When my daughter started learning to drive, she practiced in our old minivan. It’s big, clunky, scratched, dented, and well-worn — in other words, perfect for a new driver. But once she got her license and began driving full time, “good enough” wasn’t good enough. The vehicle needed to be safe. We replaced the wipers. We installed a new battery. We put on fresh tires. And then came the big one: new rotors and brake pads. How We Knew the Rotors Were Bad The symptom was unmista