Brakes

Pads and rotors work as a team every time you brake, but they're not the same part — and they don't wear out the same way. Here's a plain-language look at what each one does and how to tell which one your car might need. How disc brakes actually work Most vehicles use disc brakes: a caliper squeezes brake pads against a spinning metal disc — the rotor — attached to the wheel. That friction between pad and rotor is what slows the car down. It's a simple concept, but it means b

Winter asks more of your brakes than any other season — more hard stops on slick roads, more road salt working its way into components, and less margin for error if something's not working the way it should. A pre-winter brake inspection is one of the simplest ways to head into the season with confidence. Why winter is hardest on brakes Slippery roads mean more frequent hard braking and, occasionally, sudden stops — exactly the conditions where you need full braking performan

"How long do brake pads last?" is one of those questions that doesn't have a single answer — and anyone who gives you one exact number for every car is oversimplifying. Here's a realistic range and, more importantly, the factors that actually determine where your vehicle falls within it. The general range Most sources put average brake pad life somewhere between roughly 30,000 and 80,000 kilometres, with some drivers seeing pads last closer to 100,000 km under favourable cond

A squeal or a grind from your brakes gets attention fast — and it should. Brake noise isn't always an emergency, but it's always worth understanding. Here's what those sounds usually mean and how to tell the difference between "keep an eye on it" and "stop driving and get it looked at." That high-pitched squeal is often by design Many brake pads have a small metal tab built into them called a wear indicator. When the pad material wears down to a certain point, that tab starts