My wife has an '05 Baja and the "Brake" light on the dash has been coming on. It goes off for a while, then back on. It's been mostly on these past few days.

 

Should we:

 

A) Take it to the dealer immediately.

Just replace the front pads.

C) ...?

 

There's just over 30K miles on this car. I'm reluctant to take the car to dealer since I've been unemployed for several months making finances tight.

C) Check your brake fluid.

Edited November 18, 200916 yr by Durania

That was it! (I should have thought of that.) Thanks so much for clearing some stress from our house. This is what's best about the internet: real people sharing info. Thanks again.

Awesome, great to hear. Save ya a trip to the dealer.

Important to keep in mind ,however, that it's normal for the brake fluid level to drop as brake pads get thinner. Refilling the fluid will stop the warning light from coming on but brake pads both front and rear should be checked for wear periodically.

Topping off is good but may cover another problem (leak). If the light came on due to low fluid from extremely thin pads, when the piston is compressed to make room for new pads the fluid reservoir will overflow