Chevy Impala 2012 LS, 48,000 miles
I inspected brakes on the passenger side of my car recently. The front wheel outer pad and rotor's surface looked visually great with 6.5 mm of the friction material on the pad. The inner pad and rotor's surface, not so much. The brake pad was pitted with 4.5 mm of the friction material left. The inner rotor's surface looked rusty and grooved in the outer circumference. The caliper appeared OK and it wasn't sticking.
If mechanic tells me, I need new calipers just because of the pads uneven wear, should I go with it? I haven't experienced any unusual symptoms with braking, driving, etc., so far and brakes have been working great.
P.S. Will I need brake fluid change at this point? The owner's manual says nothing about it.

 

That’s usually indicative of the slides pins being stuck or in need of a clean an grease, the holes where the slides go in should be cleaned also, make sure the pads are not getting stuck in the hardware, they should move somewhat freely, i would check that the piston retracts fully and smoothly as the rubber brake hose sometimes fails internally and will only allow fluid to move in the direction of the caliper thus keeping constant pressure on the piston, in this case the brake hose would need to be replaced, I would hold off on flushing the fluid unless it looks contaminated, brake fluid usually lasts the life of the vehicle unless something drastic happens.

 

Thanks for a very informative reply.
Please, clarify something else for me: I said that the caliper wasn't sticking. While it was technically true, there was a significant difference between front and rear wheels movements. When I put the car in neutral and took the front wheel off, I was able to move the hub (I hope it's the right term), but I had to apply a noticeable effort to do so. I could hear some rustling sound. It was much easier to move the rear wheel hub. When I put the wheels back, it was much easier to move them on both wheels, but once again, it was a noticeable difference between the front and rear wheels. Is it normal?

 

[QUOTE=wedf;515470]Thanks for a very informative reply.
Please, clarify something else for me: I said that the caliper wasn't sticking. While it was technically true, there was a significant difference between front and rear wheels movements. When I put the car in neutral and took the front wheel off, I was able to move the hub (I hope it's the right term), but I had to apply a noticeable effort to do so. I could hear some rustling sound. It was much easier to move the rear wheel hub. When I put the wheels back, it was much easier to move them on both wheels, but once again, it was a noticeable difference between the front and rear wheels. Is it normal?[

Hub is correct, the rotor is what sits on the hub, it is harder to turn the front versus the rear because it is a front wheel drive vehicle, the resistance is coming from trying to rotate the transmission as well as the axles and hub, the rear are stand alone and spin freely, while this is normal i would still check all the parts i stated previously, the rustling you heard may be some rust on the rotors depending how old they are, i can only assume since i can’t see them, if so, you can remove some of that rust by gently tapping it with a hammer, be careful not to damage the rotors, you’re very welcome, if you have any other questions feel free to message on here.

 

Even the most insignificant car related maintenance procedures in the parking lot of my apartment building are strongly prohibited. I can forget about jacking up the car and taking the wheels off. It was a pure luck that I had the opportunity to inspect the brakes at some other place. Most likely it was a one-off event. I guess I will be at the mercy of local mechanics. Hopefully you have provided me with enough information to keep them honest.
Below are the pictures of the inner rear brake pad and the inner rear rotor's surface. As with the front brakes, the inner and outer pads and rotor surfaces look differently, although there is much less of a difference. You can see the rotor surface in the little mirror.
The outer pad thickness is 6.5 mm. The inner pad thickness is 5mm with shallow scratches. Should I do anything at this point, or should I continue to drive and just to monitor it.
P.S. I drive usually two-three times a week, relatively short distances, although it's in the city with pedestrians, traffic lights, etc.,

 

you’re fine for now that’s normal wear and normal rusting, that rust line at the outer edge is what caused the lines in the pad and was most likely the rustling sound you were hearing, i would monitor it, let those pads wear down, then replace pads and rotors when the pads are thinner, or if you have the time and money you can replace them now, it’s up to you, but you’ll be fine if you wait. Front and rear brake wear will always be different, most of your stopping power is in the front, it’s about 70% front 30% back, so you will see a difference.

 

Thanks for the prompt reply. Perhaps you can express your opinion about my front brakes. The medium ark on the rotor looks much better in real life than on the picture. It's actually much smoother and brighter. I don't know why its image got so distorted.

 

No problem, i enjoy helping people out, i would definitely recommend replacing the front pads and rotors, it looks like the pad was stuck as i can see the pry marks you made to get it out, pads should always come out easily, the pad is delaminating and not making full contact on the rotor, both are dangerous, the caliper bracket needs to be cleaned, brake pad hardware needs to be replaced, you need to ensure both slide pins are cleaned and lubricated this is a crucial part to the function of the caliper, so take care of the front as soon as you can, unless there’s something else wrong with the caliper other than needing to be cleaned up, you don’t have to replace them, the rear should be ok for a little longer.

 

Thanks again.