As a car owner, it's important to pay attention to the sounds and signals your vehicle is giving you. Brakes are one of the most critical parts of your car's safety system. If neglected, they can lead to expensive repairs and even accidents.

In general, your car's brakes should be replaced every 25,000 to 65,000 miles, while rotors should be replaced every 30,000 to 70,000 miles. However, the exact number may vary depending on terrain, weather conditions and driving style. Fortunately, you'll likely experience minor symptoms when your brake pads are getting towards their end of life, making diagnosis and repairs easy. However, if you're not sure if it's time to replace your brakes, here are six common signs to look out for.

1. High-Pitched Screeching or Squealing Noise

If you notice a high-pitched screeching sound when you press the brake pedal, there’s nothing to worry about. It doesn’t indicate that your brakes will give out any minute. Instead, the squealing noise comes from a piece of metal purposefully built into the brake pads. It’s intended to warn you that the brake pads are near the end of their useful life and will need to be replaced soon. 

2. Heavy Grinding Sound

A heavy metallic growling or grinding noise signifies that your pads have completely worn down. If you're experiencing a grinding noise while you're applying pressure to the brake pedal, your brake pads need to be replaced ASAP. In a short time, this can scratch your rotors or even melt the metal together and cause the brakes to stick. If you leave the brake pads to continue grinding, a lot more damage may occur resulting in higher repair costs.

3. Brake pads appear to be thin

A visual inspection is an easy way to check the condition of your car’s brake pads. You can see them between the wheels’ spokes, pressed against the metal rotors. If you see that the pads are less than a quarter inch or 6.4 mm thick, then it’s probably time to have them inspected or replaced.

4. Brake pedal vibration

If your brakes are in good working order, your car will stop smoothly. But if the brakes are worn or the rotors are damaged, you may feel your car shaking when you press the brake pedal. If the car shakes or the steering wheel shakes when braking, but stops when the brake pedal is released, it's time to have your brakes serviced.

5. Taking longer to stop

Sometimes when you need to stop quickly, you may feel that your braking system is not stopping the car fast enough or it’s not as responsive as it should be. If you're experiencing less than ideal-stoppage times while applying your brakes, it may mean your brake pads are worn down completely or that your brake fluid is low. In this case, you'll want to get to a mechanic as soon as possible to ensure you maintain all braking abilities.

6. Indicator Light Shown

Newer model cars come with brake warning lights that appear on your dash. Your brake light won't always come on when there is an issue but it's also the light that appears on your dash when your parking brake is engaged. If you see a brake warning light and your parking brake isn't engaged, it's time to have a mechanic have a look and diagnose your issue.