scraping noise when braking at low speed

A scraping noise at low speed when you brake is your car whispering, "please fix me," in the least relaxing way possible. It’s usually metal kissing metal, or a tiny rock auditioning as a drummer inside your brake assembly.

Common culprits include:

• Worn brake pads down to the backing plate grinding on the rotor.
• Debris stuck between rotor and dust shield (pebbles, rust flakes).
• Glazed pads or a lip of rust on the rotor catching at low speed.
• Bent or rubbing dust shield, or loose/missing anti-rattle clips.
• Sticking caliper slide pins causing uneven pad wear.

If it’s a harsh, grinding, metal-on-metal sound, park it and book a mechanic—driving on worn pads can chew through rotors and your wallet in one go. Light, occasional scraping that disappears after a few stops may just be surface rust or a pebble, but if it persists, get it inspected; brakes aren’t the place for guesswork.