What happens if you don't replace brake pads?

Driving with damaged brake pads poses a serious risk to your safety and will cause you to incur extra costs in the future. So, what happens if you don't replace brake pads? There's excessive grinding which releases excessive heat and damages the rotors. Consequently, the braking ability of your vehicle is highly compromised, making you slam harder on your brakes and have trouble stopping.

What happens if you don't replace brake pads?

• Vibration when braking
• Squealing noises that indicate your rotors are getting damaged
• Longer stopping distances
• Visibly thin brake pads
• Brake pad indicator

How does vehicle type affect your brake pads?

Heavy-duty vehicles often require different brake pads due to their high impact on the brake pads. Lack of maintenance can cause overheating, and excessive damage to other components of the braking system. In passenger cars, it is crucial to have regular brake pads maintenance as it can cause accidents. Worn-out brake pads reduce braking efficiency which increases the risk of accidents.

How does Driving style and habits affect your brake pads?

Here are some driving habits that can reduce your brake pad longevity;

• Aggressive driving - Habits such as abrupt acceleration, taking sharp turns, and accelerating fast can affect your brake pads
• City vs. highway driving - City driving, characterized by stop-and-go traffic is stressful to your brake system. Inversely, highway driving puts less stress on your brake pads
• Excessive speeding - Driving at high speeds means you have to brake abruptly at times, which damages your brake pads faster
• Overloading - When you overload, the brake system works overtime to stop the wires, which generates excessive heat. This heat damages your brake pads.

How does it affect other components?

It is important to follow your manufacturer's schedule for regular maintenance. Driving with damaged brake pads damages other components such as;

• Brake rotors - The metal-on-metal grinding makes the brake rotors warp which in turn reduces the braking efficiency.
• Brake caliper - The fiction caused by metal on the brake rotors, causing excess heat to be released which in turn damages the brake caliper.
• Tires - When your brake rotors are damaged, you must slam down on your brakes. The hard braking causes unbalanced tires, uneven tire wear, and expedited tire wear.

If you are experiencing trouble with your brake pads, it is crucial to have an expert look at them and provide a diagnosis. Brake pad repair is fairly inexpensive, so you should perform preventive care to avoid the additional costs of fixing other braking system components.

Wondering What happens if you don't replace brake pads? Contact our ASE-certified technicians at Express Auto Service & Repair for more information about replacing brake rotors and to schedule an appointment. Our auto shop serves vehicle owners in Mankato, MN, and the neighboring communities of North Mankato, MN, New Ulm, MN, and St. Peter, MN.