I recently purchased a used 2009 Kia Rio. I really am enjoying the car. While there is nothing fancy to it, it gets me to and from work and that’s basically what I need. However, when I apply the brakes, there is a high-pitched squeal that is made until the car is almost at a stop. It does this I would say 90% of the time. The brakes work just fine and are in fact very sensitive. I’ve tried researching this online and it seems a lot of people have this problem because of the type of brake pad used. The dealership I purchased it from is more than an hour away from my home, so I am reluctant to drive down there if there really is nothing that will be done. Any thoughts?
Check with a few local shops and ask about the brakes on this car model. They maybe able to advise you on a fix for this problem
The noise you hear might be from the brake pad wear indicators.
These are metal tabs that come in contact with the brake rotors when the brake pads become worn.
Tester
Nine times out of ten, factory pads, properly installed, cures brake squeal.