Your brakes are important to you when you are driving around on a daily basis. Keeping your brakes maintained and in good shape is the best way to make sure that you are going to be able to stop your car when you hit the brakes. To that end, you need to know some of the more common signs that your brakes are going bad so that you can take them to a repair shop. 

Squealing  

Your brakes are covered with a material that will let you stop your car without any noise, but as your brakes get closer and closer to failing, the more they are going to squeal and hiss. That's because the coating on the metal has been completely stripped or a strip of metal on the braking surface is visible. When you hit the brakes, the metal in your brakes is going to rub together, producing that squealing. As the metal continues to rub, the squealing will get louder and louder. If you take your car to the auto shop right after you start hearing that sound, they will be able to replace your brakes and stop that sound from happening. 

Mushy Brakes

When you hit the brake pedal, your car should respond immediately. The feeling should be nice and solid, and your brakes should be quick to react to your action. But mushy brakes are going to take more work to get the same action. When you depress the pedal, it may feel like you have to push harder than before to get the same reaction, and your brakes are going to take more time to stop your car. 

Car Pulls

If your car pulls off to one side when you are braking, that can be another sign that you need to get your brakes worked on. Pulling to one side or the other can show that not only are your brakes failing, but they are also failing at an uneven rate and with uneven wear. Failing brakes can also pose a risk to other drivers around you. 

Know the signs of brake failure so that you can get your car fixed as soon as possible. Your mechanic will be more than happy to answer your questions if you want to know more signs of your brakes no longer working the way that they should. 

Find an auto shop near you and make sure your brakes are good to go.