Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a 2009 Nissan Rogue I bought new. I've had it for 3 1/2 yrs & it's got 26,568 miles on it. I basically drive my car gently because I plan on keeping it for a LONG time. I don't brake hard at all, take it for all it's routine maintenances, etc. Even the Nissan dealership guy said there's nothing they can do & it depends on how you brake...I assume nothing they can do besides replacing the brakes entirely.
Does anyone know why they're squeakingso soon? Any suggestions on anything to do?
Well, first thing is to differentiate 'squeak' from 'scrape'. A squeak isn't necessarily a cause for alarm, but a scrape is the wear indicator letting you know the brakes are done. What's more important is the thickness of the brake pad material left. If the dealership isn't pushing you to do the brakes, they're probably OK. So let's assume it's just an annoying squeak.
There are 2 ways that I know of to get rid of it.
1. Pull off the brake pads, throw some anti-squeak goo on the back side, and re-install.
2. Switch the brake pads out for a new set made of different material, ceramic being the preferred choice for least noise and brake dust.
As to which option to choose, that depends on two factors. The first and most important is how much material you have left in the current brake pads. The second is how much you want to spend. The first option is cheaper (the goo is only a couple of bucks), but if the pads are about done you're going to need to replace them soon anyway so it doesn't make sense to do it. The second option is better but more expensive since you're basically doing a whole brake job at that point. Not only will the pads cost a bit, but you'll probably have to replace the rotors as well. It's not a guarantee, but it's highly likely and probably a good idea either way.
In any event, if you're going to have a shop do the work, you'll probably need to find an independent one. You could complain to a dealership all day long about squeaky brakes, but the most they'll do is put on a new set of the exact same pads you already have, and you know where that will lead you. Instead, take this opportunity to find a good Mom n Pop shop near you to do the work, or if you're feeling adventurous, do it yourself. If you have a gearhead buddy, ask if they can walk you through it. Brakes are usually a very easy job and doing it yourself can save a lot of money.
And if an inspection of yours pads does show you're in need of new ones, I wouldn't get all that discouraged. Some cars just chew through brakes faster than others. Nothing you can really do about it.
Thanks a lot Mike! Yes, I know the difference btwn the annoying, embarrassing squeak, which is what THIS is and a scraping feeling/sound.
I just never thought brakes would start squeaking like this. I just went to the dealership the other week to keep up w/ the routine matintenance & I told them about my brakes, which they said they'd look at, but the next day, they started squeaking again! I previously drove a new Honda Civic coupe for 15+ yrs & the brakes never squeaked & I drove as much then as I do now, which isn't much.
I'm not the car savvy & "roll my sleeves up & get under the hood" type of person.
If they squeak all the time, it's your wear indicator scrapers rubbing against the rotor. They're telling you that it's time to replace your brake pads within the next couple thousand miles.
If they squeak only when braking, it's likely that a piece of the semi-metallic brake pad is squealing on the rotor as your braking. If that is the case, it should stop squeaking after a couple days. Maybe a week.
My guess is that it's the former, and it's just getting to be time to replace your brake pads. You should get a lot more than 27,000 miles out of your OEM brakes, but sometimes you don't.
I like what Mike said about putting on ceramic brake pads this time around. They're $20-$25 more than non-ceramics, but they wear longer, and don't leave that black brake dust all over your front wheels. I like them.
A lot has to do with what the pads are made of as well as how clean they are kept. In all honesty I would be willing to be that your driving style has caused the pads to glaze over.
Next time you are out for a drive of 20 miles or so try this...
Make sure you are on a road that you wont have to use your brakes.
When you start out rest your foot on the brake peddle while you are driving until you can just feel them grab. Hold your foot there for 30 seconds or so at highway speed. Then let off. Continue your drive with out using the brakes if possible for 10 min or so. That will give them a chance to cool off.
This will clean the rotors and the pads.
You might also want to look at going to a semi metallic pad on your next service. They will wear a bit faster but dont squeek as much.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,085,957 times
Reputation: 57744
Front brake pads generally last about 30,000 miles so they are likely wearing thin, and the dealer should have given you the percentage of pad left. If they let you drive away it must have at least 10% left. In order to meet mileage requirements, the manufacturers are making the rotors as thin as they can to reduce weight. That means less times they can be resurfaced, so you really want to change the pads before they reach the indicators and not risk scratching or grooving. With your mileage I would just go ahead and replace them now, with the ceramic pads.
Thanks for all the helpful info guys! I was out for several hours today driving to a few places & the brakes didn't really squeak at all this time. That was the most driving I've done in one day in a while. If the brakes could be like they were today, I'd have no issues! We'll see what happens in the next week.
Here is the correct OEM part for no more squealing when you replace pads. Note, it is a cheapo pad. Big deal, they are only $23 a pair from Rockauto.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
QuickStop
