2011 Nissan Sentra: inconsistent brake pad wear

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Brakes: I have drums in rear, disk in front. If I’m not keeping up on washing my car like I should, I notice I get a little more break dust on driver side than passenger side. When front breaks started squeaking recently, I took front wheels off to look at pads. I noticed the brake pads on driver side have slightly more wear than the passenger side (makes sense as I had more break dust on that side). What are possible causes of inconsistent brake pad wear between driver side and passenger side? Thanks

  • Mark from Savage, MN
2

If the pad on the outside of the drivers side is showing more wear than the inner pad, then the caliper pins need cleaning and fresh lubrication. If both pads are worn the same, then it could be a restriction in one of the brake lines or hoses, the proportioning valve or some internal drag in the caliper on the passenger side.

3

A caliper piston could be sticking in its bore. You need to replace the caliper asap.