Squealing brakes and reverse speed

[Deeps]

Hi, I'm having trouble with squeeling brakes when reversing out of my drive. The speed it reverses is excessive for the limited observation I have, and I need to reverse due to the charger positioning. I have to control its backward movement using the brakes with no throttle. That's when the squeeling starts. Does the reverse speed seem excessive or should it just crawl backwards.

 

[Jomarkh]

I have this with my MG5.
As the brakes are not used much, surface rust develops quickly and when I reverse out of my drive with slight use of the brake it makes an awful noise.
If you jump on the brakes now and again it cleans them up.

 

[Ian Key]

Hi, I'm having trouble with squealing brakes when reversing out of my drive. The speed it reverses is excessive for the limited observation I have, and I need to reverse due to the charger positioning. I have to control its backward movement using the brakes with no throttle. That's when the squealing starts. Does the reverse speed seem excessive or should it just crawl backwards.

It's normal to control the reversing speed with the brakes in an automatic including EVs. The brake squealing is caused by a bit of rust buildup on the discs.

Once a week on a quiet road brake sharply two or three times or push the brake pedal with your left foot while keeping the accelerator pressed with your right.

 

[Deeps]

Thank you both for your response.I've had the car just over a month. If its rust this quick what does it say about the long term for the cars brake discs. I'll try out what you suggest and see what happens.

 

[Jomarkh]

Thank you both for your response.I've had the car just over a month. If its rust this quick what does it say about the long term for the cars brake discs. I'll try out what you suggest and see what happens.

It is just light surface rust on the discs.
It would appear on an ICE if not used for a couple of days.

 

[Weeble]

I find the same if I don't drive for a day or two. I put it down to using OPD 90% of the time and the lack of brake usage in practice.

 

[NickHeynes]

It is just light surface rust on the disc's.
It would appear on an ICE if not used for a couple of days.

Yeah , look at cars parked in long stay carparks in the winter !

 

[T1 Terry]

Hi, I'm having trouble with squeeling brakes when reversing out of my drive. The speed it reverses is excessive for the limited observation I have, and I need to reverse due to the charger positioning. I have to control its backward movement using the brakes with no throttle. That's when the squeeling starts. Does the reverse speed seem excessive or should it just crawl backwards.

If it troubles you to the point you are concerned about neighbour complaints, is you chamfer the trailing edge of the brake pads, this noise will go away. The squeal is a very rapid vibration of the pad against the disc, caused by the now leading edge when in reverse, catching on the disc and then releasing. The chamfer moves this leading edge closer to the pressure apply area of the pad and the vibration stops .... This normally trailing edge becomes the thicker end of a wedge shape because the other edge is the one that meets the disc first in normal direction rotation. In reverse, that edge meets the disc before the other edge of the pad and that leaves enough space for the ringing squeal to be produced.

It's a pain that this sort of thing has to be done on a new car, but when a technician replaces brake pads, they do this chamfering as part of the fitting routine for this very reason.

T1 Terry

 

[Alb]

I used to get this on my MG5 but I've never experienced it with the MGS5.

 

[fifi16]

I have this problem with my MG4 Xpower and have been given the ‘slight development of rust whilst static in a humid atmosphere’ response. It is deafening, but so far the neighbours have not complained. It happened throughout winter last year and restarted once the weather got cold and wet again. Whilst it is true that brakes are not used much in an EV I never had this with my previous EV. In my case it is only an issue in reverse, so I’m not sure the advice to clean your brakes on a quiet road will have much impact. Also, it seems to appear overnight, so proactive prevention is unlikely to work.
My personal, unevidenced conclusion is that the quality of the steel in the brake discs is sub-standard. Not to the degree that it is a safety issue, but I shall be interested how long the discs last. In my previous car after 56,000 miles over 4 years the discs were still going strong.

 

[dx4100]

2500 miles in and we have the squealing when reverse breaking. As others have said it just seems to be a bit of surface rust.

 

[Coulomb]

I have it on my ZS pre facelift when reversing down our sloped carport. Someone said try using neutral. This makes no sense to me, but it cuts down the squealing dramatically, about 90%. So I do this all the time on the carport now.

I also found that when the brakes are wet from washing the car, it doesn't happen. The effect is temporary. Others have said that lubricating the pistons in the calipers helps, as MGs are delivered with dry pistons. Or maybe it's some other part that needs lubrication, I don't remember. That might explain the wetness effect. I haven't tried it. Obviously, don't get lubricant on the discs.

Edit: For example this post, re an MG4 Xpower, and a few posts before that mentions grease:

T

Post in thread 'MG4 X Power Vibe/Hum 65 to 75mph'

Dec 24, 2025

I had noisy brakes when using them in reverse moving slowly. Liberal application of brake cleaner on the calipers and into the pads/pin area cured the issue.

• Tuareg

• 

 

[T1 Terry]

I have it on my ZS pre facelift when reversing down our sloped carport. Someone said try using neutral. This makes no sense to me, but it cuts down the squealing dramatically, about 90%. So I do this all the time on the carport now.

I also found that when the brakes are wet from washing the car, it doesn't happen. The effect is temporary. Others have said that lubricating the pistons in the calipers helps, as MGs are delivered with dry pistons. Or maybe it's some other part that needs lubrication, I don't remember. That might explain the wetness effect. I haven't tried it. Obviously, don't get lubricant on the discs.

Edit: For example this post, re an MG4 Xpower, and a few posts before that mentions grease:

T

Post in thread 'MG4 X Power Vibe/Hum 65 to 75mph'

Dec 24, 2025

I had noisy brakes when using them in reverse moving slowly. Liberal application of brake cleaner on the calipers and into the pads/pin area cured the issue.

• Tuareg

• 

As I mentioned before, it is dust and the pad edge picking up that creates the high frequency vibration of the pad "ringing" the disc. Water or brake clean will wash away this dust in the short term, stopping the vibration from starting the dics "ringing" is the more long term answer. High performance pads that work really hard, generally have slots cut in the pads to channel that dust away, even an Z across the pad ... Again, it really depends how bad the noise affects you, there is a fix, just not a click of the fingers one ...... unless of course, you pay someone else to do the fix

T1 Terry