Ford brake pads replacement

Front brake pad replacement

How do front brake pads work?

Brake pads are a key component of any vehicle’s braking system. They’re flat parts made of semi-metallic, organic or ceramic materials, with a metal backing. When you use your brakes, the pads hydraulically squeeze the brake discs, slowing your car down through friction and pressure. The pads absorb some of the biggest forces involved in daily driving.

Most cars have two pads per brake disc, although some high-performance models can have more.

How often should front brake pads need replacing?

As a rough guide, your brake pads should last for 50,000 miles, but there are a number of variables, including driver behaviour, the weight you carry, speed and the type of pads used. Not to mention that nearly 20% of MOT failures are caused by faulty brakes.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Incorrect brake operation, damaged or excessively worn discs or pads are considered unsafe for your vehicle performance and will cause your car to fail an MOT.

The cost of replacing front brake pads

The typical cost of replacing front brake pads is around £100.

For example, a BMW 116d M Sport would have a dealer price of £133.13, yet Fixter will carry out the same work for only £107.10—a 20% saving!

Changing the rear brake pads on a Fiat 500 C Lounge will cost you £120.59 with your dealer, but only £99.17 with Fixter—a superb saving of 18%!

When you choose Fixter to find you a great deal and a premium mechanic to carry out your rear brake pad replacement, you can expect to save around £20–£25 from an average dealer price. That’s a typical saving in the region of 15–20%.

What happens when we replace your brake pads?

• Our efficient and fully qualified mechanics will inspect the brake system for signs of wear, damage and breakage.
• They will establish which brake pads need to be replaced and fit new ones as necessary.
• You will also be advised of any other parts that may need to be replaced for the best operation and health of your vehicle.
• Once the brake pads have been replaced, our mechanics will test it thoroughly to ensure the correct operation of the new parts and make any adjustments required for premium performance.

What causes your brake pads to stop working correctly?

While your brake pads will keep you safe over thousands of miles, they won’t last forever. Eventually, the abrasive surface on them wears down, and they will need to be replaced, ideally while you still have around 25% capacity of the pads left.

Given that they take most of the load, front brake pads will probably need replacing first. They also have a bigger surface area to increase friction.

To make your brake pads last longer:

• Try avoiding driving at high speeds so that you’re less likely to need to brake quickly and heavily, which puts extra pressure on the pads.
• Anticipate traffic and hazards ahead so you can brake steadily and gradually.
• Heavy loads also put stress on brake pads – don’t carry unnecessary weight.

Symptoms of malfunctioning brakes

Your brake callipers make unusual noises

A loud screeching or grinding noise when you apply the brakes is a clear indicator that new pads are required.

When your car pulls to one side under braking

If only one brake is working correctly, it can cause your car to pull in the direction of the functioning brake.

The car vibrates under braking

Your brake pads could be warped if the pedal vibrates when you press down on it.

The brake pad is worn down

Look through the wheel’s spokes for a visual check—the outside pad is pressed against a metal rotor, and you should be able to see at least 3mm of the pad.

Your brake warning light on the dashboard is illuminated

If any of your dashboard warning lights are illuminated, the sensor that detects problems or worn out parts and components has detected an issue and activated the system.

Ford

The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker, founded by Henry Ford in 1903. One of the most long-standing giants of the motoring industry with an estimated asset wealth of around $256 billion, Ford became a popular household name throughout the UK in the 1960s with the introduction of the Ford Transit, the Ford Escort and the Ford Capri.

How popular is Ford in the United Kingdom?

With the Ford Fiesta consistently winning accolades as the best selling car in the UK, it’s no surprise to hear that in 2018 there were approximately 5.5million Ford cars on the roads by the end of the year.

With a proven track record for good value and sensible, practical driving, along with a dealership just around every corner, Ford has developed a method of sustaining great sales by giving drivers just what they need.

Popular well-priced cars with a sturdy reputation

There’s a Ford car for practically every sensible driver. Actually, there are a few Ford cars for the more daring driver too. Take a look at the history of RS and Cosworth models, both making an impact in the world of rally driving and touring car racing.

While they’re better known for providing family transport that includes the Ka, the Fiesta and the Focus, Ford also produces the lavishly equipped Edge SUV, and also the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers too.

And for something quite a lot less mainstream, Ford deliver some muscle

From a very traditional and mainstream marque, it’s refreshing to see that they still deliver a great big slice of larger than life America—and the latest model Ford Mustang is no exception. If a Mondeo or a Focus isn’t really your thing, and even the RS models aren’t sporty enough, then the new Mustang’s brawny delivery of sleek lines powered by its 5-litre V8 engine could be just the thing. Failing that, the Ford GT supercar with its twin-turbo V6 won’t fail to turn heads. All £420k of it.

Ford’s reliability and reputation

Ford ranked 18th place out of 30 car brands in the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2018. What appears to be a middle of the road result for a middle of the road manufacturer, could be seen as a sensible achievement from the American marque, as most of the best performing brands are Japanese and Asian car manufacturers.

Recent Ford recalls and reliability issues

Various recalls have been made on Ford models throughout their motoring history. The following are a list of the most recent in the UK and Europe.

01/04/2019 – Ford Mondeo and Ford S-Max (2010–2014)

Overheating of the engine cylinder head may cause it to crack

06/03/2019 – Ford Focus (2018)

Bolts fixing front suspension may not be tightened to correct torque

22/02/2019 – Ford Focus, Ford C-Max, Ford Kuga, Ford Galaxy, Ford S-Max, Ford Mondeo and Ford Transit Connect (2016–2018)

Clutch pressure plate fracture

12/02/2019 – Ford Focus Estate (2018–2019)

The rear doors may open inadvertently

08/02/2019 – Ford Transit and Ford Transit Custom (2017)

Incorrectly torqued left-hand seatbelt

21/12/2018 – Ford GT (2016–2018)

The rear wing valve block may leak oil

21/12/2018 – Ford Focus (2018)

A brake pedal hinge bolt does not meet specification

19/12/2018 – Ford Mondeo (2017)

The roof opening panel glass is not correctly bonded

All recall information sourced from gov.co.uk data.