Why are my brakes noisy?

Here are the top 5 questions we get asked about noisy brakes and what to do about them:

1. Why does my car make noise when I brake?
2. Why do my brakes sound like they are grinding?
3. What is brake dust and does it mean my brakes are wearing out?
4. What does it sound like when your rotors are bad?
5. Why do I hear thumping when I apply my brakes?

When you apply your brakes, pressure on the rotor slows the wheels down and stops your car. With properly functioning brakes, you should hear minimal if any metal to metal noise.
Typically, the first sign of brake-pad wear is a high-pitched squealing. A metallic grinding sound means that brake pads may be damaging the brake rotors, and immediate attention is required. This grinding sound is how you know your rotors are going bad.

Brake dust doesn’t just show up. It is mostly iron that comes from the abrasion of the rotors and the pads, and some cars have more of an issue than others. However, it does not typically require attention… just cleaning if it bothers you.
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Other sounds like thumping in the front or rear of your car while braking can indicate an issue with the drums or rotors, and should be checked out by your mechanic ASAP.