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‘How Bad Is This?’: Woman Hears a Clink While She’s Driving. Then She Pulls Over and IDs the Real Source of the Problem

'On that 1-10 scale…..now don’t freak out….but the 10 on the scale…we passed that awhile ago….'

Vehicle Clink

Photo by: Unsplash.com

Steve Ecker

By: Steve Ecker

Jun 25, 2025 at 1:00pm ET

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A woman put the internet in absolute shock when she revealed her brake pad situation.

In a viral video, Haley Loughran (@haleyloughran) asks on a scale of 1-10, how bad her brake pad situation is. Spoiler alert, it’s bad, real bad.

The TikTok has more than 306,200 views as of this writing.

How Bad Is the Problem?

In her post, Loughran admits to having a big problem with her brake pads. “I’ve been saying all week, ‘My brake pads need to be changed,’” Loughran shares.

Knowing this information, she continued to commute around town as if nothing was wrong. That is, until she went to back out of a parking spot and noticed her car was jerky. The situation triggered her fear that her parking brakes had stopped working. All of a sudden, she heard a clunk sound coming from outside her vehicle.

Loughran says she finally got the car to stop and went to inspect what happened. She shows that the brake pad completely fell off the car as she holds it in her hand.

She asks how bad the situation is as she holds her brake pad.

The brake pad appears extremely thin and worn down. There is visible wear and tear, and the fact that Loughran is casually holding it is bad news. Viewers agree.

“I was not expecting the brake pad to be in the room with us,” one shared.

“You went from needing brake pads to brake pads, rotors and possibly new calipers,” a second said.

“Your brake pad has literally walked off the job. That's how bad it is,” a third wrote.

“Hubs says it’s 10 bad…” a fourth consulted.

The show and tell of the brake pad is enough evidence to demonstrate that something is definitely wrong. “Like, that’s not supposed to happen, I don’t think. Like, brake pads aren’t just supposed to fall off,” Loughran concludes.

How Thick Should Your Brake Pads Be?

“Brake pads are also not supposed to be this thin,” one viewer commented.

Brake pads are typically flat, rectangular pieces of material with a metal backing plate, according to Click Mechanic. For determining the health of a brake pad, thickness is observed, Allstate mentions.

New brake pads will measure 10-12 mm thick when first bought, according to AutoZone. The pad material will wear down the more the brakes are used. Replacement is recommended when the pads are 3 mm thick. If brake pads are less than 3 mm thick, it becomes unsafe to drive, and they should be replaced right away.

Brakes To Go reports brake pads should be checked every six months or every 15,000 miles.

When Should You Change Out Your Brake Pads?

Ignoring minor issues with your brakes can turn into major, costly replacements. Considering brakes play a major role in road safety, maintaining them should be at the top of the to-do list.

Kelley Blue Book (KBB) reports that brake pads typically last 25,000-50,000 miles, depending on where you drive, your driving style, and other factors.

Any sign of worn-down brake pads needs to be addressed immediately. Here are a few signs that your brake pads may need to be replaced:

A loud squeaking or grinding sound
An indicator light comes on
The brake pedal vibrates
The car takes longer to stop

The first thing to notice is sound. If your brakes make either a squeaking or grinding sound, something is wrong. Brake pads are designed to make a noise as an early warning signal that they need to be changed, says J.D. Power. The squeaking sound will be initiated by the wear indicator on the brakes. This indicator is designed to grind against the rotor when the brake pads start to wear out, leading to the noise.

If you hear a loud grinding sound like metal rubbing together, well, that’s what is happening. KBB reports that some cars have metal indicators that cause this grinding sound to inform the driver that the brakes are worn down.

Neither of these sounds will go away, so it’s best to address them immediately.

Second, some cars have an indicator light on the dashboard that will signal when it’s time to replace the brake pads, according to Bridgestone Tire. To find out if your car does, check the owner's manual or find the symbols listed here.

The third thing to watch out for is whether the brake pedal vibrates when braking. Many factors can cause this, but it is typically caused by uneven brake pad wear or overheating, causing the adhesion to spread unevenly on the rotors, KBB shares. When this happens, the reason is less important compared to getting it inspected and replaced as soon as possible.

The last thing to notice is if your car is taking longer than usual to stop. This one will be more subtle. When stepping on the brake pedal, if it takes longer than usual to come to a complete stop, that is a problem. This extended hold on the brakes can cause more excessive damage to the rotors. Additionally, if the pedal "sinks" toward the floor, this could be an indication of a leak in the braking system, J.D. Power shares.

What do you think?

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If any of these issues come up, it’s wise to get an expert's opinion. Don’t drive the brakes off the car like what happened in this viral post.

Motor1 has contacted @haleyloughran via TikTok direct message.

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