Automotive Brake Repair and Replacement
Kansas City Auto Brake Repair and Replacement for Honda, Acura, Toyota, and Lexus
Otto Service auto repair shop in Kansas City provides complete brake service, repair, and replacement.
90% (or more) of the time, the brake repair that is needed on a Honda, Acura, Toyota, or Lexus is the simple replacement of the brake pads and rotor resurfacing. These are normal wear items and eventually require replacement on all vehicles.
How Often Do Brakes Need To Be Replaced?
The service interval for brake pad and rotor replacement changes from vehicle to vehicle, driver to driver, and is heavily dependent on driving conditions.
Brake pads and rotors are friction devices. The brake pads clamp down on the rotors and cause friction which in turn causes the vehicle to come to a stop. Every time this friction occurs, small amounts of the brake pad material and the rotor material are removed.
More aggressive drivers who tend to brake later and harder will cause more friction material to be removed. Drivers who spend a lot of time in the city will do more “stop and go” driving and will wear out their brakes faster than someone who spends more time doing highway driving.
So the answer to this question is “it depends”.
It is not uncommon to have someone who goes through a set of brake pads in 15,000 miles. It is also not uncommon to have someone get 60,000+ miles out of a set of pads. But these drivers will have very different driving styles and/or drive under very different driving conditions.
Common Symptoms for Brake Problems
Below is a list of some of the most common symptoms we see when a car has a problem with its brakes.
Noisy or Squealing Brakes.
There are multiple problems that can cause brakes to be noisy or to squeal. The most common is that the brakes are simply worn down and the metal “squealer” is touching the rotor. This is by design to alert you that your brakes need to be replaced. Other causes for noisy brakes are that the pad material is contaminated, has a very high metallic compound, or has an unusual wear pattern.
Vibration or Pulsating Brake Pedal
A vibration from the car or a pulsating brake pedal when stopping, especially from high speeds such as on an interstate exit ramp, is caused by warped brake rotors. In this case, the brake rotors will need to be resurfaced or replaced to remedy the problem.
ABS (Anti Lock Braking System) Light is On
Your ABS light comes on when there is a problem with the antilock braking system. There are many different things that can cause this light to come on, but some of the most common issues would be a faulty brake light switch, faulty wheel speed sensor, or brake shavings built up on the magnetic sensor. To remedy this problem, a diagnostic will need to be performed on the ABS system.
Special Considerations for Brake Repairs
Many makes of Honda, Acura, Toyota, and Lexus require special tools to replace the brakes, usually in the form of tools that compress the caliper pistons back into the caliper.
At Otto Services, as a specialty shop for these car brands, we have the special tools and experience to complete a proper brake job on your vehicle.
Noisy brakes are an aggravation and an embarrassment. We use the highest quality parts and perform the job the right way, cleaning the parts that need to be cleaned and properly lubricating the caliper pins and slides. Doing a “pad slap” just isn’t in our DNA.
Schedule Brake Service or Replacement at Otto Services
To schedule brake system repair, replacement, or diagnosis, contact Otto Services at (816) 358-4454 or use our online scheduling form.
