Your brakes are the single most important safety feature on your vehicle…and they’re also one of the easiest things to take for granted. After all, we just assume that when we step on the brake pedal, the car’s going to come to a stop, just like we take for granted that when we turn the key, the engine’s going to start.

What You Need To Know About Brake Repair

The average driver puts 15,000 miles or so on a car yearly…and steps on the brake pedal 75,000 times in that year. And since it takes 50-60,000 miles for brake pad material to wear down to a point of needing replacement, it can be very difficult to detect when they’re really wearing down to that degree. These are all signs of impending trouble, though:

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  • Brake pedal feels soft or spongy underfoot.
  • Brake pedal slowly goes to floor while holding the vehicle in gear and stopped.
  • Longer stopping distances.
  • Brake pedal travels farther toward floor before brakes engage.
  • Tendency for one or more wheels to lock up and skid while braking.
  • Vehicle pulls to one side while braking.
  • Roughness, vibration or pulsation through brake pedal while braking.
  • Squealing, groaning or metallic grinding noise while braking.

Brake pad material should be checked at least twice a year for thickness, along with the entire braking system. If you’re noticing any of these symptoms, you should make an appointment with us right away at St Lucie Battery & Tire for a full brake system checkup. Your safety is riding on it!