About six months ago I had my car serviced.
They told me the rear brakes were 75% worn but would probably last until the next service.
So eventually I’m going to need to replace them (pads definitely, discs not sure)
At the moment they work fine. No noise, no ‘pulsating’ and they stop the car effectively.
So does this mean that, for now, they probably don’t need replacing?
Probably, but not definitely.
Brakes have a little metal tab on them. Once they get worn down far enough, the metal tab touches the rotor and makes the squeak. I’ve seen the little metal tab rust and fall off - no squeak.
As soon as the brakes start pulsating and making grinding noises, you’ve already probably ruined the rotors, so if you wait for those types of symptoms you are guaranteeing a much larger repair bill.
Some, but not all, brake pads have wear indicator tabs as described above.
Absence of noise means they’re quiet, but does not necessarily mean they’re okay.
Noise is not a reliable indicator of the condition of the brakes. Some noises are benign – “annoyance noise” that does not relate to the ability of the brakes to stop the car, nor mean that they’re about worn out. Conversely, in some cases brakes could be a few stops away from fully worn yet still be quiet. I’ve even seen cases where rotors had been ground down by worn-out pads yet the driver never heard anything.
So, if you hear noise related to the brakes, have it checked because it might indicate a problem that needs attention. If you don’t hear any such noise, have the brakes inspected regularly (~ every six months for average driving habits) to see how they’re doing.
How do I know when I need new brake pads? The brake light turns on the dashboard. I tend to brake slowly over a distance, so there’s little or no noise unless the brakes are wet. I’ve actually had the indicator worn down a bit before the brake light turned on because of this. So, if you suspect something, better safe than sorry.
Usually, the rear brakes are your emergency brakes, but it can vary by vehicle. No noise is not an indicator of good/bad brakes. You should have them inspected to be certain, but chances are if your vehicle is front wheel drive, the rear brakes are probably not used very often and unlikely to be worn.
The brake light indicator on some vehicles will only come on when brake fluid is low, so you shouldn’t rely on that as your sole indicator of brake wear. Inspection is the best route.