'10 Brakes-help needed

[jibaro]

I recently posted a threat about my '10 sr5 and the problem with the vibration that it had, and when brought to the dealer, they said they balanced it , and my tires were "aggressive" and they would look into getting me michelins..but to be honest, its still the same, probably worse. I also asked them to check the brakes, and they said there was nothing wrong.
During my drive today to work I noticed when stepping on the brakes i felt a bit of pulsing, plus it felt like every other time I braked i felt a slight jab on the bottom of my foot, as if the brakes did not engage on time, then finally did. After 20 mins of driving on the highway, the brakes start making a "wush" noise, as if i were letting the air out of a basketball. I stated this to the dealer beforehand, but they said it was fine. I'm starting to get worried, that the brakes are just gonna go , and ill be in an accident. Is there anything else I could do? bring it to a different service center? Unfortunatly this is the worse NEW car I have ever bought to date. I had my 07 camry for 3 years, and never one i experienced any of these problems. Sorry for the rant, but im feeling a bit of buyers remorse, and was thinking i shouldve waited for the 2011s.

 

[maine runner]

Having spent ~$30k on your truck, find another dealer or take it back and have the Service Manager (not the reps whoring unnecessary services) drive the truck with you.

Do a detailed writeup of the symptoms and when they do and do not happen and give it to the Manager. Bring a copy for you too.

Be calm but firm. Don't settle for b.s answers.

 

[westwind77]

After 20 mins of driving on the highway, the brakes start making a "wush" noise, as if i were letting the air out of a basketball.

I noticed after a few days (or maybe I did not hear it before), when i step on the brakes it does make a hiss/wush sounds like air being bleed from the line. Not sure if that is normal or not? Happens as you 1st depress the brake. Anyone else hear that?

 

[war07eagle]

I noticed after a few days (or maybe I did not hear it before), when i step on the brakes it does make a hiss/wush sounds like air being bleed from the line. Not sure if that is normal or not? Happens as you 1st depress the brake. Anyone else hear that?

yeah, i do too

 

[jibaro]

I'm kind of glad to hear I'm not the only one with this issue, are you getting the weird feeling when you depress the pedal as well? And what model do you have? I have a sr5 4x4

 

[x67934]

No issues with noise from the brakes. I also do not have any vibration of any kind from my truck. I have 1500 miles on the truck so I am not sure if you more or less miles than that, but I would definetly go to a different service department your new Toyota should inspire confidence not make you worried that the brakes might fail.

 

[jibaro]

im going to give them one last try in the morning, and see what they say, if not i guess ill try another toyota dealer, if other people have this problem, it is for sure a defect on this truck- i have 600 miles on it.

 

[adoihcj]

I wouldn't be worried about the brakes at all. There is definitely some play in them, and weird feedback, but this is normal. I guess what I'm saying is that my 2010 SR5 4x4 is doing the same exact thing as yours and it just takes some time getting used to. The brakes are very touchy/sensitive IMO, but don't be worried about them failing.

Also, I have the Bridgestones on mine and have absolutely no vibrating at any speed (even 90) and this is with 1,300 miles on it including driving on dirt roads, in rain, and in the snow.

 

[sandwich]

I have the same exact [what you're calling] issues in my truck. I don't think they're issues at all because stopping power is always there and I've already tested the ABS and all is good. This seems to me like you're a new car buyer and looking for an issue. No offense to you because when I first heard the woosh noise and first felt the vibration in the pedal I got a little worried myself but it seems like something the vehicle does and not a real issue. For me, I've noticed every third press of the brake pedal I get a very small but noticable 2-3sec vibration. And the wooosh noise comes every time and from the rear. If the tires are balanced and you feel vibration in the steering wheel then you def have a problem. But the other things I'd let slide since it seems pretty common

 

[jibaro]

yea.sandwhich, i guess all the 4runners have that vibration, i just wonder what it is? Im just glad im not going crazy thinking mine only does this. They gave me a loaner car today and they are trying to get Toyota to authorize the michelin XLTs so it can hopefully ride better, hopefully it solves the issue with the vibrating!

 

[adoihcj]

yea.sandwhich, i guess all the 4runners have that vibration, i just wonder what it is? Im just glad im not going crazy thinking mine only does this. They gave me a loaner car today and they are trying to get Toyota to authorize the michelin XLTs so it can hopefully ride better, hopefully it solves the issue with the vibrating!

There was an earlier post where someone said 3 of the 4 tires on their's were out of balance. Maybe you have the same issue. Also, I wonder if you could have a defect in one of the wheels - maybe the wheel itself is off balance which could be causing the problem. Just my thoughts, but I'm interested to see what happens with the Michelin's.

 

[JP4RNR]

This is why I never buy the first new model year production run. Waiting to see what other issues arise and how they are adressed by Toyota. I will upgrade in 2013 as by then they probably will be at the mid-cycle model refresh and by then added back some features that existed in the 4th gen

 

[mikeync]

1) "Stepping on brakes led to pulsing" -- you actually stepped on them all out? Well then it is the ABS system working the way it is intended

2) Lots of vibrations is not an issue we have.

3) Haven't thought of a breaking noise, but to draw the conclusion that if others have that noise then there is a problem is not the conclusion I would draw. I would actually say that if others have the same noise then it is non-issue. While a revised model it isn't like they have some major flaw that will make the car fall apart and Toyota never tested the car. Maybe the negative is the noise and you don't like it, but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the brakes......

 

[harper7]

This is why I never buy the first new model year production run. Waiting to see what other issues arise and how they are adressed by Toyota. I will upgrade in 2013 as by then they probably will be at the mid-cycle model refresh and by then added back some features that existed in the 4th gen

I owned a drove a 4th Gen for the last 4+ years(80,000+ miles) and the brakes feel EXACTLY the same on my 5th and I have over 2000 miles on it.

Most of the changes to the 5th are cosmetic body and interior changes. Drivetrain/suspension except for the new 4.0L engine/tranny look and feel the same to me and I've been all up under this baby.I am a mechanic.

 

[jibaro]

the dealer called me back today and gave me up the car. The brakes-are normal, they said they implemented a new type of braking system thats electronic, and they did away with the old system. They said the noises I heard were normal and that it was just getting used to....

 

[harper7]

the dealer called me back today and gave me up the car. The brakes-are normal, they said they implemented a new type of braking system thats electronic, and they did away with the old system. They said the noises I heard were normal and that it was just getting used to....

The so called new electronic braking system is called EBD(Electronic Brake-force Distribution) and was introduced to the 4Runner in 2003. Still used in the 5th Gen and that is what makes the barely audible "wush" sound when you brake hard or brake on a curve.

Just Google " Toyota Electronic Brake-force Distribution " to read what it is and does. As far as the vibration,there is something wrong there. Sounds like a wheel,tire or brake rotor.They should be be able to narrow it down to one wheel. The odds of more then one being bad are pretty high.

Here is a link to a good read on the history of the 4runner and what and when it was upgraded mechanically .Notice that 2O03 is when most all new mechanical things were introduced that make the 4Runner so formidable including EBD under "Safety".Hard to improve mechanically on the 4th Gen as there are very very few flaws! The changes to 5th are down near the bottom.
Link to feed your brain on the 4Runner.... Toyota 4Runner truck-SUV

 

[marlopez]

I went to the dealer and was able to determine what the vibration is. My explanation is in this thread:http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs-its-finally-here/62159-vibration-brake-pedal.html#post520447

 

[M1911]

the dealer called me back today and gave me up the car. The brakes-are normal, they said they implemented a new type of braking system thats electronic, and they did away with the old system. They said the noises I heard were normal and that it was just getting used to....

Sounds like the brake booster pump. Same thing on the 4th gens. It happens every few times you stop, for a few seconds. The booster pump is on the other side of the firewall, so you feel it through the firewall and pedal when it runs.

 

[rjsd]

Or may be Toyota F'ed up

I don't think they're issues at all because stopping power is always there and I've already tested the ABS and all is good. This seems to me like you're a new car buyer and looking for an issue. No offense to you because when I first heard the woosh noise and first felt the vibration in the pedal I got a little worried myself but it seems like something the vehicle does and not a real issue. For me, I've noticed every third press of the brake pedal I get a very small but noticable 2-3sec vibration. And the wooosh noise comes every time and from the rear. If the tires are balanced and you feel vibration in the steering wheel then you def have a problem. But the other things I'd let slide since it seems pretty common

Or may be Toyota F'ed up and they don't/won't fix the marginally defective brakes. It has happened before, AKA the 2000 Tundra. I own a 2000 Tundra and was told the same things that the folks above were told by the stealership nothings wrong, don't worry about it. Then when the warranty ran out Toyota issued a TSB on the brake ISSUE with a $2000 cost to the unlucky bag holder. Sound like it could be an ISSUE to me.

Advice to the original poster, Don't let it go, complain document complain document and repeat.....

 

[SeattleMike]

Quoted from another thread:

I went to the dealer and talked to the mechanic. Unfortunately they didn't have any 2010 4Runners for me to try and compare.

The mechanic drove my car and immediately diagnosed the issue. He told me that the feeling on the brake pedal is the brake motor. Since the neither of the previous 4Runners I've owned have the electronic brake-by-wire system that the new Toyotas have, this feeling is new and foreign to me. Basically, the brake motor powers up depending on the brake pressure being applied to the brake. Adjacent to the brake motor in the engine, is the brake actuator which is filled with an x-amount of brake fluid. When the fluid level in the actuator falls below the pre-programmed threshold in the system, the brake power powers up to refill the actuator to the programmed level.

This explains why the "vibration" isn't felt every time--the actuator is re-filled every time you feel the motor working. But if you repeatedly step on the brake on and off, you will feel the motor power up almost every other press. Or on a long press of the brake, the motor can be felt towards the latter end of the braking because the pressure in the actuator is decreased due to a draining of the fluid and the motor needs to power up to refill.

Apparently this is felt on all of the newer Toyotas (Priuses, Highlanders, Land Cruisers, etc.). The mechanic admitted that he won't be surprised that this will become an issue that will be brought up by the media/Toyota in the future.