Brake light came on while driving?

Your brake fluid is low??? Possibly because your pads are worn down??

This is the answer. Check the fluid level in the reservoir, it's probably just at or below the "Min" mark so as it sloshes around it is tripping the low level sensor which will turn the "Brake" light on. Note that you should NOT just add more fluid to fill it up. As Yousuf said your brake pads are probably worn, as they wear and the pistons move further out in the calipers the fluid level in the reservoir will drop. This is how the system works. When new pads are installed and the pistons retracted to their original positions, the fluid level will rise back up. Adding fluid while the pads are worn may result in the reservoir overflowing after they are replaced.

Although, if your pads are not worn, you might have a leak somewhere. It ha ppens. While I was a young cheap college kid I had a 95 legacy that would l ose enough fluid that I'd have that light come on about once every 6 months . I think I put fluid in about three times before I finally tracked it down and replaced a rear caliper. I wouldn't suggest doing that though.

Bill

you /usually/ only see it with PB engaged. It can also indicate a myriad of possible problems depending on the exact model (year, options etc) of vehicle. By far the most common cause is that the fluid is low from brake wear, but that doesn't mean that's what happened to you. Brakes are arguably the most important part of a car, so I would get this professionally checked out immediately, if I weren't capable myself.

GW

Add some brake fluid. If the level goes down soon after, you've got a leak, probably at one of the pistons. If the level doesn't change, don't worry about it.

Yes, that was my feeling too, because my brakes were due for a change soon anyways. My only concern was whether it indicated something more serious like a fluid leak. But I called the dealership and they also pretty much confirmed what I thought, and what pretty much all of you have suggested, that's probably due to the brake pads getting worn. The brakes were still as strong as before, so I was a little fooled into thinking that they weren't as worn as I suspected them to be just based on the time. In previous cars, there was a very obvious loss in braking efficiency as the pads wore down, but with this one, hardly any change.

So anyways, I got the brakes changed this morning, hopefully that'll take care of all of that.

Yousuf Khan

Pad wear will not cause any reduction in braking power untill you hit steel on steel. If the rotors get scaley, that's a different story - and that can happen with virtually no pad wear.