I have a 2002 protege5 and everytime I stop my little brake light comes on. Is something wrong with my brakes or are they just worn out that quickly?

 

Check you brake fluid..

 

This is a good idea - however:

When my front pads were worn down significantly, my light would come on during hard stops and stops while turning.

As the pads wear, more fluid stays in the lines vs. in the master cylinder. Once a certain low-level is reached in the master cylinder, the light will come on warning you of low fluid.

But it is NOT low fluid in the SYSTEM, only in the master cylinder, due to normal brake wear and more fluid now being in the lines.

Changing my pads solved the warning light.

I found it very reassuring that the system is calibrated well enough that the low fluid warning light can be used to indicate pad wear.

DO NOT simply add more fluid if your level is low. First inspect all the pads to see if they are worn. If you add more fluid, it will simply spurt out of the master cylinder when you do change your pads, as the excess fluid in the lines is pushed back up to the master cyl.

In short - check the pads before adding fluid. If the pads are worn, change them and see if the light goes away.

FYI - My front pads lasted about 35,000-40,000 miles. If you're nearing that mark (or maybe past it), it might be time to change them.

~HH