it, the pads could be warped due to excessive heat buildup, there is also usually excessive wear or damage to the disc.

If you do not feel comfortable checking your brake pads, take your vehicle to a local dealership or repair shop where a professional can do it for you. Not only will replacing worn brake pads help make your car safer, it may help save money in the long run by helping prevent avoidable accidents.

How long brake pads and shoes can last will vary from vehicle to vehicle and from driver to driver. For example, if you tend to drive the most often in urban areas or in heavy commuter traffic, you’ll be engaging your brakes a lot more frequently than someone who drives in rural locations or on highways. Some people also tend to “ride the brake,” meaning they press and depress their brakes more habitually than other drivers, causing the brake pads to wear away more quickly. Brake pads are generally thought to be good between 30,000-35,000 miles in urban use. In less demanding situations like highway driving in light traffic, brakes may last 80,000 miles or more.

Here are six obvious signs to watch for:

1. Noisy brakes – Screeching sounds or a metal-on-metal grinding sound is created when the built-in wear sensors scrape against the brake disc when the pads need replacing.

2. Vibrating – A warped disc will cause the brake pedal to pulsate under light or moderate braking.

3. Longer stopping distances – If you have to push the brake pedal down to the floor, it is taking you too long to come to a stop. Because brake linings wear increasingly, it could reach the hazardous stage before you notice it.

4. Steering issues – If the steering wheel tugs or the car pulls to one side the front brake pads are worn down too far.

5. Dash Warning light – Newer cars have electronic-wear indicators if the pads wear down to a specified measurement. However, a visual inspection is still the best way to check the condition of your brakes.

6. Less than ¼” of Brake Pad - Visually check the brake pads by looking through the tire spokes. If the pads are less than a ¼ inch thick, it may be time to replace them.