A car driving on the highway in very close left lower view with sun peeking over mountain in background — Patrick Daxenbichler via iStock

I worked at a shop for 10 years: Here are 5 reasons brakes wear unevenly

Irregular brake wear is one of those problems that starts quietly and gets expensive fast.

by Sarah Kennedy

Published on May 16, 2025 2:14 pm

2 min read

You’re used to driving around and freely using your brakes. Things feel fine…until there’s suddenly a grinding noise – or even more scary, smoke – comes out of a wheel well. I wrote literally thousands of brake system repair estimates over the years. If your mechanic tells you one side is worn out compared to the other, here’s what could be going wrong.

Stuck caliper or slide pin

Your brake caliper’s job is to press the pads against the rotor. If one caliper is sticking, it’ll keep dragging that pad across the rotor long after you’ve stopped braking. If that happens for near any length of time, that side wears out (much) faster.

Corroded slide pins can cause the same issue. They need regular lubrication to keep things moving smoothly. Without that, your pads end up doing all the work on one side.

Misaligned brake pads

Improperly installed pads (or cheap aftermarket ones that don’t fit quite right) can wear unevenly. If the pad isn’t making full contact with the rotor, one side will wear faster than the other. Think of it like walking with one shoe off. Eventually, something’s going to hurt.

Warped rotors

Rotors don’t have to be dramatically warped to cause uneven wear. Just a slight variation in thickness or flatness can throw things off. You’ll often feel a pulsing sensation in the pedal. The pads keep adjusting to the rotor’s changing surface, which leads to irregular wear patterns.

Imbalanced brake force

Your car doesn’t always apply the same amount of pressure to each wheel. If the brake system is sending more pressure to one side due to a bad hose or master cylinder issue, that side gets extra wear.

Suspension or tire issues

Brakes don’t work in a vacuum. If your steering or suspension is out of sorts or your tires are oddly worn, braking force gets distributed unevenly. That uneven grip translates into uneven pad wear. It’s all connected. If this is the case, then expect additional components and a wheel alignment on the estimate.

Regular inspections, quality parts, and staying on top of maintenance can keep your braking smooth, safe, and consistent. After all, when it comes to stopping, “sort of” isn’t good enough.

Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Kennedy

Sarah Kennedy is the Editor-in-Chief of MotorBiscuit. She joined the team as Managing Editor in 2021 and has more than 20 years of automotive and operations expertise. She held ASE certifications as an Automotive Service Consultant and Parts Specialist and was a licensed car salesperson for many years. Sarah often focuses on helping drivers navigate used car buying and vehicle ownership. She created “Shop Smarts,” a column for MOTOR Magazine, and was a contributor there for eight years. Her work earned her a Gold Medalist award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors in 2014 and Bronze Medalist awards from the International Automotive Media Competition in 2014 and 2015. She attended the Automotive Management Institute and earned her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University.