Does applying the brake in your car now sound like your old grade 5 school teacher dragging their long ungroomed nails down that dusty old black board? Its loud, it’s piercing and it’s flat out annoying. 9 times out of 10 your brakes are squealing means your brake pads are now due for replacement.
Cars can make all sorts of interesting noises, however if your brakes are appearing to make intermittent noises it could be the possibility debris is caught in your brakes.
If your brakes are making a consistent screech noise every time you brake; then you most likely will be hearing the sound of your wear indicators on your brake pads. These wear indicators are designed to touch on your metal rotors when your pads have worn past a certain point on your brake, thus creating the horrible metal on metal sound. Unfortunately not all brakes have these wear indicators and it is advised that you get your brakes checked by your local mechanic or on your 6 month service interval.Brakes are a reflection on how you drive. People who drive in cities and are frequently stopping or people who have a tendency to brake late will normally wear their brakes out faster than other rural drivers or conservative drivers. You can spend a lot of money on replacing brakes; however you can get good quality brakes from between $90-$150 depending on the car you drive. Average brake Pads should last 40000 - 60000kms. However as stated your brake pads are a reflection on your driving habits.