Front brakes shot after 32000kms

[simonj]

2010 Limited - 32000kms - 1 1/2 years old, followed maintenance schedule at the dealership. All normal driving, no towing.

I just failed a provincial safety inspection for front brakes (at an independent garage, not a dealer). Rotors have uneven contact and they're rusty. Never been picked up or mentioned during normal maintenance visits. I'm pretty pi$$ed to say the least.

I'm hoping this will be covered under warranty. I'm pretty sure Toyota would be embarrassed to hear that their vehicles are deemed unsafe for the roads after only a 1 and a half of normal driving.

 

[DaveS]

That sucks - I assume you are in Canada so the dealership is likely to take you for $500+ to replace the pads and rotors if they won't warranty it. Were the calipers ok ? (Still wondering if the 4th Gen issues will trickle through to the 5th Gens)

 

[homeyclaus]

"uneven contact"?!? That smells like something ...

What's the percentage of pad wear?

Most shops will take people with that sort of line by getting the rotors wet, letting them sit for a few hours, and showing people rusty rotors. It works better on Nissans, but most cars don't have stainless rotors.

 

[Koz]

On my 4th gen I went through front pads every 20K miles.

Koz

 

[doberman_baby]

That sucks

Man that sucks. I have app 20k kms and recent service still indicates almost new quality (cannot remember thicknest left).
Miss my 3rd gen where the front pads lasted to 100k kms. Guess Toyota had gone down significantly.

 

[Ryan_S]

rotors on my STI get rusty in a few hours if it has been raining. I thought that was normal. WTF do they expect raw metal to do?

 

[1000MPH]

No mention of caliper problems? No runout reading? Rust on the rotors is normal on a car that hasn't been driven for at least a day or so. After that it means that brake ain't working right. Should be warranty issue or road hazard, can't possibly be worn pads.
BTW the service limit on the front brake pad is 1mm. Dealers will almost always tell you that they need replacing long before that limit is reached.
...


"Standard thickness:

11.3 mm (0.445 in.)

Minimum thickness:

1.0 mm (0.0394 in.)

If the pad lining thickness is less than the minimum, replace the pad.


Maximum disc runout:

0.05 mm (0.00197 in.)

If the disc runout is more than the maximum, check the bearing play in the axial direction and the axle hub runout . If the bearing play and axle hub runout are normal, adjust the disc runout or grind the disc using an "On-car" brake lathe
"

 

[simonj]

Update - they machined the front rotors for free as part of the "brake service" required during the 32K service.

All is well now.

That said, the service desk guy tried to tell me that due to worsening environmental effects (road salt, cold mornings) that this rust was to be expected, and that he was "doing me a favor" by fixing it for free.

That is, until I showed him the last page of the 4Runner brochure, proudly displayed in the dealership, that mentioned that the 4runner was extensively tested in Timmins, ON during the harshest of Canadian winters to ensure reliability and durability. I also told him that if the 4Runner brakes are that sensitive to "harsh environment" to the point where it is deemed unsafe by the province that I live in, perhaps they might want to re-examine their maintenance schedule of the first brake service occurring at 32K.

 

[Koz]

Update - they machined the front rotors for free as part of the "brake service" required during the 32K service.

All is well now.

That said, the service desk guy tried to tell me that due to worsening environmental effects (road salt, cold mornings) that this rust was to be expected, and that he was "doing me a favor" by fixing it for free.

That is, until I showed him the last page of the 4Runner brochure, proudly displayed in the dealership, that mentioned that the 4runner was extensively tested in Timmins, ON during the harshest of Canadian winters to ensure reliability and durability. I also told him that if the 4Runner brakes are that sensitive to "harsh environment" to the point where it is deemed unsafe by the province that I live in, perhaps they might want to re-examine their maintenance schedule of the first brake service occurring at 32K.

I'd like to see where it says to cut the rotors. I would make them replace them new!

Koz