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One of the most important parts of your car is your brakes.

Once your brakes break, your risk of being in a serious accident drastically increases. There are many common issues that can affect your brakes including:

• Worn brake pads
• Brake disc damage
• ABS failure
• Brake fluid contamination
• Lack of brake fluid

There are a few key signs of bad brakes that are worth looking out for. Below are some examples:

Listen out for noises

Your brakes shouldn’t be making a noise when you apply them. Grinding, squeaking or squealing could be a sign that the brake pads are worn. This is the most common brake fault and it occurs naturally after years of braking.

Don’t ignore juddering

If your car starts juddering whenever you brake, it could be an issue with the actual brake disc. The brake disc may have become warped or damaged, causing it to become uneven. Going over a pothole or curb too fast is a common cause of this. Low brake fluid may also cause juddering. This guide at Total Energies explains how to top up brake fluid.

Look out for pulling

Is your car pulling to one side when you brake? It’s possible that your brake pads or discs may be damaged on one side. Of course, steering issues can also be caused by wheel misalignment and other parts being damaged, which may only become noticeable when braking.

Consider how the pedal feels

Is your brake pedal spongy and unresponsive? This could be another sign that there isn’t enough brake fluid or that brake fluid has become contaminated. If you try to press down the brake pedal and there is resistance, this could meanwhile be a brake booster issue. This is a serious issue that a mechanic will need to look at.

Monitor your mileage

When was the last time you replaced your brake pads? Brake pads generally last between 30,000 and 70,000 miles. If you’ve done 60,000 miles in your car and never had to change the brake pads, consider whether a replacement could be overdue.

Service your vehicle

The best way to detect brake issues early is to regularly service your vehicle. A company like Collision Motoring Services will be able to inspect your brakes and make sure that they are in healthy condition. MOTs often also look out for major brake issues, but servicing can provide a more thorough inspection.

Inspect them yourself

It’s sometimes possible to detect brake issues yourself simply by looking at the wheel of your vehicle. On many cars, the brake pads are visible – look between the spokes of your wheel and you should be able to see the brake pad behind them. Does it look excessively worn? It could be time to replace your pads. Not all brake pads are clearly visible without taking the wheel off. This is something that is still possible to do yourself if you have a jack and locking wheel nuts. Check out this Halfords guide on how to change a wheel for more detailed information.

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