So about a month ago we went to Hawaii for 2 weeks. Parked our 2008 5 at Vancouver International, and went off to enjoy the sun.

When we got back to our car and started going, the brakes were grinding a bit at low speed, and when we started out on the highway, whenever we hit the breaks there was a "clunk clunk clunk clunk" sound that could be easily heard and felt.

This sound and clunking went away after about 30 min with several stops and gos.

I have the car booked in at Mazda tomorrow (1 day before the warranty expires!) to get it checked out just in case it is a warranty issue.

On the phone the guy said that this clunking was caused by the e-brake. After sitting it starts to create a bit of a groove on the rotors that cause this clunking. After it wears down enough, the clunking goes away. This kind of sounds like B.S. to me - I have parked other cars for well over 2 weeks, and never had this happen.

Does this sound like a possibility?


Also, often when I get in the car after it has sat overnight, and start driving the breaks seem to grind a little for the first couple of stops, then after that all is fine.

Any ideas? Just want to be armed against the dealer for when he throws the "everything is fine" answer back at me, then laughs his way to the bank as my warranty expires the next day.

 

hi i have owend 15 mazdas over the years and they all had that grinding if they sit more than two days even when i park my mazda 6 or my new mazda 2012 5 for two days i hear that grinding sound i think its cheap rotors that rust fast lol spencerfvee....

 

If left long enough ALL cars will develop the above symptoms; totally normal unless you live in the most arid climate on the planet.

 

Thanks Shipo. Mazda checked over the breaks etc and said everything is fine. I hope so, cause today is my first non-warranty day - lets hope all the kinks are worked out of this car!

The biggest reason these symptoms bugged me is because I have never had this issue on any car I have ever owned. I had an 1986 VW Gold that was parked, with the e-brake on, for about a year, and when I put it back on the road, not a problem at all. Other cars as well had been parked for periods of several weeks (while on holidays etc) and never had the issue.

Regardless, it sounds like it is harmless, and somewhat common, so I can accept it. Only reason I posted here is it did sound kind of hokey to me.

I think I am going to try parking overnight a few nights with the car just in gear and not use the E-brake - curious to see if the light initial grinding goes away. My driveway is flat, so parking in gear only offers really no risk (car stays put in neutral with no brakes on)

 

My old Passat GLX had two different metal alloys for the brake rotors, IIRC, the front rotors wouldn't rust unless the conditions were extreme, the rear rotors would rust after only a few hours if you so much as spit at them.