Why do my brakes squeal when I stop slowly?

Squeal during light, slow braking is classic wear-indicator behavior — the metal tab is just barely touching the rotor. It's actually working as designed: it's telling you the pads are at 2–3mm and need replacement within a few hundred miles. Some squeal is also caused by surface rust on the rotors after rain or being parked overnight, which clears up after the first few stops.

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