Brake noise

Hi All,
2016 SV 16k miles

Has anyone else heard their brakes be a bit noisy in winter?

Seems early for them to be worn out. They stop fine. It's only when moving very slow.

Thanks

I too hear what sounds a bit like brake scraping when moving slowly in my 2014 SL. I think it is actually the VSP (noisemaker) though, because if I go 1MPH, I get the noise, but if I drop the speed ever so slightly so the speedometer reads 0MPH, the noise goes away entirely.

The rotors acquire a light coating of surface rust when the brakes aren't used in damp weather. It can happen in less than 48 hours. Since the Leaf brakes get used less than those on an ICE vehicle, it's more common. It's essentially harmless.

^^^ totally agree and I've seen rust form or rotors overnight :shock: when it's raining anyway.
After one somewhat hard stop the rust should be worn away, it doesn't really hurt anything.

I have gotten scraping from rust on the rotors too, but it generally only makes noise when I am applying the brakes and not whenever I am driving as the VSP does.

mamarley said:

I have gotten scraping from rust on the rotors too, but it generally only makes noise when I am applying the brakes and not whenever I am driving as the VSP does.

Click to expand...

If the surface rust is thick, it will make noise for a while even with the brakes off. The reason is the tight clearance between the rotors and the pads.

Thanks for the confirmations. That is what I thought and was hoping for.
I did at first when I got the car think the VSP was actual noise but discovered it wasn't too.
Thanks

Sorry to revive a post that's a little old, but it's the exact noise I get every morning from my just purchased 2015 SV.

I also had a Mazda MX-6 that had the same issue but it was way, way louder. And my Civic doesn't make the noise at all. All parked outside in the same place. Three cars, each with different levels of the "brake noise when cold on the morning" syndrom. So I wonder if there's a unique mix of materials used in the rotors and pads by different manufacturers that contributes to this. Has anyone noticed the noise going away after changing to aftermarket rotors and pads??? Or will it just return again because the Leaf doesn't use the brakes as much due to regen and so a glaze forms and never gets hot enough to burn off????

Thanks!!

Honda uses higher quality steel than Nissan, I'm sure, but their rotors will still warp easily. Yes, good aftermarket rotors should eliminate the rust issue. Just make sure they guarantee no rusting.

LEAF has ceramic pads, but I have no information about rotor material. FWIW I had no issue with the pads/rotors on 2011 in 50k miles and no issues so far with the 2015 at 41k miles now. The ceramic pads should last a long time.

You may be lucky by living in a warm, dry climate and so no rust build up on your rotors. Just the opposite of the northwest where it's constantly wet. It'll be interesting to see if the noise gets less for me as summer approaches and it's not quite so ****ing wet!!

Anyway, thank you both for your thoughts. As my brakes start wearing down, I'll search for better rotors.