# Can brake pads rust to the rotor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** caravan, dodge\ **Created:** [March 19, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521 "2012-03-19T23:33:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zeppmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b782af/32.png) [@zeppmo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/zeppmo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/1 "2012-03-19T23:33:57Z")
Mechanic said pads rusted to my rotor. Is that possible? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/2 "2012-03-20T00:40:20Z")
Yup. How long did the vehcle sit? ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/3 "2012-03-20T02:12:39Z")
The bond is usually not very strong and most of the time they break loose by themselves…The rusty rotors will make the brakes a little touchy and grabby for a few stops… Now if salt water was involved, that’s another story… ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/4 "2012-03-20T02:19:39Z")
Yes. My daughter-in-law left her Malibu sitting in the driveway for several weeks while away at school. When she got back she could not move her vehicle. I moved it by using a little more throttle. A few passes around the block and she was good to go. Like Caddyman said…it was a grabby little beast until the rust came off. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 5:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/5 "2012-03-20T05:01:09Z")
We had a work truck that overnight would exhibit the symptoms of pads rusted to the rotors. Big old clunk after attempting moving the vehicle, a bit of gas was required to make them release. Totally plausible. I had a ford ranger, brakes would not rust shut, but the pedal would pulse due to rust, until 75 or 100 miles put on if left for more than a week. ---
**Author:** ![dodge330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@dodge330](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dodge330)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 8:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/6 "2012-03-20T08:58:48Z")
yes they can if the vehicle was not moved for a longtime and left around salt water or air. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/7 "2012-03-20T19:38:47Z")
I’ve had this happen many times. It doesn’t take very long at all in some situations. One car I had decided to donate sat for two weeks w/o parking brake on. Semi-metallic pads fused to the rotors. The wrecker dragged the car 10ft and up on the bed with the rear tire scrubbing/squealing all the way. It had gotten rusted to the rotors several times prior but was able to break them loose rocking with the engine. Not the last time. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/8 "2012-03-20T20:14:10Z")
Drum brakes are more likely to rust in position, locking them…Leaving the parking brake set for long periods is a good way to have this happen… ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-brake-pads-rust-to-the-rotor/71521/9 "2012-03-20T20:41:27Z")
So, Zeppmo, have you a story to tell us or a question to ask?