Brake pads are some of the most important components of a car, but many people don’t know the basics of brake maintenance, the symptoms of worn brakes or when to replace brake pads. They’re essentially the reason your car stops – so it’s important to replace them regularly when the time comes. Brake pad types also vary depending on the car, meaning you should know which version to buy to suit your car’s needs, as electric vehicles like the BMW iX are usually much kinder to their brakes.
In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of what brake pads are, what you should look out for when they are worn, and how much you should be aiming to pay when the time comes to change them.
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What Do Brake Pads Do?
A braking system contains three essential components:
- Brake discs
- Brake calipers
- Brake pads
The pads sit within the caliper on both sides of the brake disc. When you press the brake pedal, hydraulic fluid will cause the two pads to press against the brake disc and slow your car down through friction. On mostly older and cheaper cars, drum brakes don’t have brake pads; instead, these systems make use of similar brake linings or brake shoes to produce friction.
Road cars will usually have two pads per disc, but race cars will sometimes have six or more to create optimum braking performance.
Types Of Brake Pads
There are three main types of brake pads, and these get their names from the materials used to produce them.
Organic Brake Pads
Organic brake pads are the cheapest and quietest, but they have a shorter lifespan than their metallic counterparts. These are best for drivers who prioritize affordability and don’t drive too aggressively, as this type of pad doesn’t perform well in high-heat conditions.
Semi-Metallic Brake Pads
Semi-metallic brakes last longer than their organic counterparts. As the name suggests, they employ a small amount of mixed metals to increase durability. These offer better performance in demanding driving, but can be noisier than organic pads.
Ceramic Brake Pads
These brake pads are made from ceramic fibers, meaning that they wear the least but cost more to replace. They perform well under most conditions and stay quiet.
Symptoms Of Worn Brake Pads
There are a couple of obvious differences you can feel from behind the wheel when looking at worn brake pads vs. new ones.
Illuminated Warning Light
Most cars will have an illuminating dashboard light to warn drivers of a fault in the braking system or excessive wear. Not all cars have this feature, so it’s important to know the other ways you can check if your pads are worn.
Car Pulls To One Side Under Braking
If the vehicle faces uneven pad wear, then it will start to pull to one side when you hit the anchors. This is uncommon, but if it happens, you should get it checked quickly as there is a fault in the braking balance.
Screeching Noise When Braking
If your brakes were to be critically worn, you may hear a screeching sound. If it’s a grinding sound, you shouldn’t drive the car until you find a qualified mechanic to check on the health of your system.
Let’s take a look at how often to change your brake pads.
How Often Should I Replace My Brake Pads?
There isn’t a perfect rule for when you should replace your brake pads, as it depends on how the car is driven and what type of car it is. One set of pads can last anywhere from 30,000 to 70,000 miles. You’ll be able to feel the difference between new brake pads versus old, especially if the old pads are especially worn.
Factors Affecting The Lifespan Of Brake Pads
The Type Of Car
Some vehicles will have different types of discs, and they change how long they last. Electric cars have the benefit of regenerative braking, which can increase the lifespan of their brakes.
Driving Style
If you drive fast and do a lot of sudden braking, this increases the temperature of the brakes and causes them to wear faster. If you do a lot of highway driving, you may find your brakes lasting longer as you use them less.
Vehicle Curb Weight
If you’re in something light, like a Mazda MX-5 Miata, the brakes use less force to stop and the brakes will last much longer. If you’re in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan with five occupants, however, the brakes will be used a lot more, and you’ll need to replace your pads a lot more.
How Much Does Brake Pad Replacement Cost?
There isn’t a one-stop number for the cost of replacing brake pads, as this will vary car to car. However, we can look at a few estimates from RepairPal, based on two mainstream models, one luxury model, and one high-performance sports car.
| Brake Pad Replacement Cost Estimates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Ford F-150 | Honda Civic | BMW X5 | Jaguar F-Type |
| Cost | $187 – $210 | $202 – $249 | $425 – $549 | $1,151 – $1,172 |
RepairPal further estimates that the national average for brake pad replacement is $265 to $310. Cars like the Ford F-150 or Honda Civic come in cheaper than average, at around $200 for the full replacement. This is usually due to part availability and the relative lack of complexity in swapping out pads in cheaper cars.
Sportier cars like the Jaguar F-Type tend to be more expensive at a huge $1,151 to replace the brake pads on. This is usually as they use high-performance brakes that can be hard to come by. According to Fred Lavery Porsche Company, a Porsche dealer in Michigan, a brake pad replacement can cost as much as $3,000.
How Can I Make My Brake Pads Last Longer?
There are a few ways to do this, such as:
Driving Gently And Reading Traffic Patterns
Sudden and aggressive stops lead to higher wear, so try to look far ahead and brake steadily to anticipate the flow of traffic.
Using Higher-Quality Brake Pads
As mentioned, some brake pads last longer than others, so it’s important to invest in some hard-wearing pads to keep you going for longer.
Getting Rid Of Unnecessary Weight In Your Car
You should try to keep your car as light as possible, which will mean you use less braking force and let your pads last longer.
Sources: RepairPal, RAC