Front brakes do wear out faster as they do most of the stopping and handle most of the vehicles weight.
In a vehicle that carries heavy loads in the back or pulls a trailer the back brakes may wear out just as fast but in vehicles without a lot of weight in the back or pulling a trailer your front brake pads and brake rotors will wear out faster.
Front brakes should last between 30,000 miles to 80,000 miles although if you do a lot of stop and go driving the front brakes will wear out quicker and may only last 20,000 miles to 30,000 miles.
The symptoms of worn brake pads are scraping or screeching noise when applying brakes, brake pedal going to the floor or near to the floor and metal on metal sound if the brake pads are worn completely.
Or if it takes a bit longer to come to a complete stop when you press the brake pedal down it can be a sign that your brake pads are worn out.
The sound that bad brakes make is a screeching or scraping noise or metal upon metal noise depending on how bad the brake pads are worn down.
The sound of the bad brakes will appear when you press the brake pedal or may continue if your brake calipers are bad or brake rotors are warped.
You can tell when you need new brake pads by looking at them to check the thickness or how thin they've become or by listening for sounds such as a screeching or scraping noise when you brake.
Worn brake pads do make noise and when the brake pads are worn out they will make a screeching or scraping noise from the brake pad itself or from the wear indicator that is designed to make contact with the brake rotor when the brake pads are worn down enough to need replaced.
If you hear a screeching sound or scraping sound when applying your brakes then it's likely time to replace the brake pads as they are worn out.
Brakes and brake pads and brake shoes tend to last between 3 to 5 years depending on how many miles you drive and how often you use the brakes.
Some brake pads may last as long as 6 to 7 years and some wear out sooner if you do more stop and go driving.
When your brakes are going out you will know by the sounds and by the brake pedal which will often go further to the floor.
If you completely lose your brakes then brake pedal will go to the floor and the vehicle will not stop or when the brakes are failing the brake pedal may become spongy or be hard to press in some cases.
If it's your brake pads or brake shoes going bad they will often make a scraping sound or screeching sound when you press on your brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
Brake pads should be replaced before they are as thin as 1.5mm and a new brake pad will be at least 10mm thick.
It's recommended that you replace your brake pads when they are as thin as 3mm in thickness.
You can just replace brake pads as long as the brake rotors are good and the brake calipers are good.
However it's a good idea to replace the brake rotors after every 2nd brake pad change as the brake rotors can also wear down and become thin.
I've always replaced my brake rotors whenever I replaced my brake pads a 2nd time just as preventative maintenance.
I do the job myself though and buy the parts online so I get them cheaper.
Brake pads do need replacing as brake pads are a wear item that wears down the more you use your brakes.
The friction material on the brake pads wear down as they make contact with the brake rotors to stop the vehicle and eventually the brake pads wear down to the metal and won't be able to stop the vehicle.
The brake pads should be replaced when the brake pad material wears down thin and before it wears down completely to the metal.
Brake pads also have wear indicators which is a piece of metal that makes contact with the brake rotor when you press on the brake to stop the vehicle and makes a squealing or scratching noise which means it's time to replace your brake pads.
Most brake pads last between 30,000 and 70,000 miles although some brake pads can last as long as 80,000 to 100,000 miles if you do mostly highway driving.
You should however plan to replace brake pads by 30,000 to 70,000 miles and it's a good idea to inspect the brake pads after 10,000 to 20,000 miles.
Some brands of cheap brake pads wear out faster than others but for the most part most brake pads whether cheap or more expensive wear the same depending on how much you use your brakes.
If you ride your brakes or use the brakes more and do more stop and go driving nay brake pads will wear out faster than those that are on vehicles mostly driven on the highway.
Cheap brake pads can wear out faster than higher quality more expensive brake pads.
However it can also depend on how much you use your brakes to how fast your brake pads will wear out.
I've had some brands of cheap brake pads wear out faster than other cheaper brands of brake pads.
Then I've had some higher quality more expensive brake pads last longer than the cheaper brake pads.
It can depend on the quality of the brake pads.
If you're doing your brakes yourself and can't afford the higher quality brake pads then it's okay to use the cheaper brake pads as they last a good amount of time.
Brake pads generally last between 30,000 and 70,000 miles, but some can last as long as 100,000 miles.
There are many factors that account for this wide range.
First, brake pads come in a variety of types and compositions and are attached to even more varying brake systems and rotors.
If the brake pads look thin, less than 1/4", it might be time to get them replaced.
On some brake pads, you might see a wear indicator slot down the center of the pad.
If the slot is gone or just barely visible, it's time for new brake pads.