What are the symptoms that your breaks are about to fail?

Question

Aside from actually looking at the break pads..

Answer 1

Spongy pedal and or break pedal going all the way down to the floorboard.

Answer 2

um they could make squeaking noise when u press down or it doesnt slow down as fast as u want it to

Answer 3

The first sign is when the brake pedal must be pushed more than 2-3 inches before the brakes start to grab...Having to pump the brake pedal indicates that the brake fluid is low  - usually from a leak...A metallic squealing sound (like fingernails on a chalkboard) is the rivets of the brake pad scraping the brake disc or drum...This indicates that the pads are excessively worn or gone...When the vehicle continues rolling after you apply the brakes and you have to use the parking brake, the vehicle is unsafe to drive until the brakes are fixed...At that point, expect to pay at least $500.

Answer 4

Unusual noises when braking and sometimes when not braking.  Brake lights coming on in dash.  Spongy pedal feel.  Increased stopping distances.  A good mechanic can usually look through the spokes on your wheels and can judge the condition of the pad linings.  On drum brakes, the wheel should be pulled.