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Toyota Sienna Brakes

13

Comments

  • 1978transam1978transam Member Posts: 16
    On our 2004 Sienna I replaced front pads at 40K and again at 75K. The brakes do seem marginal for a 4200 lb vehicle.
  • brennabreabrennabrea Member Posts: 1
    yesterday, I changed the brake pads and had the rotors turned on my 2006 Toyota Sienna. Everything works good, however, upon starting the van after the brake job, the brake light has come on, and stays on all the time. I bleed the brakes, and have great pedal. Any help on this? Is there a place to reset like the check engine light? :confuse:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Lots of highway/trips, that's surely a factor.

    Also, the Mid Atlantic is fairly flat, not many large hills around here.

    You only got 20k out of the Dunlops? Mine are at 30k and also plenty of life left. More than half the tread is left.
  • unhappy2005unhappy2005 Member Posts: 1
    Since I bought this new in 2004 the brakes have been the problem. They pulsated in wet or snowy weather and in the last year anytime. I have had it to the dealer many times for the problem but yesterday I stripped the brakes down and found the sllide bolts are most likely the problem. One slide on each caliper is rusted solid, has a "slide gasket" on ea rusted bolt (not the others), and took at least an hour to free 1 up and remove it. There is no way the brakes could function properly being in this condition - NO WAY. To replace ea. caliper (bracket only) is $440. I have spent enough on it. Getting everything from NAPA for $300. I will be taking these to the dealer in the morning and show them and take it from there. And yes the slide door is malfunctioning but can wait till this is solved.
  • victor23victor23 Member Posts: 201
    Well, yes, Recife IS Mid-Atlantic, in some sense ;-)

    I am in Mid-Atlantic too, but in western PA, which is not exactly a mountainous region, yet anything but flat.

    To be more precise, 19k on Dunlops. Maybe tire and brake pad wear go in sync, and increase dramatically for Sienna with even slight hints of city/hilly traffic component. Some people say this is true for all minivans, but Sienna owners complain, apparently, much more often.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's where I'm from, but I'm living in the DC area.

    I put that so I'd get the brazilian flag, but then Edmunds did away with that feature.

    Too bad.
  • victor23victor23 Member Posts: 201
    Yes, I know, I've seen pictures of your Sienna and everything, all covered by snow last winter. And I saw that flag several years ago.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's right, I shared the pics from the blizzard.

    You couldn't tell if it was a Sienna or a camper!

    I thought my neighbor's Escort was his Benz ML320! :surprise:
  • lbizlbiz Member Posts: 1
    Brakes would just not catch and hold. 13,600 miles on car. Toyota forensics said I was going 73mph AND braked 5 secs b4 impact adn was going 40 mph at impact. Would not stop by the time I reached stop sign and I hit another vehicle. Sienna caught on fire and a passerby pulled me from the vehicle. Boyfriend had broken back and neck. Grandson in second seat unhurt. Toyota forensics also indicated some problem with the brake. I crushed both feet trying to stop and in hospital a month. Even if toyota forensic are correct, shouldn't a vehichle go from 73 to 43 mph in 5 secs. Then the brakes so hot they caused the van to catch on fire. Any one else have problems with Sienna brakes?
  • fun4allfun4all Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Sienna that has developed the same braking issues, it is in the shop now. I have been in one accident and had two very close calls with my grandchildren in the van. I am not a satisfied customer. When the service tech pulled the van into the shop the service manager told me he almost went through the side of the shop!!! Told today the factory replacement master cylinder needs to be replaced, after 1 week in van. The service manager sounds sincere in trying to resolve the problem but after we spoke on the phone for about an hour I don't think he is going to be able to do much. I called Toyota USA and was basically told the problem was mine, not a Toyota issue. How and when I became an engineer I don't know. How many other Sienna owners have this issue and what can we do about it?
  • faultysiennafaultysienna Member Posts: 10
    edited July 2010
    Two days after buying our 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE, we started experiencing steering and braking problems.

    Two weeks after buying it, the trunk door stopped operating. It now opens and closes at will.

    It is completely misaligned, the door's remote controlled electronics are screwed up and we have to manually force it down to close shut and stay shut.

    On top of that, the dealership claims WE "bent" it (there are no dents or dings anywhere btw, and we are lost as to how it got "bent"... maybe we took a sledgehammer to the door joints??).

    What next... the passenger seats start sliding at will and the seatbelts start popping out?

    This car is a danger.

    Of course, Toyota refuses to fix the problem... on a brand new less than 14 day old car (with additional 7 year extended warranty above and beyond the regular warranty).

    What's the point of paying close to 40 grand? You get to be the biggest fool you'll ever know.

    Trust Toyota - never again.

    Note: (This car was purchased in July 2010 from a dealership in MD. The owner lives in NJ and his local area NJ dealership has refused to even consider that the car's mechanism is faulty).
  • roledanroledan Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited AWD with 90,000 miles. On a recent trip after driving about 300 miles on cruise control the brake pedal faded to the floor. I was able to coast to a stop and had it checked out by a mechanic who said everything was fine. They must have overheated. The van has never done this before. I am afraid to drive it now. Has anyone else had this problem?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Did the mechanic bleed the brake lines? Air in the lines could make the pedal go soft once there is enough heat in the system.
  • roledanroledan Member Posts: 3
    Thank you for the reply. yes, we had the brake fluid changed before our trip. Our mechanic said toyota doesnt have a recommended schedule change for brake fluid but he changed the fluid becuse it was looking black.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I had clutch lines that looked like that, yuck.

    Wonder if he really got ALL the air out? I'd be tempted to use blue fluid to see when it really got cleared out.
  • beethoven1beethoven1 Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2010
    I just brought a brand new 2011 Sienna V8 LE several days ago.
    There are some creaking noises (from brakes) that are quite annoying.

    The creaking noise appears when I release the break pedal slowly. the noise comes from front wheels.
    This happens when I back the Van from Full stop, or when I go forward after a full stop.

    Any ideas about it?
  • audit2000audit2000 Member Posts: 3
    Have you report to the NTSB? I have the same problem with 2010 sienna but dealer could not find what wrong with it. I notice more people complain about the brake. More people are reporting to government then they will look into it. My wife has 2001 Camry has the same braking problem. It is not break good compare with other branch. I will not buy any Toyota in the future.
  • audit2000audit2000 Member Posts: 3
    go to this website report your brake problem. I just put my complaint today.
    https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov
    Good Luck and I hope the government look into the issue
  • usconsumerusconsumer Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for the gov't website. I have a 2005 sienna and just repaired the front brakes for the 5th time!! The car has 95k miles. the following excuses were given to me over the last year by the same dealership: Your wife is obviously a very aggressive driver!; Toyota is committed to the environmental movement therefore uses pads that are environmentally friendly; the van is heavy and uses car brakes; 17k to 20k on front brakes is normal wear and tear. Time to cut my losses!! Better late than never!
  • roledanroledan Member Posts: 3
  • flaherflaher Member Posts: 1
    If you haven't found a solution to the problem yet, please have the mechanics check you master brake cylinder. I had a similar problem. Took the car into dealership before July 4th vacation and was told rear brakes needed replacing. Had those done. While on our trip, my husband kept complaining about the brakes and that the pedal needed to go to the floor to engage brake. When we got back took the car to a private mechanic that we have used regularly in the past and was told the master cylinder needed to be replaced. $750 later and I can definitely feel the difference with the brakes. I have a 2005 Sienna with about 114K. Good luck.
  • knang8888knang8888 Member Posts: 13
    My van is now 204000 miles. After the dealer replace the front rotors and front pads at 190000 miles, the locking problem went away. Now, I'm tempted to check the brake pads after 12K miles of driving since the last repair to see the brake condition. When driving, I noticed that the slight noise is starting in the front again. yikes!

    My van needs new timing belts (last replaced at 102K), new shocks/struts (never been replaced). The dealer recommend to do valve adjustments but I don't trust them after the poor brake job. Overall, the van is great condition but should I trade it in or should I keep it till 300K. :confuse:
  • mechanicsworldmechanicsworld Member Posts: 2
    make sure that your bleeding procedures are correct
  • mechanicsworldmechanicsworld Member Posts: 2
    alot of times, people put really cheap autozone pads in their cars and the pads are too hard. so when the brakes r applied then the system thinks you're slamming on brakes either locking it or applying abs when its not necessary. Just make sure you put in dealer stuff only.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    The (st,d)ealer is much more likely to use the cheapest pads available in the marketplace than ANY aftermarket parts shop would even consider stocking.

    Just avoid the pads that have a "lifetime" warranty.
  • redsea71redsea71 Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2011
    I recently read a few posts about a malfunction that occurred after a recall repair of the Stop Lamp Switch Bracket so I decided to join this chat and post my experience to share with others.

    I brought my 2011 Sienna in for its 1st service after purchase (3500 miles) and at the same time they did the recall replacement of the stop lamp switch bracket. Prior to this my car was running great - no issues at all. As I left the dealership, I noticed the brake pedal felt hard, like a rock with no give or squishiness – like stepping on a rock – and when I did press down on the brake pedal, it was very sensitive and stopped abruptly. This is an issue I never had before, prior to bringing it in for service. At the time, I didn't think it was an issue that maybe it was part of the recall work that had just been done, that they replaced the brake pedal. After about 1 mile, lots of warning lights (including the ABS light) went on and it was very hard to drive & control the car. At that point, I turned around and headed back to the dealership; it was very hard to drive & control the car safely – when I pressed the gas pedal, it was like driving with brakes on, there was lots of resistance & there was a burning rubber smell, when I took my foot off the gas pedal – my car would not glide, but came to an abrupt stop. It was hard to pick up speed & stopping the car became unpredictable. Brake pedal was still hard, with no give. So scary, with my baby in the car! I was so lucky that I didn't get in an accident - I was trying to navigate through a busy intersection during rush hour traffic and there was no place to pull off!!!!

    The dealership still has my car after 4 days, they told me it might be a faulty recall part (the switch bracket). Toyota opened a case to investigate this matter and a Toyota engineer is checking out my car this week. Not sure if a new switch bracket will fix the issue - if not, next time I may not be so lucky. It seems this is a serious problem that's been happenning to lots of people - I wonder how many others there are that haven't spoken up? I decided to join this chat forum just to get the word out there to other people. I hope others do the same! It's only a matter of time until a real tragedy happens...after all, these are family cars.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Did no one bother to look at the brake lights to be sure they "followed" the brake pedal operation/application...??

    Sounds as if the brake light switch is always closed and with the new brake override firmware fix that will disable the DBW throttle system.
  • redsea71redsea71 Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2011
    I just went to the dealer to get some stuff out of my car and ran into a mechanic who said it was a mechanical error - by this he meant the mechanic made errors when putting on the new bracket assembly. I don't have much more info since Toyota is still doing an investigation and I don't have an offical report yet. I've seen a number of other cases similar to mine so it makes me think there needs to be better training to repair this recall - maybe it's a bit more complicated than expected. I'll know more next week when I speak with the managers and get a hold of that report. Until then, my car sits at the dealership.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    For most cars with ABS, maybe all cars, when the brake pedal is initially depressed the system automatically checks to see that/if the ABS "reserve" brake fluid pressure level is as high as it should be. If it is not then the electric ABS pumpmotor is activated to bring the reserve brake pressure source back up to the functional level.

    If, as I suspect, you were driving around with your brake lights always on ABS "armed"), then an ABS fault would undoubtedly eventually arise.
  • kingofnothinkingofnothin Member Posts: 14
    TY so much for sharing this with the rest of us. We are not currently having any issues, but thought we'd have the recall done on our next oil change. We will now be waiting to hear more ... and hopefully give Toyota mechanics more time to figure out what they are doing!

    Please keep us all posted!! Thanks again!
  • redsea71redsea71 Member Posts: 4
    Final Report of Malfunction: They had my car for 2 weeks & opened a case and a Toyota Specialist/engineer came in and the investigation revealed that the problem was improper installation – the brake lamp switch had moved position & was applying pressure to the brake pedal causing partial engagement of brakes (brake pedal switch was not adjusted properly)… Ended up they replaced rotors, brake pads, and front/back calipers. A 2 hour investigation uncovered traces of brake fluid at all four brake calipers – fluid had bypassed caliper piston seals indicating the calipers had overheated…I drove less than 2 miles in total with the malfunction in stop & go traffic. I requested new rotors & brake pads and all parts associated with malfunction – the caliper damage wasn’t something I thought of and am so glad an investigation was opened. The dealership took full responsibility and is working hard to earn my trust. It seems from all the research I’ve done, there needs to be more training or care when doing this recall. It seems like an easy install BUT THE MECHANIC NEEDED TO READ DIRECTIONS!!!!!!!!!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The mechanic probably rushed.

    Nowadays they get paid a set number of hours for each type of job they do, so they rush in order to get paid more.

    The first time they do any given task, though, it simply takes longer. He (she?) probably rushed to compensate for that.

    Automakers should provide better training so they're efficient even the first time they do any given task...
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    2011 Sienna...brakes were "on" and yet brake over-ride didn't disable DBW...?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Not sure if you were replying to me?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    edited May 2011
    No, just an open/public statement/question.

    Maybe the brake pedal was mechanically trapped, brakes were "applied", but the brake lite switch was not "on".

    Recall work was done by a McD flipper graduate or owner's teenage son....or both..??
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'll go with the burger-flipping theory. :D
  • redsea71redsea71 Member Posts: 4
  • pattipie3pattipie3 Member Posts: 25
    Hi
    I realize this is an old post, but I just started having the same problem with my 99 sienna... thumping/clicking sound from rear when I brake. Just wondering if you ever figured out what the problem was? Van brakes fine, just noisy.

    Thanks
    Patti
  • siennasuesiennasue Member Posts: 3
    Hi Patti, I took my van to the dealer & was told that the noise was due to the rear brake drums & would need to upgrade to a new style which would run about $600. I then took it to a local car repair shop that a co-worker recommended & they resurfaced the rear breake drums and cleaned & adjusted the brake shoes all for $72 !! and the thumping noise has been gone since March 2008.

    Good luck!!
    Sue
  • joed6joed6 Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2012
    I have 06 sienna bought new and the break is weak. I have one hit at the back and two near danger stop. Before I hit the car I drove at 40miles and have 30feet after him, I never expected the car cannot stop until I'm 4feet near by and I need add more force to the break, yet still hit the car at about 15miles and left two dents due to license nuts and my front logo dropped off. this happened less in a year ago with 60K miles in the car and after I have new front pads and fixed a caliper bolt stuck problem for about 30days driving.

    After bleed break fluid (I will check rear soon) I retested the break. the full range is about 3.75inches thus too long to use it w/o moving my foot. At 1st one inch I can stop an sliding car at idle speed; 2nd one inch I can hear air push sound; at third one inch the air push sound is obvious; the last 0.75inch needs large force or raise my foot.

    Compared with GS300, 1st one inch is nothing, but then nice sensitive and I usually needs 1.5inch for noticeable speed down at 40-50MPH.

    I posted my problem in another forum and a few replies either says one has similar hit accident or this is a well known Toyota 'feature'.
  • orionreplayorionreplay Member Posts: 10
    Sienna was at 42,054 at time of incident. At the conclusion of a 3 hour drive back home with the van, we had smoke rising from right-rear tire. The smell of hot brakes was very strong.

    I got the van to my local mechanic and he confirmed that the rotor was toast, pads non existent and caliper had seized. He replaced the brake pads on the rear tires and put new rotors on both. We opted, due to cost, to replace only the right-rear caliper. He thought we'd be good.

    Three weeks later my wife calls me that the hot brake smell was in the air again. This time it was prevalent from the left-rear tire. I was back at the shop once again with a seized caliper, but now on the left. This one was caught plenty early and everything checked out OK, but the caliper was replaced.

    Is 42,000 miles too early for this type of work? The van has only lived in Southern Maryland and Virginia. It did haul a UHaul trailer almost nearly one year prior when we moved from Maryland to Virginia. It hasn't hauled anything since then.

    I called a Toyota consumer line and they pulled up my information. They said there was nothing that could be done for us and it was just generalized as "wear and tear". I don't know about you, but I have owned many vehicles in my life and haven't seen such a wholesale failure of all the replaceable components like that. It was like they were on a timer.

    We are also dealing with sliding door issues, which I understand there may be coverage for at a dealer.

    Anything similar out there?
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    edited February 2013
    Loosing two rear calipers in quick succession tells me there is likely something systematic at play. If your mechanic still has the calipers, he can do a quick inspection to determine or rule out some possibilities.

    1) Inspect the sliders, pins & boots for signs of corrosion or lack of proper lubricants. This would impede the release of the brakes. That would (possibly) indicate an original factory assembly issue.

    2) Check the fit of the brake pads in the carrier for the same thing. If they fit too tight, they won't retract well. Ever have the rears serviced prior to this?

    3) Does the piston move within the caliper easily? Pull the piston out of the caliper and check the inside for rust. That would indicate contaminated fluid. Given what happened, make sure your mechanic thoroughly flushed the entire system.

    4) I once owned a Corolla that did this to the fronts. The new caliper seized up too within a week. It turned out to be bad rubber hoses that collapsed on retraction, trapping fluid pressure on the caliper.

    5) Remote possibility, but it could be a master cylinder, ABS or proportioning system issue that is trapping pressure and causing the rears to drag.

    No boat ramps or immersion of the rears in standing water?

    I'm sure there are other possibilities, but that's what comes to mind!
  • orionreplayorionreplay Member Posts: 10
    edited February 2013
    Thank you for the reply.

    The mechanic said last night that though it was unusual for calipers to fail this early, it wasn't as uncommon as I'd think. He wishes he had replaced both calipers three weeks ago and not just the one.

    1) He made no note of any corrosion.

    2) The brakes have never had to be serviced in our 42,000 miles. I was tracking pad wear for an upcoming replacement, having had our tires replaced last May. When I'd go in for the free rotations, we were monitoring brake pads. I knew pads would need replacing in the next 10k miles.

    3) When the van was in the for the first failure (right side), the mechanic checked out the left side caliper and reported all pistons were working well. I neglected to say that during that first job, he flushed the brake fluid and filled with new, mostly due to the heat that generated during that 3 hour drive.

    4) There was no discussion of hoses being checked. Unsure.

    5) Mechanic spoke of this, but also said words similar to it being a very remote possibility.

    In the end he feels now that we have replaced all parts in pairs, we should be good to go. He kicked himself for not insisting we change out the left caliper at the time. But he felt for us and the bigger bill we were paying with having to change out everything at that time.

    No standing water or boat hauling. Just the one UHaul trailer for our move to Virginia from Maryland in January 2012. The mechanic had seen our trailer hook and questioned me on hauling as well.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I have my OEM pads and rotors at 58k miles, but no towing here. I do load it up with weight, though.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    It sounds like you've found a competent mechanic who asked all the right question, so I don't know what more to add. Obviously if it were to happen again you go looking for the esoteric stuff like collapsed lines or a major problem in the expensive stuff under the hood (topic #5).

    At this point you write it off to a random freak run of brake components bearing an original equipment defect with unusually precise timing. Maybe you should play the lottery this week? Hopefully, we'll never hear from you again - and I mean that in a good way!!
  • wheels13wheels13 Member Posts: 51
    My 2006 Sienna had the same thing happen at 40,000 miles and I replaced the caliper and wheel had run very hot. At 80,000 the wheel bearing went bad due to the over heating caused earlier with the brake problem. We thought the caliper went bad because I drive a lot om gravet roads and it is dusty. Now at 100,000 no problem.
  • orionreplayorionreplay Member Posts: 10
    We are now at 42,000 miles and change. Since the left rear replacement of caliper, we have had no more issues in the last 2,000 miles. I find myself still checking after a long drive, feeling the rim... smelling for hot brakes. So far, nothing.

    I hope it was just a freak coincidence. This van was supposed to be our 200,000 mile vehicle. I had never had seen such a brake failure in any vehicle I have ever owned. I started to doubt my 200,000 mile goal. We'll see what happens now.
  • orionreplayorionreplay Member Posts: 10
    It is August and the right rear tire "hot smell" has returned after a grocery trip this morning. February to August... 6 months and failure again?

    Guess I'll be taking some time off of work tomorrow to see if the brake place can give me a caliper check.
  • orionreplayorionreplay Member Posts: 10
    For those of you following along, Toyota dealership identified a bad Master Brake Cylinder, rotors that needed to be resurfaced, and other brake fixes from my recent seizing issue. Total cost for the entire work was quoted at $1,800. I contacted Toyota Corporation for a little help. They agreed that at 47,500 miles I should have not had such a wholesale failure of my van's brake system.

    They have taken to discussing my outcome and meanwhile the dealership is continuing to make the necessary repairs.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Good to hear that they are at least considering helping you. Good luck and let us know.
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