It seems people are offering a lifetime warranty on everything these days – for example, what does lifetime warranty on brake pads mean? Does it mean I will never need to spend a dime on brake pads again? Let’s investigate this further.
Nowadays, you can get insurance on everything, be it your life or your phone.
Similarly, you can buy insurance for your car or buy a lifetime warranty for its parts. Brake pads are one of those parts that need regular checking and replacement.
Many service centres have started offering a lifetime warranty on brake pads. Do you need it? Or is it all a facade? Let’s find out by digging into the facts.
What Is The Difference Between Standard Brake Pads And Lifetime Brake Pads?
The brake pad is what brings your car to a stop when you press down on the brake pedal. However, your brake pad will start to wear out, and it lasts around 50,000 miles before they start getting worn out.
Organic brake pads are designed for everyday use, so they don’t generate a lot of heat when braking. These brake pads will not wear and tear as much as performance brake pads.
When you hear the term “lifetime guarantee” on brake pads, you might tend to think that your brake pads will never wear out or need to be replaced. It only means that you will get a new brake pad without paying for it, but you will need to pay the installation charge even then.
If you have other problems with braking from another component like the hydraulic fluid, master cylinder, the rotors, or the hoses, your brake pad guarantee will not cover them.
You might like to read: What Are Disc Brakes Made Of?
What Does Life Warranty On Brake Pads Cover?
Brakes are an essential part of a vehicle without which it can not work. Brakes and their parts rarely get damaged, but it needs regular checkups to ensure it is working fine. Because any problem in any part of the brake, as little as it might seem, could cause brake failure.
For example, a tint leakage in the hydraulic fluid tank might cause brake failure and cost the lives of the driver, passenger or other people.
Moreover, the replacement of the brakes is expensive. The brake pads for the axle cost around $30 to $150. So, when you are required to spend around $600 on total brake replacement, you might wonder: what if you could buy insurance for these parts?
Many vehicle service companies have started offering a lifetime warranty on parts of cars, such as brake pads. Do not be under the impression that you will never need to buy a single more brake pad once you buy the security.
The brake pad life warranty covers only the brake pad and no other affixed parts such as brake shoes or rotor discs.
The period of warranty differs for different service centres. They replace your brake pad by charging a penny on the brake pads if they wear out before a certain period, say one year or certain miles of driving, say 50,000 miles.
How To Increase Life Of Your Car’s Brake System?
A Brake system is essential for your car, as brake failure could cost the lives of you and your loved ones. There are many reasons behind brake failure, such as
- Exhaustion of brake fluid,
- Worn-out rotor disks and
- Over-used brake pads.
Whenever you apply brakes, the energy of the moving car is turned into heat-causing friction. Heat and friction damage the brake pads and other parts attached to them.
It would be best if you regularly check and replace the brake pads. Brake pads need replacement every 10,000 miles to 20,000 miles.
You should always check the brake fluid level. Any leakage in the hose could be hazardous.
There is a technique where tamed drivers slow and gradually decrease the speed to a specific limit to avoid applying brakes in certain situations.
If you even need to use a brake, a slower pace means less energy converted to heat, thus more minor damage to various parts of your car’s brake system.
You might like to read: 5 Reasons Why Brake Light Comes On While Driving
How To Know That Your Brake Pads Have Worn Out?
Brake pads are placed in between the wheels and the rotor discs. Due to its position, it is subjected to constant wear and tear caused by the frictional force and the heat released.
Damaged brake pads may cause various problems in the brake system, including brake failure. It would help regularly check your car’s wheels to look up damage in the brake pads.
Brake pads usually come in sets of 4, which are required by two wheels in the axle. The cost of these sets varies from $30 to $150. For the entire brake replacement, you need to spend $400 to $800, including the charges of rotor discs and labour costs for both the front and rear axle.
To know exactly when to replace the brake pads, you need to check for signs while applying brakes and driving your vehicle. Here is the signal to look for a problematic brake pad:
First, check its thickness if you doubt that it’s time to change the brake pads. The consistency should not be less than 25% of an inch, and it would help if you changed brake pads of lesser thickness immediately.
You will hear a high-pitched squeaking or loud grinding noise whenever you apply brakes. The noise is the earliest sign that you might notice worn-out brake pads.
Additionally, you might feel the brake pedal vibrating while driving, especially when applying brakes.
The maintenance light in your car will light up once your brake pads are damaged.
You might like to read: Which Brake Pads Wear Out First?
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. How does a lifetime warranty on brakes work?
The company replaces your brake parts without charging its cost for a certain period and distance that your car travelled.
#2. Are lifetime brake pads worth it?
If you drive thousands of miles regularly, then you should get it.
#3. What is the average life of brake pads?
A fair quality brake pad lasts for 10,000 to 20,000 miles.
#4. What does lifetime replacement mean?
Suppose you buy a product with a lifetime warranty. The company is bound to replace it if it gets damaged before the promised time.
You might like to read: What Are Clips That Come With Brake Pads?
A Few Final Words
You could never cross 15000 miles a year for regular use, whereas they offer you a replacement for 50,000 miles. Additionally, you could avail of the warranty only if you bring the damaged brake pad, and they will pay only for the pad. Many loopholes are set around the security, and availing it could be a diffuse task.
Thank you for reading the article. We hope we have answered most of your queries – if not, please drop us a comment in the box below, and we will get back to you.
