Bedding in new brakes: how and for how long?

After we have replaced your brake pads or brake discs, we tell you to bed the brakes in. Many people wonder what that means, how long it takes and whether it matters if you have to brake hard once anyway. Below you can read what the manufacturers advise and what to expect in the first few hundred kilometres. Written for drivers in Rotterdam, with Dutch sources explained where they come up.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 6 November 2026

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The short answer

You bed in new brakes by braking gently and regularly for the first few hundred kilometres and avoiding hard emergency stops. The ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, uses 100 kilometres, brake manufacturers such as Ferodo, Brembo and HELLA 200 to 300 kilometres. During that period the brake pads and discs wear in against each other and a thin layer of friction material builds up on the disc. As a result, the car brakes a little less sharply at first and may squeal slightly. That is normal. If the car still shakes, squeals or pulls to one side after that period, come back.

Brake service at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug: brake pads, discs, fluid, calipers, hoses and the handbrake or electric parking brake, for all makes, including hybrid and electric cars, vans and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg. We first measure what is worn, replace only that and show you the old parts. We tell you the price in advance based on your registration number, and we only do extra work with your approval. Call +31 10 479 00 00 or drop by. You bring the car and we call you when it is ready. A loan bike is free while one is available. Saturdays too. Our team speaks English. More about our brake service

Why do new brakes need bedding in?

New brake pads and discs do not fit each other perfectly at first. The surface of a new pad is flat, but a disc has a slight shape of its own, and with new pads on a used disc the marks of the old pads are also still in it. In the first kilometres, pad and disc wear towards each other until the whole pad surface makes contact. Brembo describes the aim of bedding in as properly aligning the pad surface that makes contact with the disc. Until that has happened, only part of the pad is braking and that part gets hot locally.

Something else happens too. When braking, the pad transfers a very thin layer of friction material onto the disc. Ferodo describes how, during braking, part of the friction material from the pad transfers to the disc. If that layer is even, the car brakes smoothly and quietly. If you brake too hard in the first kilometres, the pad gets so hot in the places where it already makes contact that the material is left unevenly on the disc or glazes (becomes hard and shiny). Brembo warns that extremely hard braking during that period overheats the friction material of pads and disc and can affect how the brakes work. The result is an uneven layer, and you feel that later as a vibration when braking.

How long does bedding in new brakes take?

Allow for the first few hundred kilometres. The sources differ a little, because the ANWB gives a general rule of thumb and the manufacturers base their advice on their own pads and discs.

Source Bedding-in distance What the source says
ANWB (brake pads) Bedding-in distance100 km What the source saysBed new brake pads in gently for the first 100 kilometres
Ferodo (brake judder) Bedding-in distance200 km What the source saysAvoid hard braking in the first 200 km after fitting new brake pads
Brembo (fitting instructions, brake pads) Bedding-in distanceAt least 200 km What the source saysDrive at least 200 kilometres with careful, moderate use of the brakes, no sudden braking lasting more than 3 seconds and without letting the ABS intervene
Brembo (bedding in) Bedding-in distanceAbout 300 km What the source saysBedding in takes about 300 km, with short and gradual applications of the brakes
HELLA (fitting instructions, brake discs) Bedding-in distance200 to 300 km What the source saysFor optimum matching, a running-in phase of 200 to 300 kilometres is recommended

All sources consulted in November 2026. The instructions of your car’s manufacturer take precedence if they differ.

We follow the manufacturers’ advice: brake gently for the first 200 to 300 kilometres. If you drive mainly in the city, the bedding in is finished sooner than that distance suggests, because you brake often. On the motorway you brake little, and then bedding in takes longer in kilometres. It is about the number of times you brake, not only the distance.

How do you bed in new brakes properly?

Bedding in is not a special procedure. You drive normally and avoid the extremes: no emergency stops, no long descents with the brakes dragging and no standing for minutes with the pedal pressed straight after braking hard. This is what we give you when you collect the car:

  1. Brake gently and regularly. Short, gradual applications from normal speeds are best. Brembo advises short and gradual applications that are still effective.
  2. Avoid hard emergency stops. If you have to, of course you brake. One emergency stop does not ruin the brakes, but drive on for a while afterwards so they can cool down.
  3. Do not hold the car still on the brake after braking firmly. If you are stopped at traffic lights after a firm stop, let the car roll a little or use the parking brake rather than keeping the pedal pressed. A hot pad pressed against the disc in one spot for minutes can leave an imprint there.
  4. No heavy loads or trailers. Do not plan a holiday trip with a full car or a caravan in the first few hundred kilometres. More weight means more heat in the brakes.
  5. Keep more distance. In the first kilometres the car brakes a little less sharply than you are used to. Keeping more distance gives you room to brake gently.

At our workshop, the mechanic takes a short test drive after replacing brakes and we test the car on the brake tester. Brembo writes that pads and discs must be tested on the road after replacement. That way we know the brakes work properly and brake evenly left and right before you collect the car. The bedding in itself you then do in everyday driving. You can read more about how we work on our page about brake replacement in Rotterdam.

What do you notice while bedding in, and what is normal?

In the first few hundred kilometres, new brakes can feel different, squeal a little and give off a slight smell. That is normal, as long as it decreases. This is how you tell the difference between wearing in and a problem:

What you notice Normal while bedding in? Explanation
Car brakes a little less sharply, pedal feels different Normal while bedding in?Yes ExplanationPad and disc do not yet make contact over the whole surface. Improves with every drive.
Light squeal when braking gently Normal while bedding in?Yes ExplanationThe ANWB writes that new brake pads and discs can squeal at first because they have not yet worn in against each other.
Slight smell after the first firm stops Normal while bedding in?Yes ExplanationNew pads give off a smell when they get hot for the first time, which then disappears. A strong burning smell after a gentle drive is not normal.
Fine ring of dust on the wheel rim Normal while bedding in?Yes ExplanationNew pads produce a little more brake dust at first.
Vibration in the steering wheel or pedal when braking that does not go away Normal while bedding in?No ExplanationMay point to an uneven layer on the disc, rust or dirt on the hub or the wrong torque. Have it checked.
Car pulls to one side when braking Normal while bedding in?No ExplanationOne side brakes more than the other. Do not drive on, call us.
Grinding or metallic noise Normal while bedding in?No ExplanationDoes not belong with new brakes. Have it checked straight away.
Wheel gets hot after a gentle drive, or a burning smell Normal while bedding in?No ExplanationA caliper or slide pin may be sticking. Do not drive on.

Workshop overview, partly based on the explanations of the ANWB (squealing brakes) and Ferodo (brake judder).

If the squealing persists after a few hundred kilometres, it is usually no longer down to bedding in. Which causes there are then, you can read in our article about squealing brakes. If you feel a vibration when braking, see a car that shakes when braking.

When should you come back after new brakes?

Come back if a complaint does not decrease but persists or gets worse. After bedding in, new brakes should brake quietly, in a straight line and without vibration. If that is not the case after a few hundred kilometres, we want to see the car. That also applies if you had the brakes replaced at another garage. We then measure the run-out of the disc, check the hub, the caliper and the slide pins and test the car on the brake tester.

Can you still drive? With a light squeal or a slightly different pedal feel in the first few hundred kilometres: yes, that is part of bedding in. With a persistent vibration: drive gently to the garage. With a grinding noise, a car that pulls to one side, a pedal that sinks, a burning smell or a hot wheel: do not drive on, call us on +31 10 479 00 00.

Not sure? Call us and we will schedule a short brake check. If nothing needs doing, we tell you that too. We check the brakes at every service and every APK (MOT), the compulsory annual vehicle inspection in the Netherlands, for all brands, including hybrid and electric cars, and for vans and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to bed in new brake pads if the discs are old?

Yes. New brake pads on used discs also have to wear in, because the flat new pad still has to follow the marks the old pads left in the disc. Ferodo advises avoiding hard braking in the first 200 km every time new brake pads are fitted. The disc does have to be above the minimum thickness, and we measure that beforehand.

What happens if I do not bed in new brakes?

If you brake very hard in the first kilometres, the friction material can overheat according to Brembo and the brakes can suffer as a result. In practice you notice that as a vibration when braking, squealing that does not go away or brakes that bite less. Braking hard once in an emergency is no disaster, drive on for a while afterwards so the brakes can cool down.

Can I drive on the motorway with new brakes?

Yes. On the motorway you brake little and gently, which is no problem. Do keep more distance, because the brakes bite a little less at first. In the first few hundred kilometres, the only things to avoid are hard emergency stops and long descents with the brakes dragging.

Why can I smell something after the brakes have been replaced?

New brake pads give off a slight smell during the first few firm stops, as the material gets hot for the first time. That disappears after a few drives. A strong burning smell after a gentle drive, or a wheel that gets hot, is not normal and points to a brake that is dragging. Stop and call us.

How long do new brakes squeal?

A light squeal when braking gently can occur in the first few hundred kilometres. The ANWB writes that new brake pads and discs can squeal at first because they have not yet worn in against each other. If the squealing continues after that, it is down to something else, for example dry slide pins, a missing anti-squeal shim or rust. Have it checked then.

Does the car brake worse with new brakes than before?

No, but it can feel that way in the first kilometres. The pad does not yet make contact with the disc over its whole surface, so the brake feels a little less sharp. After bedding in, the car brakes better than with the old, worn brakes. We test every car on the brake tester after replacing brakes, so you drive off with brakes that work properly.

Do I need to have the wheel bolts retightened after new brakes?

No, not if the wheels were tightened to the correct torque with a torque wrench, as we do. Brembo advises tightening the wheel bolts in the correct order and to the correct torque, because the wrong torque can make the disc run out of true. If in doubt, come by for a short check.

Need new brakes, or in doubt after bedding in?

Call +31 10 479 00 00 with your registration number. We measure what is worn, we tell you one price in advance and after the work we test the brakes on the brake tester.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.

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