How Often Should You Replace Your Brake Pads?

When you step on the brake pedal, it’s the brake pads that make contact with the rotors and cause the necessary pressure and friction for your car to slow down or stop. It’s crucial for your safety that the pads don’t wear down too thin and lose the ability to provide you with the stopping power you need. The qualified technicians at your Jacksonville, FL, Mazda dealer perform expert pad replacements to ensure your safety on the road.

How Often Should You Replace Your Brake Pads at Your Jacksonville, FL, Mazda Dealer?

Pad Replacements

Generally, your car’s pads will need to be replaced between 25,000 and 70,000 miles. How often you replace the pads depends on the quality, your driving style, and the driving conditions under which you operate your vehicle. If you drive in heavy traffic, on mountainous roads, speed, brake hard, and frequently apply the brakes, you will have to replace the pads more often.

Your Mazda owner’s manual has recommendations on the required brake system inspection intervals and pad replacements. You can also ask your Mazda technician for information.

Pad Thickness

New pads have a thickness of eight to twelve millimeters. The pads must be thicker than 6.4 millimeters to function properly. The minimum pad thickness is 3.2 millimeters, but we recommend a pad replacement before they get this thin to prevent your brakes from failing.

Brake Inspections and Replacements

It’s recommended that your brakes are inspected every 7,500 miles or six months to ensure optimal braking performance. When you take your Mazda for the factory-recommended oil change, the Mazda technician will also perform a thorough brake inspection. This will ensure that your car’s brake system is in perfect working condition. With routine maintenance, your vehicle’s pads will also be replaced before they wear too thin.

Quality Pads

It’s vital to use the highest quality pads for increased safety. At your dealership, the Mazda technicians install top-quality Genuine Mazda Brakes. The pads are specifically designed for your Mazda and tested for reliability and safety.

Signs It’s Time for a Replacement

Pads have a metal burr or wear indicator built into the pad that makes contact with the rotor when the pad wears too thin. This causes a high-pitched squealing sound to warn you that it’s time to get the pads replaced. If you don’t, you will soon hear a grinding noise when the bare metal scrapes against the rotors. This will result in overheating that could cause the rotors to warp.

Other warning signs include vibrations through the pedal, your car pulling to one side, and unresponsiveness when you apply the brakes. If you experience any of these signs, ask your Mazda technician to perform a brake system inspection to determine if your car’s pads need to be replaced.

Rely on the Mazda technicians at your dealership to ensure that your vehicle’s braking system is in excellent condition to keep you safe on the road. Visit Mazda City of Orange Park today. Our experienced Mazda technicians will perform a thorough brake system inspection and an expert pad replacement.

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