Why do my brakes vibrate?
The Car Doctor answers automotive questions from readers.
My brakes are vibrating. What should I do? Q. The front brakes and pads of my 2010 Toyota RAV4 were replaced 5,000 miles ago and the rears about 10,000 miles ago. Lately I’ve noticed the brakes vibrate while I’m braking, which is very annoying. It seems to be getting worse. The dealership verified the uneven braking and noted that the pads are not worn. Their mechanic recommended replacing the brakes and rotors on all four wheels at a cost of about $1,100. My local garage said the problem is with one of the rotors but can’t determine which one. Their mechanic said nothing should be done at this time. So what should I do: live with the problem, or pay for an unnecessary brake job? A.
The shop should be able to use a dial indicator to check if the brake rotors are out-of-round. Once the issue is confirmed, the rotors can be resurfaced, and the best method is to use an on-the-car brake lathe. Unlike putting on new rotors or resurfacing the current rotors using a traditional brake lathe, the on-the-car lathe can compensate for slightly out-of-round hubs that could also be causing the vibration.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE certified master technician. Email your car question to [email protected].
Advertisement:
Related: Why do my brakes squeak in reverse?
