3 Most Common Brake Noises: Causes and How to Fix Them

Eddie spent 35 years in the automotive business with Honda. He is an ASE certified master technician and has bruised knuckles to prove it.

Why Are My Brakes Making Noise?

“My brakes squeak” is one of the most common complaints I hear about brakes. Brake noises can be annoying, but they can also alert us of potentially dangerous issues. It's best to play it safe and have your brake noises checked by a trusted mechanic.

In this article, I cover three of the most common brake noises I encounter on a daily basis and try to shed some light on what the repair process looks like for each. Some of the repair techniques I share here are unorthodox, and you will never find them in a service manual or Technical Service Bulletin. If you decide to try them, please be cautious and safe.

Now, let’s take a quick look at the three most common problems that cause noisy brakes. Each is discussed at length in the sections that follow. Helpful videos are included throughout the article, and an FAQ section and a list of related articles can be found at the bottom of this page.

The 3 Most Common Brake Noises and What They Mean

1. Grinding Noise When Brakes Are Applied
2. Thumping Noise From the Rear When Braking
3. Squeaking Noise While Braking or Driving

Other Noises That May Not Be Related to Your Brakes

1. Thumping or Squealing Caused by Rotors Rusting Overnight
2. Scraping Noise While Driving or Turning

1. Grinding Noise When Brakes Are Applied

Hearing a grinding noise when you apply your brakes is really like hitting a rumble strip on the edge of the highway; if you hear this, you need to wake up and stop driving! A grinding noise on braking is usually caused by a lack of brake pad material; the pads and rotors are now metal to metal, with no braking material left.

Why Do Brake Pads Wear Down?

Brake pads are like bars of soap. Eventually, they get used up, and you have to spend a little money to replace them. If you don’t, and your brakes get to the point of grinding, just imagine dollar signs rising into the air every time you step on the brake pedal, even just a little.

How to Fix it

Think of the grinding noise as a little voice in your ear whispering, ”You’re killing me!” Mechanics have an acronym for this, it’s called CPR (calipers, pads, and rotors). And when you get the bill for your brake job, you just might need CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation)!

If your brakes are grinding, stop driving and call a tow truck. The cost of the tow will be worth it in the long run. If you're lucky, you'll just need to have your brake pads replaced. You are supposed to replace the pads so they don’t grind your rotors down to a tissue. If you replace your pads on time, you can often keep your rotors. If you've been driving and braking despite the grinding noise for a while, expect to replace your rotors and maybe some other parts as well.

What Happens When You Let That Grinding Noise Go on Too Long

2. Thumping Noise From the Rear When Braking

This brake issue is one that will annoy the heck out of the driver and suck the life out of the technician. Initially, it took me months to figure out what was causing the thumping noise in the rear of a vehicle. After tearing apart the rear of the vehicle, lubing every bushing, and checking the clearances of every part imaginable, I came to the conclusion that it was the rear drums causing the noise.

What Are Drum Brakes?

Many cars have drum brakes in the back. In drum brakes, a shoe stops the car by pressing on the inside of a metal drum. Brake drums, like rotors, get resurfaced once in a while. The cutting bit on the brake lathe removes the old braking surface and leaves a nice, new mating surface. During this procedure, the cutting bit creates a groove in the brake drum so slight that the naked eye can’t see it; it’s like a groove on a vinyl record that the needle of the record player follows.

What Causes the Thumping Noise?

When the brake shoes ride on the new surface, they will follow the groove like the needle of your record player follows a track. If the groove is interrupted, the shoes snap back, hitting the backing plate. This phenomenon happens very quickly, causing a thumping noise that will drive you crazy and have you wondering if your car is safe to drive.

How to Fix It the Normal Way

There are several ways to fix this noise. One is to replace the rear drums. A second, less-drastic way is to remove the drums, install them on a lathe, and sand the crap out of the mating surface with coarse sandpaper.

How to Fix It Using the Emergency Brake

The third way I found by trial and error (and pure frustration) is a quick fix using the emergency brake. You will not find this procedure in any service manual or car repair manual—not even on car repair talk radio. It can be dangerous if not performed correctly, so please be careful. Nevertheless, I have done it on over 100 cars, including family members’ cars, and I would not recommend it if I thought it damaged the vehicle.

How this works is that you get your rear brakes to do 100% of the braking for a few seconds at a time instead of their usual 30%, and this causes the brake shoes to polish the grooves out of the drum. For safety reasons, only try this on cars that have an emergency brake handle in the center console; emergency brakes that come up out of the floor can’t be set and released quickly enough.

1. Drive your car in a remote area with little or no traffic at a speed of about 40 miles an hour.
2. Lightly pull up on the emergency brake handle while holding the release button; this is so the emergency brake handle won’t lock in the braking position, and you can release it quickly.
3. Only hold the emergency brake on for about three seconds because you don’t want to overheat the drums. Do this three to five times while keeping a steady speed, and the noise should disappear or at least be 90% gone.
4. After this, drive the car at normal speeds and use the brakes the way you normally would. If the noise has not changed, you may have a different thumping noise than what I have described here in this article. Give up on this remedy and try something else.

My sister came to me with this noise after she had her brakes checked at her local garage. They had adjusted her rear brakes so the emergency brake handle had less free play in it, and this is when her troubles began. I took her car out on a test drive for about 10 minutes, performed the procedure described here, and poof! The noise was gone. She was happy because the garage that had caused the noise had no idea how to fix it.

3. Squeaking Noise While Braking or Driving

Squeaky brakes can be very annoying, and furthermore, they might mean something. A squeak may be a sign of danger of some kind, or it may just be a sign of cheap brake pads.

Most Common Cause: Cheap, Low-Quality Brake Pads

Most commonly, brake squeaking is caused by inferior pads. A cheap brake job sounds good when you’re paying for it, but it may come with years of painfully annoying squeakiness. Cheap brake pads have large metal flakes in the brake material, and when you press the brakes lightly and a flake drags along the rotor, it will squeak. The squeak may go away when that particular flake wears away, but usually, there is another metal flake right behind it. The best way to avoid this type of noise is to choose quality brake pads.

What if the Squeaking Happens When I'm Driving but Not Braking?

If your brakes are squeaking or squealing while driving down the road, but the noise goes away when you press on the brakes, I have a hunch that your brake wear indicator is hitting the rotor and causing the noise.

The wear indicator is a small metal tab fastened to the brake pad. When the brake pads are worn down and need replacing, this metal tab starts to drag along the rotor, warning the driver of the potential problem.

How to Fix It

Don’t ignore the noise too long; the brake pads are thin and need servicing very soon for your safety and to protect the other parts of the braking system.

Bonus Noise 1: Thumping or Squealing Caused by Rotors Rusting Overnight

Especially in cars parked outdoors, rust can build up overnight on the rotor around the impression of the pad, causing a thumping or squealing when you drive the car away in the morning.

Video: Noises Caused by Rust on Rotors

Bonus Noise 2: Scraping Noise While Driving or Turning

I have one other noise I run into a lot that has nothing to do with the brakes themselves. Technically, it has to do with rotors, but I thought it was worth mentioning here because it comes from that area, and a lot of customers assume it's their brakes causing the noise.

If your vehicle makes a scraping noise that sounds like something being dragged across a tin plate while driving or when turning a corner, it's possible you have picked up a rock from a dirt road or a freshly repaired pothole—the kind of place where you hear a shower of pebbles hitting the bottom of your car as you drive through. There’s a good possibility that a rock has gotten lodged between the rotor and the backing plate, creating the awful noise you're hearing.

Alternatively, sometimes the backing plate behind the rotor gets bent while the car is being worked on, and it scrapes against the rotor.

How to Fix It

Just have the rock removed and be on your way. There's an easier way to remove a rock stuck behind the rotor: bend the backing plate a little, as shown in the video below! If the cause is a bent backing plate, get the plate un-bent so it doesn't scrape against the rotor.

Video: How to Remove a Rock From Between Your Rotor and Its Backing Plate

Noises and Possible Causes: A Quick Recap

FAQ: Brakes, Brake Noises, and Brake Parts

In this section, I'll try to address some of the more common questions I get about brake noises both in person and in the comments on my articles.

How Do I Get My Brakes to Stop Squeaking?

The most common way to stop brakes from squeaking is to remove all the brake pads, disassemble the calipers, lubricate all moving caliper parts with high-temperature grease, and lubricate all caliper-to-brake pad contact points with brake pad lube.

There are other methods out there, like sanding the brake pad surface or shaving the leading edge off the brake pads, but the repair above yields the best results by far.

Why Are My Brand-New Brakes Squealing?

The most likely cause of new brake pads squeaking is a lack of lubrication on the caliper-to-pad contact points, most likely from an inexperienced mechanic.

Some aftermarket brake pads have a high content of "bimetal" material, which can cause new brakes to squeak as well.

What Can Cause a Grinding Noise in the Braking System?

A grinding noise can be heard in a brake system when the pad's life is exhausted (when the brake pad is worn out).

Another cause of grinding in a brake system is moisture on the rotor after sitting overnight, but this will usually disappear after you apply the brake a few times.

Another common grinding noise from brakes happens when small pebbles get caught between the rotor and rotor backing plate, or when the backing plate is touching the rotor after a brake service was just done or the wheels were just removed from the vehicle.

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Brake Job?

Brake jobs can range between $150 and $650 per axle depending on what is wrong and what needs to be replaced. If your vehicle needs to have the rotors and pads replaced, your brake job is going to be more pricey.

If you hear that the rotors need to be replaced, ask the mechanic if they can resurface them to save you a few bucks. Resurfacing them, if they can do it, could actually save you about $100 to $150.

How Much Does It Cost to Fix Squeaky Brakes?

The cost to fix squeaky brakes varies depending on the labor rate and what the mechanic needs to do to stop the squeak. It will cost about one hour of labor per axle to disassemble the brake calipers and lube all of the moving parts and pads.

Why Do My Brakes Squeak First Thing in the Morning?

The main reason brakes squeak first thing in the morning (or after the car has been sitting in a humid area) is moisture on the brake rotors. Usually, this type of brake squeak will disappear after applying the brakes a few times.

Can Brakes Squeal When They're Not Applied?

Your brakes can squeal when they are not applied. Usually, this is because the brake-pad-wear indicator is touching the rotor. If the wear indicator is touching the rotor, sometimes the noise disappears when you apply the brakes and returns when your foot comes off the pedal.

If you hear this type of noise when you're not applying the brakes, have a mechanic do a brake inspection just to be on the safe side. The wear indicator may be warning you that your brake pads are getting low and need to be replaced soon.

Do You Have to Break in New Brake Pads?

You should not have to break in new brake pads; you should be able to drive normally as soon as the brake pads are installed.

Why Is There a Grinding Noise When I Drive?

If you're hearing a grinding noise when you drive, and you're not applying the brakes, it could be that the brake pads are worn metal-to-metal. They should be inspected ASAP! Your brakes may be worn away to nothing, and continuing to drive may be dangerous

How Do You Check Your Rotors?

Rotors are inspected visually and with measuring tools like a micrometer or a vernier caliper. The visual inspection checks for flaking rust on the braking surface, score marks on the braking surface, heat cracks, and hot spots.

Measuring the rotor thickness is important when doing a brake inspection. If the rotor is too thin, it could crack or fall apart when braking under severe conditions. Another reason to measure rotor thickness is to verify that there is enough material to resurface the rotors.

How Long Do Brakes Typically Last on a Car?

It all depends on driving habits and conditions. If you drive on the highway all the time, your brakes could last up to 100,000 miles. But, if you use your vehicle to make deliveries in the city, you could find yourself replacing brakes every 15,000 miles.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Brake Job?

A typical brake job takes about one to two hours. If they are replacing rotors and pads, it will take about an hour per axle. If they are machining or resurfacing the rotors, it will take a bit longer.

How Often Do You Need to Change Brake Pads?

It all depends on driving habits and conditions. If you drive on the highway all the time, your brakes could last up to 100,000 miles. If you use your vehicle to make deliveries in the city, you could find yourself replacing brakes every 15,000 miles

Another thing to consider is the type of brake pad you're installing. Some aftermarket pads are very cheap and do not last long. Cheap pads also tend to be very squeaky.

More on Brakes by Eddie Carrara

• How to Replace Honda Brake Pads: Tips and Precautions
  Avoid making costly mistakes when you're replacing brake pads on your Honda. Here are some important steps that backyard mechanics might skip.
• Four Common Brake Squeaks
  If your brakes squeak, and you need help trying to figure out what's causing it, maybe I can help! Here are four common brake squeaks to compare to. Questions are welcome!
• Brake Problems? Five Common Brake Problems In Cars
  This article provides education for drivers who knows very little about braking systems (and possibly help for technicians having trouble diagnosing brake issues).

Good Luck, and Take Care of Your Brakes!

I sincerely hope that all the information here will help diagnose that noise that seems to be coming from your brakes. I know that some of my methods are a bit out of the box, but it's what we do sometimes to repair vehicles. There is always a better way, but if you don't try new ideas, you'll never discover it. A wise man once said, "If you do the same things over and over, expecting different results, you must be crazy."

To learn about more common car noises, see the video below. It describes three noises: squeaking from brake pad wear indicators; a clicking in the front end combined with a shaking steering wheel; and a metallic, knocking noise that happens in the front end while turning.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question: I hear a loud scraping noise when I am slowing down. When I am going fast and apply the brakes, I hear no noise at all, but the slower I get, the louder the noise gets. It sounds like it is coming from the front driver side tire. It is not a very tinny noise like the above video states, but more of a loud grinding sound. Any ideas?

Answer: I recommend checking that rotor backing plate on the side by just sticking a screwdriver through the wheel and bending the backing plate away from the rotor. Has anyone handled the wheels as of late? Have you gone through any large snowbanks where snow could have been pushed up inside the wheels to bend the plate?

Question: There's a brake noise that sounds like a pump running for a few seconds as I come to a complete stop in my vehicle. What is wrong?

Answer: It sounds to me like maybe the ABS pump is running because one of your wheel speed sensors is not reading correctly, and thinks one of the wheels is locking up. I recommend having the ABS checked for any codes.

Question: I replaced all breaks, rotors and greased everything but I am still hearing a noise like the brake pads are bad. The noise is apparent while driving at any speed and when applying the brake. Any other thoughts?

Answer: Most likely your anti rattle clip is not centered in the caliper holder. I recommend taking the brake pads back out on the Side you hear the noise and check the shims/clips, look for any rub marks on the rotor and shims.

Question: I have a 2001 Tahoe 4WD with about 150,000 miles. When braking there is a very loud grinding noise; it seems like its louder when it's cold outside. There is still plenty of brake pad left; however, the left caliper was very difficult to remove. Could this be the cause of the noise? Also can the need for an alignment cause noise when braking?

Answer: No, an alignment will not cause any noises, just tire wear. If the caliper was hard to remove it's possible the pads are sticking against the rotor and overheating causing glazing. You also may want to check for any rub marks on the rotor; it's possible your caliper may be hitting the rust buildup on the rotor when braking. I recommend having the caliper cleaned, lubed, and inspected for a binding piston; if the pads are glazed, replace them.

Question: I hear a thumping noise when I brake. What could it be?

Answer: Did your car sit for a while without being driven? The thumping noise is most likely pad impressions on the rotor surface.

Question: My car squeaks when turning to park or getting out of park, as well as when climbing up the ramp from underground parking. The brakes and rotors are new. Why is this?

Answer: If the work was done recently, it's possible the mechanic may have bent the rotor backing plate, and now it is touching the rotor and needs to be adjusted. Another possibility is debris like a pebble or rust is stuck between the rotor and backing plate causing the noise. I recommend bringing it back to the mechanic who did the work and having them double check their repair.

Question: I just pressed the brake on a 2010 Kia forte ex, and I am hearing a metal on metal noise when I first start moving. It also makes the noise when I make either a left or right turn, and it starts to grind. I replaced the brake pads and rotors as well as the calipers. I also bled the lines. What can be causing the noise?

Answer: It sounds like your rotor backing plate is too close to the rotor, and is touching the rotor causing, thus causing the noise. Most likely, you bent the tin plate when doing the brake job. This is very common. Just bend it away from the rotor, and the noise should disappear.

Question: I hear a loud clunking noise when I release my brakes. What could it be?

Answer: There are a lot of things that can cause a clunking noise when releasing the brakes like pad shift, loose or worn suspension parts, loose or worn caliper holders, etc. I recommend having the brakes checked ASAP if you just started hearing this nose.

Question: I hear a dragging sound when I brake. What could that be? It's not a metal noise. I'm thinking that the brakes must be dragging against something. I live on a dirt and mud driveway.

Answer: I recommend finding out which wheel is making the noise; then taking off that wheel and inspecting the area between the rotor and rotor backing plate. It sounds like you may have a small pebble lodged in-between them.

Question: When driving my Nissan Almera, I hear a terrible grinding sound. Is this something to do with brakes or bearings?

Answer: If you hear the noise when braking, most likely it's your brakes, if it makes noise while driving above 50 mph and it sounds like a hum noise it may be a wheel bearing starting to make noise.

Question: My brakes are rubbing on the drivers side in front what could be the cause?

Answer: Your brake pads could be worn or maybe the brake pad wear indicator is hitting the rotor.

Question: I had my brakes replaced on my 2006 Sebring. The brakes have been squeaking since I picked up my car. I was told to drive it a bit since the sound may go away. I drove it on the highway this weekend, and most of the squeaking has disappeared except when I brake at low speeds. Should I be concerned?

Answer: Some brake pads are made with semi-metallic brake material, what this means is some brake pads have small bits of metal in the brake pad itself, and when this touches the rotor it will sometimes cause a slight squeak, mostly when moving slow or when coming to a stop. I don't think it is anything to be concerned about, but it can be annoying.

Question: I am driving a Toyota Camry, and recently I replaced the brake pads. The problem I have now is that there is a grinding noise from the rear left wheel only. The noise can be heard when the car starts moving, and when in a traffic jam, when the car moves very slowly. The mechanic has checked the wheel bearing and the pads, but can't find the problem. What could be the issue here?

Answer: The rotor backing plate is probably bent, and is touching the rotor. Or the anti-rattle clip could be off center and touching the rotor. Something is touching the rotor, and your mechanic cannot find it. It should be very simple to find the source of this noise.

Question: I hear a thumping noise from my vehicle's brakes in the morning and also noticed the rust. What do I need to do to remedy this and stop the thumping?

Answer: The Thumping noise can be cured by having the rotors resurfaced or replaced.

Question: I had my tires rotated and now my one rotor is warped. Is it possible they tightened the lugnuts too tight?

Answer: If the lug nuts were not torqued evenly or if they are over tightened, it is possible to warp the rotor, but how do you prove it? It would be tough to prove that the mechanic wrapped the rotor.

Question: I would like to know what causes a squeaking noise when I push the brake? I have Mercedes-Benz SLK200. My husband repaired the car last month, and the day after he took the car from the garage it made a sound, not always. Sometimes, there's a sound, and sometimes there's nothing whether I push the brake slightly or not. Can we check it at home before we take it to a repair shop? Please let me know.

Answer: The rotor backing plate is probably bent and is touching the rotor, or the anti-rattle clip could be off center and touching the rotor. The first thing to try is bending the metal backing plate away from the rotor. See the video in this article, and use a long screwdriver or metal object to reach through the rim to push the metal plate behind and away from the rotor. You'll need to go around the whole plate and do this.

Question: How do you get the rust off brakes?

Answer: If the rust doesn't come off after one day of normal driving, then you'll either have to have the rotors resurfaced or replaced to remedy the problem.

Question: My friend just put new brake pads on the front and back of my vehicle. Her brakes are squeaking, and the mechanic told her it was a bumper. I have never heard of this. Is the mechanic full of it?

Answer: From what you told me, it does. How can a bump squeak unless it is touching something moving? I recommend getting a second opinion on this one.

Question: I just had new tires put on my Nissan Quest. Afterward, I heard a grinding, so I took the car back to the shop. They told me the backing was rusted, but that the break was ok. Have you heard of this happening before?

Answer: Yes, It is common for the rotor backing plate to become very rusted and rub against the rotor. In some cases we completely remove the backing plate to stop the noise because the cost to replace them can get expensive, the parts are cheap, the labor and time are where it gets expensive.

Question: While driving in reverse or turning corners, the back tire area of my vehicle sounds like metal to metal. I just had the rear end fixed from a rear bumper hit and run last month. What could it be?

Answer: I recommend having the backing plates at the rotor checked for a clearance problem, it may be just a minor adjustment to the backing plate.

Question: I hear a scraping noise from the front rotors of my car. The noise goes away when hitting the brake or gas. This only happens while moving, but neither the brake or gas is being pressed. I pulled the tire, and there is no shield scraping nor is anything loose. The tire back on the noise goes away for about 20 mi of driving, but then comes back again. The noise gets worse until the wheel is removed and re-installed. Do you have any ideas?

Answer: Check the caliper anti-rattle clips and make sure they are not touching the rotor. Also, make sure there is not a lot of rust building up on the edge of the rotor, and it's touching the rotor.

Question: I thought something was wrong with my tire, so I replaced the tire and rim. But the noise - a LOUD scraping sound - is still there! It’s mostly when I push the brakes, and it sounds like it’s from the front left side. Any ideas?

Answer: Either your brake pads are low, or you may have some debris or a pebble stuck between the rotor and backing plate.

Question: At random times, I feel something with the gas pedal, almost like something is trying to catch a gear and spinning. I drive 30kms every day, and it only happens maybe once a week. This morning, I felt it when I applied the brakes; the same vibration. Any thoughts on what it may be?

Answer: I would check the temperature of each wheel when it happens; you may have a sticking caliper. Vibrations can be caused by warped rotors, and usually cause braking, but I'm not sure if this is your problem because of your description.

Question:

I've let my car brakes go past the threshold of grinding, and the pedal goes all the way to the floor. I am preparing to buy some brake pads and rotors. The car makes a really loud metal on metal sound. Is this something to worry about?

Answer: You shouldn't be driving the car at this point; you are endangering other peoples lives, not just your own. The caliper pistons are probably hitting the rotor now, and the car is a 2-ton weapon.

Question: My car makes a hollow sound coming from the passenger rear after stopping and starting. The sound stops after I gain some speed. I replaced the back disc and pads in July. I started hearing this sound in September, and it was an occasional occurrence. Now it happens more often. What could be the problem?

Answer: It sounds like you may be hearing a wheel bearing that is starting to fail. If the noise starts around 25 mph and then disappears at around 55 mph, then it most likely is a wheel bearing, and you'll need to have it diagnosed just to be sure.

Question: I had my rear brakes changed, but now there is a sound that comes from the rear brakes like its loose. If I pull up my handbrake it goes away a little. What is the problem?

Answer: The mechanic may have left something loose or did not adjust the brakes properly when completing the job. I recommend bringing back so they can check their work.

Question: I hear leaking under the dash when stepping on the brake peddle, what is that?

Answer: That would be the brake booster releasing vacuum, it will only happen about 3 times then all the vacuum will be depleted.

Question: I heard a pop while driving on the highway, now there seems to be a slight squeaking noise coming from the back right tire when I am making a right turn. Any ideas on what might be wrong?

Answer: Sounds like you may have picked up something in the road and it bounced up and hit the bottom of your car, it may have bent a tin shield near the rotor and is now touching the rotor? Without hearing the noise this is just a guess.

Question: My car sounds like it’s running over plastic whenever I brake. What could that be?

Answer: If the calipers have not been serviced in a while, it's possible that what you are hearing is the caliper creaking from lack of lubrication, but without hearing myself the noise, I can't be completely sure.

Question: I have a c class motorhome with dualies on the back. There are disc brakes all around. Not always but often when I am going about 20-30mph I hear an intermittent squeak-scape from the back which goes away if I touch the brake pedal. What could this possibly be?

Answer: I'm not sure if your brake pads are equipped with brake pad wear indicators but the noise you're describing sounds like this could be the problem. I recommend having the brakes checked, it's possible you just need to replace the pads because they are worn out.

Question: My car is making a horrible noise coming from the back right tire. First, it sounded like rubbing but now it's worse and I think even people outside can hear it too. I knew my brakes needed to be fixed but I didn't think it would be this quick, will I be able to drive it home?

Answer: I Hope you made it home OK, If the noise is that bad you really should have it towed, you could have total brake failure if you let it go too long.

Question: I just did a complete brake pad and rotor change for my 2010 Dodge Charger because when I drive on the highway and brake, the whole car will start to shake. The problem stopped for a bit, but now it starting to do the same. Can you offer any solution to my problem?

Answer: Two possibilities may be causing your problem. When changing the rotors, the hub surface where the rotor sits has to be clean and free of any debris at all like rust or corrosion; the rotor will not lie flat and will eventually start to warp again. The other problem could be your wheel lug nut torque, if the lug nuts are over tightened it can cause the rotors to warp.

Question: What is a brake booster?

Answer: The brake booster assists braking power by adding extra force via vacuum from the engine to the hydraulic part of the brake system. If you didn't have a brake booster, the brake pedal would be tough to push and stop the car.

If you have ever driven an older car from back in the sixties, you would know what I mean because older cars didn't have brake boosters. If you would like to know what it feels like to not have a brake booster, turn off your car while it's in park and press the brake pedal four times, on the fourth push you will have used up all the stored vacuum in the booster, and the brake pedal will become very hard.

The brake booster is usually found between the brake master cylinder and the firewall; it looks like a big black metal doughnut.

Question: I hear a light scraping noise when turning left. It sounds like it ’s coming from the back brakes. I have a 2013 Honda Civic with 106,000 miles on it. I never changed back brakes. Can light scraping come from back brakes?

Answer: Yes, absolutely. If they have never been done, I highly recommend having them checked asap.

Question: I recently had a brake job pads and rotors. Almost immediately, there is a squealing noise when I accelerate after braking. It is especially loud when backing up and turning the wheel clockwise. Sometimes it's one long squeal, other times maybe a half dozen short sounds while accelerating. What is going on?

Answer: Most likely the rotor backing plate doesn't have enough clearance and is touching the rotor sometimes. I recommend you bring it back to the mechanic who did the brakes and ask them to make the necessary adjustments to the rotor backing plates.

Question: I have a Honda City. The car is in new condition, and driven for only 7000 km. In the last few weeks, whenever I start the car, (after an hour or two), I'm getting a noise from my front brake whenever I punch brake. I only hear the sound for 1-2 km. After driving for a few minutes, it works normally. Could you please tell me what exactly the problem is?

Answer: If the noise is only when braking lightly in the morning, it's possible that you have moisture on the brake pads, and it wears off after applying the brakes a couple of times. I recommend keeping an ear on it, and make sure the noise doesn't get worse. If it does get worse, have someone check out the brakes just to be safe.

Question: My brakes are stiff and usually make a sound like leaking air when I step on the pedal. What do you think the problem could be?

Answer: The noise you're hearing is most likely vacuum leaking from the brake booster. It's possible you have a leak in the diaphragm, but you'll need to have it tested to be sure, it's an easy check.

Question: I hear a scrubbing noise when I apply the break. What can it be?

Answer: It's possible your brake pads are low. Check how many miles are on these brakes.