When I brake hard on my 2002 wrx the right front brake makes a scraping sound "eeeeeee". If I brake gently then no noise.
How can I tell if this is the brake wear indicator signaling the brake pad needs replacement, or noise due to surface irregularity on the rotor?
It has 55K miles on it and I drive and brake gently 95% of the time. All brake pads are original haven't been changed.
Some car shops will do a brake inspection for free. Call around.
I'd suggest that, with those low miles on a 2002 you may be on surface streets a lot. That usually means stop-and-go driving. So, quite likely it's time for pads - maybe just front pads but if the rears are more than 50% gone - change them as well.
Also, have the brake fluid flushed. It probably has absorbed a lot of water if it is also original.Good time to rotate tires also if it hasn't been done lately.
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