grinding sound when braking at low speed Page 1094

That grinding noise at low speed is your car's way of filing a formal complaint—usually about the brakes.

If it's truly a grind (not a squeak), it's often metal-on-metal and needs attention yesterday.

• Brake pads worn to the backing plates, chewing into the rotors.
• A small stone or debris trapped between pad and disc.
• Rust “lip” or scored rotors rubbing the pads.
• Bent or misaligned dust shield contacting the rotor.
• Sticking caliper slides or missing shims/hardware.

Don’t keep driving to “see if it goes away”; every stop can turn a cheap pad swap into new rotors and a stern chat with your wallet.

Book an inspection and ask for pad thickness, rotor runout and a road test; fix it early and it’s straightforward, ignore it and you’ll be funding your mechanic’s holiday.