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By hackwriter, May 30, 2006



My 2003 Corolla has 26,000 mostly local miles on it. I take it on one 2200-mile trip annually, but other than that, 90% of the mileage is local.

My husband and I share the car. He is a "wait till the last second then slam on the brakes" kind of guy, I am a gradual braker.

This past weekend we noticed a "chirping" sound in the passenger side front; it sounds like it's coming from the wheel well. The service writer at the dealer says that the brake pads probably need to be changed, and this is an early indicator, so that we can make do with just changing the pads and not the rotors.

Some posts I see here indicate it may be tires.

We live in NJ, so we have hot summers and cold, wet winters with lots of road salt.

Which of these scenarios is more likely? Which should I take care of first?

I just had brakes done on a 2001 Honda Civic with 40,000 miles -- could the Corolla need brakes that much sooner? Or should I just change the tires?

Would be a good idea to check.

if you do lots of city driving and you car has AT tranny most likely you would need a brake job done somewhere around 30-40K

now_driving_VW

tires would not chirp unless you are driving them really hard.

If the chirp is heard when you apply the brakes--- it's the brakes

you should replace the rotors also-- these days rotors and pads are meant to be replaced as a system. Gone are the days of super thick rotors where you can turn them to reuse. When the rotors are beyong their service limits, you can also start to feel some warping when you brake (steering wheel shakes).

--- don't skimp on the brakes... your and your family's safety is dependent on it

The front tires look to be pretty bald on the outer surface; definitely less than 1/8" tread.

But they're supposed to be warranted for like 60,000 miles. We do keep them properly inflated, so I don't know what the deal is.

The chirp is heard while driving, it's a rhythmic chirp that's constant as the car is running; that's why I wonder if it's the tires. The chirping actually stops when you brake.

If so, is it worth trying to make a warranty claim on them, or should I just bite the bullet and let my friendly neighborhood mechanic (who does my Civic service) put new tires on?

The brakes FEEL fine.

tires would not chirp unless you are driving them really hard.

If the chirp is heard when you apply the brakes--- it's the brakes

you should replace the rotors also-- these days rotors and pads are meant to be replaced as a system. Gone are the days of super thick rotors where you can turn them to reuse. When the rotors are beyong their service limits, you can also start to feel some warping when you brake (steering wheel shakes).

--- don't skimp on the brakes... your and your family's safety is dependent on it

worn out edges could be your tie rod ends or another alignment issue. get that fixed before continuing to hunt down this problem, take it one step at a time.

I had this sound in my '98 corolla, but I didn't notice it while specifically braking. It would start up at traffic lights, and other random times. I haven't heard it in awhile, and forgot about it until reading this post.

I blamed it on a mouse living in the a/c vent, which I fould out recently may have been true. (long story)

Anyway, some other ideas I had were perhaps the serpentine belt, or if you notice this while turning sharply, maybe the cv joints.

Don't disregard the brakes or alignment...

time for new brake pads. the chirping sound is the wear indicator scratching against the rotors.

Agreed.

Now, most folks do much better than 26K on a set of pads, but city traffic can hurt.

If the chirp goes away when the brake is depressed, it's the wear indicators, and get this fixed NOW so you don't need to also change the rotors.

Toyota rotors don't normally need replacement at the first pad change. GM is known for that.

Most dealers/shops will check pad life free with a tire rotation. If you wait, you'll add rotors to the bill.

Bikeman982

Do a brake inspection and that will give you an idea. There are lots of places that will inspect for free. Make sure the parts they say are bad really are bad. Heavy braking can lead to premature replacement due to wear.



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