Your original brakes are among the most essential safety items found on your vehicle. They deliver the stopping power you need, when and where you need it most. How they work is a pretty simple process, it would seem. You apply pressure to the brake pedal. The amount of pressure determines whether your car, SUV, pickup truck, or van slows or if it comes to a full stop.

What happens behind the scenes, so to speak, is a more involved process. Your pressure on the brake pedal squeezes brake fluid out of the master brake cylinder. That fluid winds its way through brake hoses and brake lines until it reaches the calipers. That fluid build top depresses the calipers, which force the brake pads to clamp down onto the brake rotors. The friction caused by this is what slows and eventually stops your vehicle.

How to Spot Problems With Your Brakes

The braking process generates a tremendous amount of heat. That can eventually cause your brakes to start failing. The signs are obvious, if you know what to look -- and listen -- for. They include:

• Your brake pad feels squishy when you step on it
• your vehicle shudders or pulls to one side as you're braking
• You hear odd squealing noises

Buy Genuine Mopar® Brake Parts Online

If you experience any of these, or your dash indicator lights up, you'll want to head to a certified Mopar® technician to have the problem accurately diagnosed. Our online auto parts catalog has the brakes and brake system parts your vehicle needs, all guaranteed to fit and perform as intended. That's because they're the genuine OEM items that were designed for your model. Order today and we'll get them sent right out!