Worn or thinning brake pads
- When your brake pads are worn and new pads are required, you will hear a high-pitched warning sound from your front brakes or rear brakes (if equipped). You may hear this sound come and go, or it may occur whenever you depress the brake pedal. Car manufacturers place a small piece of metal, known as a wear indicator, into their brake pads. As a car continues through its wear-and-tear, the brakes pads will continue to thin until the wear indicator brushes against the rotor, which causes a high-pitched squeak as a warning of when the brake pads need replacing. Additionally, if you abruptly step on the brakes it may also cause your brake pads to wear quicker, as well as cause the squeaking sound you hear.
Weather
- Rust forms on the rotors due to the moisture gathered from the remaining condensation from rainy or snowy weather. Then as the rotor turns, it meets the brake pads, which removes the rust off and catches onto the edge of the brake pad, therefore causing the car to squeak when you press the brakes.
Loose car parts
- There is an assortment of parts within a braking system of a car, such as the rotors, calipers, pads, etc. If all of the parts are correctly placed and secured, they shouldn’t move nor should it create any noise. However, if a part moves, then it needs to be secured, lubricated, and checked.
Brake pad material
- Brake pads consist of a variety of materials that may vary from fiber, rubber, copper, resin, or others. However, there are also cheaper brake pads available on the market with higher metal content, so when the brake pads scratch against the rotor, it causes a squeaking sound. It is best to invest in higher quality brakes to prevent the squeaking noise, as well as to prevent accidents that may happen due to the inability to tell when your brake pads have hit the wear indicator.