Noisy brake pads
From the noise the brakes were making on this 2003 Vauxhall Astra, the owner was sure they must have been down to the metal. This was not the case and the noise he was hearing was more of a vibration than a scraping.
He was correct in thinking that the brake pads were low and, by bringing the vehicle in when he did, had avoided any problems had the pads worn down to the metal and damaged the brake discs.
One of the symptoms when the brake pad linings begin to get thin is that they will heat up too highly, raising the temperature of the brake lining and causing brake squeal. Some pads are fitted with a small metal clip made of sprung steel which is designed to make contact with the brake disc and create an audible warning before the pad lining wears too thin. These Astra pads did not have that, but had been making a noise anyway!