When your car starts creating abnormal sounds, feelings or smells, start investigating the issue sooner rather than letting the condition worsen. Waiting will only lead to more expensive parts wearing out and requiring replacement. For example, rotors start to warp and become damaged when completely worn brake pads and shoes exceed their lifespan, shortening the life of healthy parts due to the metal on metal grinding that occurs.

Pay attention. Sounds, smells and sensations signal brake problems:

• Screeching, grinding, squealing, rubbing and other ear piercing noises are common indicators that your brake pads & shoes require inspection. This should be addressed before worn pads cause damage to other parts, which could result in more expensive repairs.
• Vibration and pulsation in the pedal or your steering wheel. If this is a familiar feeling, your brake system is telling you something. Wait any longer, and your rotors might get warped from the metal on metal rubbing, potentially costing you a lot more in repair. Stop in as soon as possible if you are experiencing this unpleasant problem.
• Pressing down farther to complete braking functions. This symptom is not as prevalent as it used to be, but if you’re pressing down farther than usual on your brake pedal to stop your car, requiring more pressure and time to perform the same stopping function, you have entered the first stage and sign of brake pad wear. Don’t play around with your brake pedal, you can only press so far before you’re in a frightening, "I have no brakes" predicament.
• That pungent burning smell near your tires is screaming "help!" If you’re detecting noxious odors emitting from your tires, stop what you’re doing and please call or visit your local Firestone Complete Auto Care. Unfamiliar and pungent smells, such as what you’re experiencing, are not normal and could have dangerous consequences if you continue to drive under these unsafe conditions. Your best solution is our brake inspection to see what part of your braking system has been compromised while driving with this smelly symptom.
• Brake warning light. If your brake warning light comes on visit us as soon as possible and ask us to perform a free brake inspection.

There are many nuances to every car’s braking system, so we’d rather not overload you with worst case scenarios and model specific warning signs. We wouldn’t want you to go through the trouble — or worry — of diagnosing a symptom that is rare and hard to detect on your own.

If you have questions about your braking system that weren’t described in the previous questions, please call your local Firestone Complete Auto Care to schedule a brake inspection. Once and inspection is done we’ll diagnose the problem and provide an estimate for repairs.

Locate your local Firestone Complete Auto Care

First, we’d like to praise you for your foresight and great wisdom in your pursuit to protect your ride. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s discuss the dos and don’ts of successful braking.

• Do… reduce the stop and go grind. The more city driving, the more stop and go, the quicker the brakes wear down. Simple as that. This type of driving can wear brake pads down faster, which can warp rotors more quickly. If you constantly drive like this, take your car in for at least one brake inspection a year to check for problems.
• Do not… join the Brake Riders Brigade. Know someone with their foot riding the brake, even when no braking is necessary? Don’t we all. Riding your brake is the sure-fire way to wear your pads and warp your rotors from the excessive heat generated, especially at high speeds.
• Do… cruise with the pace of traffic. Obeying speed limits with conservative driving pays off by preserving the life of your brake parts. So don’t tailgate, leave enough room to decelerate and you’ll be all set. Doing so will generate less heat, friction and wear. It’s a win-win for both the pads and the rotors.
• Do not… champion your aggressive habits. Aggressive driving leads to last minute braking. The result? Excessive heat cooking your rotors. Continue driving this way and you’ll continue to pay more for the brake damage that ensues. Think about how you can avoid this driving scenario and you just might save more than just your brakes.
• Do… Empty your trunk of any heavy junk. Overloading your vehicle with things you don’t need — such as that heavy portable grill — can greatly impact brake life due to the extra weight you’re adding to your vehicle. Take stock of what’s in your trunk. Remove what you don’t need. This should improve your stopping power and eliminate the added stress and weight you’re placing on your rotors and other braking parts.

Life expectancy is universal in all walks of life. Just as health and habits can affect the length of your own life, driving habits will determine the life expectancy of your brake parts.

• The hard parts are built for endurance: Rotors and calipers can last for years if you follow the recommended maintenance. But beware: letting your brake pads wear down completely will only damage your rotors more quickly and lead to more expensive repairs.
• Time is on your side. Calipers are usually designed for the long haul, but their biggest enemies are heat and corrosion. Improper maintenance can create caliper corrosion and leaks caused by constant stop and go, worn pads and metal on metal grinding. Road salt and weather can lead to corrosion as well. So schedule an annual brake inspection, and we’ll provide a clearer picture on their current condition. See your vehicle’s owner’s manual for recommended maintenance.
• It’s all a balancing act. If your suspension system’s shocks and struts are off balance, you’ve probably noticed a significant shift in your ride’s weight distribution. You’ll be able to gauge this if you can feel the front end nose dive after you brake. The distance it takes to stop is also longer, causing your front brakes to wear out faster.
• The Pulling Effect: If your car pulls to the left or right when applying your brakes, this may indicate your brakes or suspension are functioning poorly and are in need of inspection.

Experiencing any of these braking symptoms? We have the cure. Find your brake hero

Now that’s a great question. For starters, our service experience is unmatched as we’ve been servicing automobiles since 1926. This history is just part of the reason we’re #1 in the world in total brake repair services performed every year. It’s also reflection of the convenience we provide you with our 1,600 locations nationwide and extended weekend and evening hours to get your brakes checked out. Not to mention the fact that our warranties are covered nationwide. Get your car fixed in Seattle, and you’ll still have warranty coverage in say, Chicago. Just one of many reasons to see us for when your brakes need fixing.

Schedule your honest, Complete Brake Inspection

Here’s a stat that will make your jaw drop: Our stores perform nearly a million brake services a year. That’s nearly 3,000 brake services a day, more than any other auto care provider in the world. Not bad, right? Right.

Schedule your brake maintenance today

In addition to our most commonly performed brake services, we also provide these services needed for the best stopping power:

1. Brake Fluid exchange — removes air and brake fluid contaminants
2. Replacement and installation brake hardware, rotors, wheel bearings, calipers, brake hoses, drums and master cylinders.
3. Resurfacing of drums and rotors
4. Cleaning and adjusting drum brakes and parking brakes
5. Repacking wheel bearings - Necessary for keeping bearings lubricated.
6. Anti-lock Braking System Diagnostics and Repair

We install quality brake parts on vehicles we service. Cutting corners is just not our thing. We stock nationally known Wagner brand ThermoQuiet friction material and Qualis Automotive rotors and drums. For parts we don’t stock, we can acquire the original equipment parts that meet or exceed the OE standards.

Wagner^® ThermoQuiet^® is one of the most innovative and advanced brake pads available today, featuring a patented IMI™ one-piece brake pad that provides maximum noise damping and heat dissipation during braking.

For most any vehicle make or model, we have a Wagner brake pad to match — complete with the crucial friction material that helps you stop. This includes semi-metallic, organic and ceramic materials engineered for optimal performance and to meet or exceed manufacturer-developed stopping tests.

Qualis Automotive manufactures our rotors and drums. They’re cast of high strength G3000 alloy and precision engineered to meet or exceed Original Equipment performance specifications for metallurgy (stronger materials and maximized heat resistance), dimensional configuration, surface finish and longevity — providing improved stopping, longer life, and greater resistance to warping.

Quality parts create the precision braking.

Learn more about Wagner and Qualis at their websites.

Schedule a brake inspection today

Our Free Brake Inspection is as thorough as the day is long. Just ask for it and you shall receive. Our techs can detect most any brake problem, big or small, by inspecting your ride’s different brake components. We have over 5,000 ASE certified brake technicians, the most in the auto repair industry. This ensures you have a knowledgeable and professional brake technician working on your vehicle.

You wouldn’t see a doctor who’s not an M.D., so we believe the same discretion applies to the person who repairs your brakes. To become a brake expert requires expert training and the drive to excel in auto care. Here at Firestone Complete Auto Care, we employ over 5,000 ASE (Auto Service Excellence) certified technicians, the most in the industry. ASE is the automotive industry standard with a trusted certification process. For us, ASE is our way of ensuring that qualified and knowledgeable expert technicians are working on your automobile.

Before any brake technician can even become ASE brake certified, they’re required to have two years of automotive experience.

The Brake Specialist exam is one of over 50 different exams ASE offers. It is a rigorous test and the standard way to accurately measure the competency and knowledge of the technician seeking certification. 

Now the next time you see the ASE patch on one of our tech’s uniform, you’ll know you have a qualified person at the helm. Certification is not for life. To remain certified, ASE brake specialists must be retested every five years.

Learn more at about ASE Certification

MAP stands for the Motorist Assurance Program. It’s the consumer outreach program enacted by the Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association, Inc. (AMRA) and is a nationally recognized quality assurance program with participation by the industry’s leading retailers, suppliers, independent repair facilities, and vehicle manufacturers.

To strengthen the relationship between consumers and auto repair facilities, MAP was started in 1994 to ensure the consumer always receives honest and detailed information regarding their vehicle parts; all in the name of helping the consumer educate themselves on their vehicle while providing the most trusted and consistent recommendations about each vehicle part we’ve inspected.

We’ve been a strong advocate of quality service. MAP is our way of ensuring to you that your car is in good hands at any and all Firestone Complete Auto Care stores. MAP is always being updated with the help of government and state officials to address new developments in the automotive industry.

Understanding the color code is as easy as understanding every driver’s favorite frienemy, the traffic light. But first, to give you a little clarification, the color code system was enacted in 1994 by the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) to create consistent standards for recommending and selling parts and services to consumers. We not only follow industry standards at Firestone Complete Auto Care, we also abide by our own quality standards.

Using the traffic light model, we can precisely classify the wear on your parts:

• Red: A red mark on a particular part requires repair or replacement. If the part needs adjustment, such as relating to an alignment issue, this means we can repair the issue. Most of the time however, red means the part is no longer performing its intended purpose or it no longer meets the design specs. In both instances, you will be told the part needs to be replaced in order for your car to operate under mandated vehicle specifications.  If a part is missing, a red mark will also be used to indicate replacement needed.
• Yellow: Though your vehicle can function with the particular part(s) in the yellow zone, we typically suggest repair or replacement to avoid the red zone scenario. Some yellow lights you can make it through, others turn red before you know it. A yellow mark could mean the part is close to the end of useful life. We refer to the manufacturer’s recommended action based on your vehicle’s original equipment manufacturer specifications. Your technician will also provide a recommendation based on their experience and knowledge of the part in question on your particular vehicle.
• Green: Everybody’s favorite color upon approaching any intersection. It’s also our favorite color to check off in relation to your car parts. If you receive this mark, give yourself a pat on the back, and rest easy knowing the checked parts passed our inspection and you’re good to go.