How To Diagnose a Seized Brake Caliper

In this Steve's Garage video I cover basic signs and diagnostics of a seized brake caliper. This is a simple video - I'm not removing the wheel and doing any kind of inspection. This video would be great for after you get your car home, or if you're stuck on the side of the road. This video is also for cars driven regularly, not something that has sat rusting in a field for 15 years and now the brakes don't work. This video is specifically about a seized caliper on a 2nd Gen Ford Escape, though most front braking systems and front calipers are very similar across basic cars - We're not talking about performance cars with crazy brakes!

A brake caliper can seize or lock up for a variety of reasons, and there are a variety of signs and symptoms that can point to a bad brake caliper. If you pull the wheel off to inspect your brakes, a set of pads worn more on one side than the other can also point to a bad brake caliper. Excessive brake dust, noise, or the smell of burning brakes can also indicate a seized or stuck brake caliper. Keep in mind that stuck caliper slides can sometimes have similar symptoms as this! If you brake caliper isn't sliding properly on the slides, it can look like a stuck caliper when it is in fact just the slides. The easiest way to rule the slides out would be if the boots are intact and they have ample grease. If the boots are damaged, the slides have bad wear marks, or no grease, it may be ok to just replace the slides and see if the brake caliper is still functional.

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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:18 - Signs of a Seized Brake Caliper to Observe
1:10 - Simple Tests for a Seized Brake Caliper
2:33 - My Experience with a Seized Brake Caliper
3:40 - Outro