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Home / Symptoms / Brake Caliper Issue

Four common causes for weird braking from a vehicle and their related parts.

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Is Your Car Braking Weird?

Your car is braking weirdly because something in the brake system is sticky; it can be the brake pads, the caliper pins, the caliper piston, or even the emergency brake cable. This stickiness happens because of contaminated brake fluid or overall rust and weariness.

Watch out: Brake caliper issues are usually serious. This malfunction can risk your vehicle's integrity and safety on the road. Instead, take control of the situation and arm yourself with knowledge of the causes and solutions.

Let's Get To The Bottom Of It!

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.

Is your fuel economy dropping?

You might also notice extra vibrations when braking, an increased stopping distance, a burning smell when driving, and wheel overheating.

Caliper pins should move smoothly to let the caliper float and apply pressure to the brake pads and rotor. If the pins get rusty, sticky, or freeze, the caliper won't move as smoothly, causing excessive drag and decreasing fuel economy.

Is your vehicle pulling in one direction while driving freely?

Also, you might be experiencing odd behaviors from the brake pedal, unusual sounds, burning smells, and vibrations when braking.

Brake hoses flex every time you hit the brakes, wearing down over time. In addition, if the hoses break inside, they create a one-way valve that holds pressure against the caliper even after releasing the brakes. This problem can cause the vehicle to pull in one direction even while driving straight and may also result in external leaks.

Is your steering wheel vibrating when you brake?

The brake caliper piston has a dust boot to remove dust and debris. It also has an o-ring that seals the fluid and acts as a return spring. If dirt or water gets in between the piston and the bore, it sticks, causing problems. Brake fluid contamination can also cause rust and debris, leading to a sticky piston. This results in excessive heat, warped rotors, and a vibrating steering wheel when braking.

Does your vehicle feel like it's constantly braking slightly?

You may also notice smoke from one of the wheels, leaking brake fluid, extra heat around the wheels, and a gas mileage drop.

The emergency brake cable is steel and stays inside a rubber sleeve. It connects the emergency brake handle to the brake caliper. If the sleeve gets dirty or rusty, the cable can stick, causing the caliper to stay engaged even after releasing the emergency brake handle. With the caliper engaged, the brakes slightly apply.

Is the car making grinding noises when you brake?

The master cylinder helps your car stop by sending pressure to the brake pads. But the brakes might not work correctly if dirt, debris, or worn parts get in the way. This issue can lead to a lack of brakes, a soft pedal, or brakes that don't release fully. These problems can wear down your brake pads and rotors, causing a grinding noise. Keep your brakes in top shape by preventing contaminants from getting in and replacing worn parts.

The most common causes for the car not starting

The most common causes for a car braking weird are:

Sticking emergency brake cable: The emergency caliper arms can bend themselves in a grasp. This problem causes the rear tires to behave like the brakes are always active. This happens because the emergency brake cable controls the caliper arms, and the cable can get stuck due to aging, failures, and wear.
Master cylinder failure: The master cylinder converts the force you apply on the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure that actually makes the car stop. So, it basically ensures you can brake the car with a simple foot push. However, the master cylinder can fail and overstress brake components, causing weird braking.
Brake hose internal damage: The brake hose is important for the hydraulic pressure that makes brake components work together and stop the vehicle. The brake hose is the passageway of brake fluid. However, if the brake hoses are cracked and leaking, brake fluid is escaping, resulting in less hydraulic pressure and less efficient brakes.
Sticking brake pad slides: The brake pad is the part that actually clamps around the wheels to force them to stop rotating. However, these pads can fail due to overwear, aging, or grease. In many cases, the pads can get sticky and stay applying light pressure on the wheels, causing vibrations and braking issues.
Sticking caliper piston: The caliper piston is a piston inside the brake caliper that moves in such a way that drives brake fluid into the caliper, giving it the power to push the brake pads and stop the vehicle. However, a faulty piston might either not provide pressure with brake fluid or remain constantly pushing fluid, causing braking issues.
Sticking caliper pins: The caliper pins are part of the brake caliper and they’re essential for the brake pad-brake caliper contact. This contact is what guarantees that hydraulic pressure reaches the caliper and then the caliper pushes the pads, and then the pads force the wheels to stop; it’s a domino effect. However, if the caliper pins are faulty or sticky, this component relationship gets bad, resulting in brake issues.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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.
Is your fuel economy dropping?

You might also notice extra vibrations when braking, an increased stopping distance, a burning smell when driving, and wheel overheating.

Caliper pins should move smoothly to let the caliper float and apply pressure to the brake pads and rotor. If the pins get rusty, sticky, or freeze, the caliper won't move as smoothly, causing excessive drag and decreasing fuel economy.
Is your vehicle pulling in one direction while driving freely?

Also, you might be experiencing odd behaviors from the brake pedal, unusual sounds, burning smells, and vibrations when braking.

Brake hoses flex every time you hit the brakes, wearing down over time. In addition, if the hoses break inside, they create a one-way valve that holds pressure against the caliper even after releasing the brakes. This problem can cause the vehicle to pull in one direction even while driving straight and may also result in external leaks.
Is your steering wheel vibrating when you brake?

The brake caliper piston has a dust boot to remove dust and debris. It also has an o-ring that seals the fluid and acts as a return spring. If dirt or water gets in between the piston and the bore, it sticks, causing problems. Brake fluid contamination can also cause rust and debris, leading to a sticky piston. This results in excessive heat, warped rotors, and a vibrating steering wheel when braking.
Does your vehicle feel like it's constantly braking slightly?

You may also notice smoke from one of the wheels, leaking brake fluid, extra heat around the wheels, and a gas mileage drop.

The emergency brake cable is steel and stays inside a rubber sleeve. It connects the emergency brake handle to the brake caliper. If the sleeve gets dirty or rusty, the cable can stick, causing the caliper to stay engaged even after releasing the emergency brake handle. With the caliper engaged, the brakes slightly apply.
Is the car making grinding noises when you brake?

The master cylinder helps your car stop by sending pressure to the brake pads. But the brakes might not work correctly if dirt, debris, or worn parts get in the way. This issue can lead to a lack of brakes, a soft pedal, or brakes that don't release fully. These problems can wear down your brake pads and rotors, causing a grinding noise. Keep your brakes in top shape by preventing contaminants from getting in and replacing worn parts.

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: Faulty brake pads

The most common reason for a car having braking issues is due to faulty brake pads. The brake pads are made to endure heavy friction since they’re the direct ‘hand’ forcing down the wheels to stop them while they rotate. However, pads can wear out or fail sooner than expected for different reasons. For example, they can get sticky due to grease, causing them to remain ‘glued’ around the wheels, resulting in light braking while you drive, vibrations, and pulling to one side.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the braking issues, you might notice brake warning lights, the vehicle pulling to one side, brake pedal vibration, squealing noises, longer stopping distances, etc.
High risk of priority: The brake pad is an essential braking component that ensures your vehicle stops timely, removing risks of accidents and unpredictable performance. Therefore, a faulty brake pad makes your vehicle fail to stop and react mid-traffic.

How exactly do brake pads fail?

A brake pad can last for a specific range, typically around 30,000 miles. However, issues in the braking system and wheels can lead to premature wear. In any case, when the brake pad is thinning out and needs replacement, it’ll make squealing noises. These noises are purposely as if the pads are saying “Replace us.”

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s pads and brake system to investigate if the brake pads are failing 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 pads to wear and fail. 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 faulty camshaft service

A brake system inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s battery is faulty. This is because many components surrounding the pads and brake system components like the brake rotors and calipers can have a say in the issue, indicating the real culprits that caused it all.

Let’s read an example of how this kind of inspection helps to service a worn and greasy brake pad, fixing a braking problem.

A customer brought their vehicle concerned it was pulling to the right when stopping, making an odd smell. They asked about the alignment and tire check.

The technician noticed a drastic right pull when braking during a test drive. However, the vehicle drove perfectly straight when not activating the brakes.

During a vehicle health inspection, the technician found uneven brake wear and rust on the calipers and slide pins. So, the thinnest brake pad was less than 3mm thick, and there was no issue with the wheel bearings.

A front brake job was recommended, including replacing the front brake calipers, pads, and rotors. A brake flush was also ideal due to the brake fluid's condition. Still, resurfacing the rotors is not recommended since they are within the manufacturer's specifications.

Sticking brake pad slides

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the brake pads and slides.

Similar Symptoms

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

Four common causes for grinding brakes from a vehicle and their related parts.

Is Your Car Braking Weird?

Let's Get To The Bottom Of It!

The most common causes for the car not starting

Find Professional Help

Frequently Asked Questions

Is your vehicle pulling to one side when you brake?

Is your fuel economy dropping?

Is your vehicle pulling in one direction while driving freely?

Is your steering wheel vibrating when you brake?

Does your vehicle feel like it's constantly braking slightly?

Is the car making grinding noises when you brake?

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

The most common cause: Faulty brake pads

How exactly do brake pads fail?

Transparency example in a faulty camshaft service

Similar Symptoms

Why Is My Car Grinding When I Brake?

Why Won't My Car Start?

Why Is My Engine Sputtering?

Why Is My Steering Wheel Shaking?

Why Is My Transmission Slipping?

Why Does My Car Shake When I Brake?

Why is My Car Overheating?

Why Is My Car's Brake Pad Sticking?

Why Does My Car Struggle To Start in The Cold?

Why Is My Car Not Accelerating?

Why is My Car Jerking When Accelerating?

Why Won't My Car Shift Out Of "Park"?