Squeaky brakes but NOT worn

[TimmyNinja]

Hi all.  First post here!

In August 2019 I bought a Jazz ES 1.4 2012 with 26k on the clock.  I'm very pleased with it.  It's our first Honda and I got it from the Honda Dealer in Worcester.  It had 1 previous owner who bought it from that dealer originally so it's been well looked after.  Condition was like new, still is now.

One problem - the brakes squeal on moderate braking.  Gentle and hard braking is fine, just moderate - in other words, the most used braking strength.  It went back to the dealer a few weeks after purchase(they couldn't fit it in for 3 weeks!!).  After waiting for over 2 hours there, they told me that there was nothing wrong with the brakes and there was plenty of life left in them.  Their explanation for the noise was that "Honda has changed the material from which their brakes are made.  A side effect of this can be squeaky brakes".  That's it!  Basically they told me that it's normal and I have to live with it. 

However, why should I?  This is spoiling our enjoyment of an otherwise excellent car.  Every time I pull up to drop my son off at college or my daughter to school, everyone turns to look at me as it sounds like a truck is stopping!!  It's embarrassing... and my son will be learning to drive in it any time now.

I'm not sure what to do about this now.  I'm not satisfied with the garage's explanation and feel that I've been fobbed off.  Am I beyond the time where I can reject the car?  Just not sure how to proceed, but don't want to continue like this.

Any advice from people here would be welcome.  Have any of you had this issue?  Surely, this must be a common issue!

Thanks all  

[MicktheMonster]

I had the same issue on my 2018 Jazz, got the same explanation from local dealer, they advised me to wait till there was no one behind me and brake hard a few times to make the pads bite into the disc. this worked and its been fine since.

[culzean]

I had the same issue on my 2018 Jazz, got the same explanation from local dealer, they advised me to wait till there was no one behind me and brake hard a few times to make the pads bite into the disc. this worked and its been fine since.

Good advice - and if you want to save fuel do the hard braking when going downhill, then you get free gravity to help back up to speed -  with light braking the pads and discs become 'glazed' ( glass like ) and do not fully grip,  I always do a hard brake at least once a week to restore surface of pads and discs.  It is pretty much the same as deglazing the clutch to get rid of juddering by 'making it work' by slipping it against handbrake.  Another source of brake noise when the pads are not worn down to acoustic alarm is that sometimes the anti-squeal shims are not fitted behind the pad ( mainly between end of cylinder piston and the back of pad ) and this can cause a groaning noise when braking. The anti squeal shims ( or lack of them ) is not visible until you take pads out, the shims are a basic but necessary component but are often left out,  in fact some cheaper replacement pads do not include them in the parts supplied, and may do not even supply new fixing bolts or molybdenum grease for the pad ears.   The shims behind the pads can also help stop heat transfer from discs and pads to the hydraulics of the brakes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LARGE-EBC-ANTI-SQUEAL-SELF-ADHESIVE-BRAKE-PAD-SHIMS-NOISE-REDUCTION-152mm-x-51mm-/222026723334#rwid

[TimmyNinja]

Great, thanks both.  Will give that a try

[LJs JAZZ]

A mechanic friend told me to find a stretch of road out of the way, or car park, put the car in reverse set off and apply brake very sharply!! This allways fixes squeeky brakes for me, on any make of car!!

[culzean]

This allways fixes squeeky brakes for me, on any make of car!!

But we are trying to fix squeaky brakes 

[ColinS]

This allways fixes squeeky brakes for me, on any make of car!!

But we are trying to fix squeaky brakes 

They are probably sqeeeeeeky

[sparky Paul]

I see the pedants are revolting again