When you press your brake pedal, you expect your vehicle to glide to a stop, but what if one day it didn’t? Properly functioning, well-maintained brakes are vital for your safety as well as the safety of others on the road. A brake failure at the wrong time could be catastrophic, and one of the best ways to avoid said failure is through regular brake service.
The recommended brake service interval will depend on your vehicle, driving conditions, and driving habits,
along with the average expected lifespan of the brake system products and components installed on your car.
Check your vehicle owner’s manual for brake service frequency recommendations. Expect to find guidance for
both distance and timed inspection and service intervals. Vehicles that are driven further and more often
should have their brakes checked more frequently than cars that are not used as much, although even garaged
cars that are rarely driven should still have brake inspections before use.
Most vehicles driven under average conditions should have a brake check and service every 12 months or every
24,000 kilometers (15,000 miles), whichever comes first.
How you drive and the conditions you drive in directly correlate to your brake health and longevity. Brakes
are one area of your vehicle that can be significantly affected by your driving habits.
If you tend to ride your brakes, the rotors can overheat and warp, generating a strong vibration while
braking. This problem is especially common when driving downhill but can be alleviated by using a lower gear.
Brake pads can also take a beating if you brake late and make quick, hard stops. The harder you press the
brake pedal, the more friction and heat your brake pads are exposed to as they work to stop your vehicle. The
excess heat shortens the brake pad lifespan compared to more gradual, gentle stops.
Towing or hauling heavier loads in your vehicle increases your stopping distance and requires you to use extra
braking force, which in turn wears down brake pads. Consider upgrading your brake pads if you haul heavy loads
frequently.
Weather too plays a factor in brake lifespan. Although the ambient temperature is lower during rainy or snowy
days than it would be on a dry, sunny day, your brakes can be exposed to more heat. The increased stopping
distance needed for slick roads means more time pressing the brake pedal and more heat-generating friction for
your rotors to disperse. That said, on extremely hot summer days, although the brake system is generating less
heat than it would on a wet day, dispersing that heat through already pre-heated rotors is less efficient.
Ultimately, an overabundance of driving on either wet days or very hot days can put additional strain on your
brakes and cause you to need a brake service sooner than the standard recommendation.
In addition to the owner’s manual distance and time recommendations, there are other ways to tell if your
vehicle is due for a brake service. The next time you drive your vehicle, notice the sounds, vibrations, and
overall feel of the brakes when you are braking. Learning what your car’s “normal” is like sets you up to more
easily recognize if something is wrong.
A failing brake system component will usually exhibit pre-failure indicators that an alert and aware driver
can recognize. Schedule a brake repair inspection if you notice any of the following warning signs:
*Brake pads come with built-in wear indicator strips that generate a squealing type of noise when they contact the rotor. The strips are designed to alert the driver that the brake pads are nearing the end of their useful life and need to be replaced.
Not all brake jobs are created equal. A basic annual inspection will take less time than if you need your brake pads replaced, rotors serviced, and a brake system fluid flush. On average, expect a brake service to take one hour per axle, so allow at least two hours for your car or truck to be worked on.
When you bring your vehicle in for brake service, let us know if you are here for routine maintenance or if
you have noticed specific warning signs and problems we need to address.
We offer complete repair and maintenance service for brakes including:
Our highly trained technicians can service the most complex modern braking systems. We take care of your brake needs, delivering maintenance and repair work to keep you and your vehicle safe on the road. Please send us a message or give us a call to get your next brake inspection and maintenance appointment on the books.