Brake pads are friction material that wears away each time you use the brakes. Nothing about the wear is sudden, which is why it is easy to forget. The squeal, the grinding, and the longer stop are late signs. By the time you notice them, the pads may be near the end of their life and the rotors may have taken some damage too.
What the paperwork usually calls it
Read how the contract names pads, shoes, rotors, and drums. Many service contracts sort brake parts into two groups. Internal or hydraulic components that fail suddenly may fall under the breakdown coverage, while the friction material itself is often treated as a consumable or wear item. Some contracts exclude wear items outright, and others leave them out of the list without saying so. Do not assume either way. Find the sentence that names the pads and rotors, then find the sentence that defines wear, and compare the two.
Who measures and what to write down
Pads are checked by sight, by a rough look through the wheel, or by a thickness measurement at a shop. Each method leaves a different kind of record. A verbal remark at the counter is weak evidence. A written measurement on the work order, showing the reading, the wheel checked, and the technician who took it, is much stronger. Ask the shop to write the thickness on the invoice whenever they inspect the brakes, and keep that invoice with your other service records. If a claim later turns on whether the pads were worn past a certain point, the written measurement is what settles the question.
Name the person who checks. If you own the car, you may be the one who notices the squeal. If someone else drives it most of the week, that person may hear the change first. Put the job on one named person, and make sure that person knows where the invoice goes and who needs a copy.
Questions to ask before you sign
Does the contract name brake pads and rotors, and does it call them wear items or covered parts? Ask for that exact sentence in writing before you pay anything.
Who decides whether a worn pad counts as a wear item or as a failure? Find out whether the company or the repair shop makes that call, and whether you can dispute it in writing.
What record does the company want as proof of inspection? Ask whether an invoice that shows a measured thickness is enough, or whether it needs a separate form or a company inspection.
Can any licensed shop do the work, or must the repair go through a specific network? A shop outside the network may leave you paying for labor that the contract would otherwise have handled.
If a squeal is reported but the brake job is not done right away, what happens to the claim? Ask whether a delay can be used as a reason to deny it, and get the answer in writing.
What to keep
Keep each pad and rotor invoice together, with the measurements, the mileage at the visit, and the name of the shop. Keep the contract's wear definition next to those invoices so the two can be read side by side. If you ever have to make a claim, that folder is the first thing the company will ask for.
Where this site's tables fit
Use the How We Score Vehicle Service Contract Companies page to see how our tables are built, and the Vehicle service contract companies that post a sample contract you can read first page to see which companies let you read their paper before you buy. The published figures on our tables are a starting point. The contract you are actually offered is the final word, so check its brake and wear language against the questions above before you sign.