If you’re the only person who uses your car, then only your driving habits affect the wear on your brake pads. If you don’t drive too fast, use engine braking when you can and don’t tend to drive on congested roads where you have to brake a lot, then your pads may last longer.
However, if you’ve recently allowed someone else to start using your car, then their habits also affect your brake pads. For example, if one of your kids has recently got a licence, then you may let them borrow your car.
Less experienced drivers might drive too fast and brake too hard. They may use the car more in heavy traffic. If they borrow the car for trips or recreational activities, then they may load it up with heavy stuff that puts additional strain on your pads. Just one additional driver could wear down your pads more quickly.
YOUR BRAKE PADS HAVE A PROBLEM
Even new brake pads can develop problems that make them wear down more quickly than they should. In some cases, this is a quality issue.
For example, cheaper pads don’t always last that long. They don’t have enough cushioning quality to stay in good shape. If you’ve recently switched to a low-cost product, you may be paying the price in accelerated wear and tear.
Sometimes, pads also move out of position. In the correct position, the whole pad should hit the rotor when you brake. However, if a pad misaligns, then it can’t squeeze down on the rotor evenly. When this happens, parts of the pad may wear more quickly.
Whenever you apply your brakes, you put pressure on the part of the pad that is in the right place. The whole pad won’t meet with the rotor as it should. This part of the pad has to take all the strain of slowing the car down, so it will often wear down more quickly because it is doing all of the work.
YOU HAVE A PROBLEM IN YOUR BRAKING SYSTEM
Worn brake pads can be a sign that you have a problem somewhere else in your system. The problem affects the way the pads work or the stresses they have to deal with.
For example, if your rotor’s surface develops a problem, then your brake pads might suffer because they aren’t hitting a smooth surface. If the rotor has worn or rusty patches, then it will lose some of its smoothness. If dirt gets on to the surface, and sticks there, then a pad will hit the dirt whenever it hits the rotor.
If a pad hits a rough surface or even a tiny dirt obstruction, then it gets minor damage whenever you brake. Its surface rubs away on the uneven part, which can accelerate wear.
Sometimes, pads wear down too quickly because your calipers don’t work correctly. Calipers push pads against the rotor to initiate braking. If a caliper jams or sticks, then it might leave the pad on the surface for longer than necessary. The pad will wear down more quickly because it stays on the rotor for too long.
