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Home / Symptoms / Bad Brake Caliper

Four common causes for a vehicle with a Bad Brake Caliper and their related parts.

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Are You Seeing Bad Symptoms From Your Brake Caliper?

The brake caliper is bad because it got greasy due to a fluid leak (possibly from the axle seal) near it. A brake caliper might also become stuck for other reasons, like worn brake pads, faulty caliper brackets, piston seal damage, a faulty master cylinder, a bent brake rotor, etc.

Watch out: If your car's brake caliper is bad, it might cause uneven braking and compromise your safety on the road. The brake caliper needs to work properly so you can safely stop your vehicle during demanding situations. Additionally, brake caliper issues can affect other brake components, resulting in a complete brake system problem.

Let's Get To The Bottom Of It!

Is the car making a noticeable grinding sensation and noise when braking?

You might also notice this symptom when turning left or right. In addition, the car might produce humming sounds and vibrations or even affect fuel consumption.

The brake pads, made of friction material, are essential in braking. When applying the brakes, the friction material contacts the rotor, squeezing the caliper to slow the vehicle. But when the friction material wears out, the metal plate touches the rotor, making a grinding noise and sensation when braking. This happens when the brake pads are old and worn.

Is your vehicle pulling to one side when you brake?

You might also notice smoke coming from one of the wheels, the vehicle slowing down by itself, fluid leaks from a wheel, and unusual sounds.

Brake pads are attached to your car's caliper saddle. The saddle has metal slides that keep the pads in place and help them apply pressure to the rotor. If these slides become clogged with rust or debris, the pads can stick and cause uneven wear. When only one of the slides sticks, it'll pull the vehicle in one direction when braking.

Does your steering wheel shake when you apply your brakes?

You may also feel shaking in your seat, which might increase after carrying heavy loads.

The brake rotors are attached to your vehicle's axles, which connect them to your steering. The heat generated from the friction of excessive braking can cause these rotors to warp. When the rotors warp, you might notice a shaking in the steering wheel that stops once the brakes are released.

Do you notice fluid leaks from behind one of the wheels?

The brake caliper uses brake fluid pressure to push the brake pads onto the rotors and slow down the car. Because of heat and wear, leaks can happen, causing brake fluid to drip onto the tire and ground inside the wheel area.

Is the vehicle pulling to one side immediately after you release the brake pedal?

The brake caliper has a piston that moves back and forth inside a chamber. So, it has its own space to operate. A special o-ring helps retract the piston, and a dust boot keeps dirt out. If something gets inside the chamber, the o-ring can't work correctly, and one side of the brakes might not release fully after braking. This can lead to uneven brake pressure and pulling to one side when you stop and release the brakes.

Does the brake pedal slowly dives to the floor when you press it?

The master cylinder is the part generating and distributing fluid pressure to engage the brakes. It has a piston that moves when you press the brake pedals, which transmits pressure to the brake calipers; it has some rubber cups to help seal the brake fluid. Over time, these cups wear out, causing fluid to leak between the master cylinder and booster. When this happens, the brake pedal can feel weak and might sink to the floor when you press it.

The most common causes of brake calipers going bad

The most common causes for car brake calipers going bad:

Damaged piston seal: The caliper piston has seals that protect the piston housing from water and fluid in general. However, if this seal deteriorates, fluid might seep inside the piston housing, causing rust, and leading to a stuck brake caliper.
Faulty master cylinder: The master cylinder is a box with chambers that receive and release brake fluid, directing it to where it needs to go. Therefore, it’s fundamental for the hydraulic pressure inside the brake system. However, if the master cylinder leaks, brake fluid escapes the system and the hydraulic pressure needed for the brake caliper to work might fail.
Warped brake rotor: The brake rotor is a disc-like component in the wheels that receives all the pressure from the brake pads whenever the driver presses the brake pedal. But, if the rotor is warped or bent, it’ll have an uneven surface that creates extra stress when the pads apply pressure on it, resulting in vibrations to the brake calipers. This can progress into further damage and a faulty brake caliper.
Leaking brake caliper: The brake caliper works by receiving brake fluid; it needs hydraulic pressure to do mechanical movements (applying and releasing the pads). However, if the brake caliper is leaking, it’ll lose hydraulic pressure since the fluid is escaping.
Worn brake pads: The brake pad is a component that, in summary, grips around the wheels and forces them to stop rotating; the pads make direct contact with the brake rotor on the wheels. However, these pads can become greasy due to surrounding fluid leaks, rusty from aging, or bent from accidents, resulting in an ever-applying brake pad that makes your vehicle’s brakes stuck. This can lead to stress and damage to the brake calipers.
Stuck caliper bracket: The caliper bracket is the “hand” holding the brake caliper in place, supporting it and ensuring it’s aligned with the brake disc. However, if the bracket fails, the caliper might become misaligned and misplaced, putting harmful pressure on the disc and damaging itself.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the car making a noticeable grinding sensation and noise when braking?

You might also notice this symptom when turning left or right. In addition, the car might produce humming sounds and vibrations or even affect fuel consumption.

The brake pads, made of friction material, are essential in braking. When applying the brakes, the friction material contacts the rotor, squeezing the caliper to slow the vehicle. But when the friction material wears out, the metal plate touches the rotor, making a grinding noise and sensation when braking. This happens when the brake pads are old and worn.
Is your vehicle pulling to one side when you brake?

You might also notice smoke coming from one of the wheels, the vehicle slowing down by itself, fluid leaks from a wheel, and unusual sounds.

Brake pads are attached to your car's caliper saddle. The saddle has metal slides that keep the pads in place and help them apply pressure to the rotor. If these slides become clogged with rust or debris, the pads can stick and cause uneven wear. When only one of the slides sticks, it'll pull the vehicle in one direction when braking.
Does your steering wheel shake when you apply your brakes?

You may also feel shaking in your seat, which might increase after carrying heavy loads.

The brake rotors are attached to your vehicle's axles, which connect them to your steering. The heat generated from the friction of excessive braking can cause these rotors to warp. When the rotors warp, you might notice a shaking in the steering wheel that stops once the brakes are released.
Do you notice fluid leaks from behind one of the wheels?

The brake caliper uses brake fluid pressure to push the brake pads onto the rotors and slow down the car. Because of heat and wear, leaks can happen, causing brake fluid to drip onto the tire and ground inside the wheel area.
Is the vehicle pulling to one side immediately after you release the brake pedal?

The brake caliper has a piston that moves back and forth inside a chamber. So, it has its own space to operate. A special o-ring helps retract the piston, and a dust boot keeps dirt out. If something gets inside the chamber, the o-ring can't work correctly, and one side of the brakes might not release fully after braking. This can lead to uneven brake pressure and pulling to one side when you stop and release the brakes.
Does the brake pedal slowly dives to the floor when you press it?

The master cylinder is the part generating and distributing fluid pressure to engage the brakes. It has a piston that moves when you press the brake pedals, which transmits pressure to the brake calipers; it has some rubber cups to help seal the brake fluid. Over time, these cups wear out, causing fluid to leak between the master cylinder and booster. When this happens, the brake pedal can feel weak and might sink to the floor when you press it.

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

These are typical processes and repair services that fix a check engine light issue

The most common cause: Leaking brake caliper

The most common reason for a car brake caliper going bad is due to a leak in the caliper itself. The brake caliper is the part that receives hydraulic pressure from the brake fluid and then presses the brake pads, leaning them and forcing them on the wheels to try and stop the vehicle. However, the brake caliper can leak and lose hydraulic pressure, leading to weak brake performance and caliper problems.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the vehicle brakes caliper underperforming you might notice the car pulling to one side, the steering wheel shaking, squealing noises, uneven tire wear, longer stopping distances, etc.
High risk of priority: A weak and leaking brake caliper results in your vehicle brakes degrading and becoming unresponsive and unpredictable. This is a serious safety issue as you can’t properly manage the brakes and control the vehicle.

How exactly does the brake caliper leak?

The brake caliper is connected to hoses and tubes that deliver brake fluid and hydraulic pressure to it. Such hoses have sealings around their connectors, which are prone to failure due to age, impact, and tear. Any damage on these hoses, tubes, and seals results in brake fluid escaping, leading to a leaky brake caliper.

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s brake system to investigate if the brake caliper is stuck due to surrounding components and if there’s further damage to check out. Many shops do transparent vehicle inspections and lay out your options after investigating your vehicle’s conditions.

What’s a vehicle inspection? It’s “detective work” on your vehicle, checking its systems to see if anything prevents the car from working as expected. In this case, mechanics examine different parts of your vehicle to track if anything is causing the brake caliper to get stuck. They’ll also check the condition of components during their inspection, noting which are causing the problem and which got affected by it, recommending to replace them in order of priority.

Transparency example in a leaking brake caliper service

A brake system inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s brake caliper is stuck. This is because many components surrounding the brake caliper, brake hoses, and wheels can have a say in the issue, indicating the real culprits that caused it all.

A customer brought in their vehicle because there were strange marks on the inner part of the driver's front tire. They also saw clear liquid on the ground where they park, sometimes even on the tire tread itself. They also mentioned feeling a spongy brake pedal.

During a test drive, the technician didn't notice anything about the customer's concerns. However, during a vehicle health inspection, the technician found brake fluid leaking from the right front brakes.

To investigate further, the technician cleaned the wheel and brake caliper assembly. With an assistant inside the vehicle, the technician lifted the vehicle on a lift and had the assistant apply and hold the brakes firmly. This made the leak seep from the area where the brake caliper was put together, confirming the mechanic's suspicion.

Based on that, the technician recommends replacing both front brake calipers.

Brake Caliper Leak

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the brake calipers.

Similar Symptoms

Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing

Four common causes for a “brake” light on the vehicle and their related parts.