Is this an indication to change the brake pads?

2006 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition (16 inch wheels)

Since a week or so, when I am going downhill and using brakes to slow down, I feel as if the brake pads are uneven. I feel the unevenness touching the wheels. I don’t feel much difference in braking distance as such when driving on a regular road. But you can’t miss this unevenness feeling on the slopes.

Is there any way to figure this out without taking a wheel off?

Thanks in advance.

It could be brake pads are wore differently between wheels, but usually when you feel a pull or drift while braking would indicate some sort of suspension problem. You cannot check brakes without taking off the wheels. You probably ought to take it to a service center for inspection.

Any time you feel something wrong with your braking, get it checked out by a mechanic (a good independent mechanic is fine, no need for a dealer) at your earliest opportunity. And yes, the wheels have to come off (one at a time at home, if you know what to look for).

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Uneveness may be what is also called pulsation. When you sense it while braking, it usually means one or more rotors (discs) are warped. If a caliper is seizing and causing that rotor to overheat, that’ll do it.

Final update,

The rotors needs replacement. Brake Pads have life on them, but the mechanic doesn’t want to put new rotors with old pads, so replacing both.