Have had brakes checked. Adjusted. Rotors resurfaced. Emergency brake adjusted. Drums cleaned. New front hub assembly on driver’s side. Each time I take it somewhere (have been to four mechanics and one brake specialist) it sounds worse. I am a single Mom with a chronically ill child. I moved here recently so my son can be in the Gastro program at the children’s hospital. Everyone that people highly recommend seems to do a crappy job with my car. It went from a click sound that happened constantly when driving only and a squealing sound when I braked to now a rubbing sound on both sides while driving and a clicking now on the opposite side. Help! I am truly sleepless in Seattle over this one!
Odds are that at least one of the mechanics was honest and capable. It is impossible for even the most experienced and determined mechanics to diagnosis your problem from symptoms. You might look closely at the efforts of those 4 mechanics and make your best choice to return to get it looked at again. But it is difficult for a shop to make a diagnosis based on the customers financial situation. Some are determined to avoid the situation altogether.
I don’t always tell them my financial situation. Usually not until after they tell me what is wrong. And if it has to be fixed, then it has to be. I don’t want my financial situation to determine the outcome of their diagnosis. How do I know which one is right? Is it true also that if the car came with ceramic brakes that I must keep ceramic brakes on the car? I switched to semi-metallic last year.
Semi-metallic brakes make more noise than ceramic brakes.
The real question is HOW do the brakes FEEL when you are using them?
Does the brake pedal feel firm, and responsive?
Does the car brake in a straight line, or does it pull to the side?
Honestly, a clicking noise while driving could be something else, like the axle hubs/wheel bearings.
And finally, it sounds like you have something much more important to concentrate on than hunting down a mysterious noise that isn’t actually a problem, since all the parts are checking out fine on your car.
BC.