Toyota Yaris Brake Questions

jswinton

I have a question - I really don't know much about cars, but have always had Toyotas last FOREVER. I purchased a Yaris Sedan, Manual Transmission about 7 months ago. I drive a lot and already have 24k miles on it. It got its first real test driving in the snow this week, and I noticed something that concerned me. When the car started to slip when I was braking, the brakes made a grinding noise that I could hear and feel in my foot holding the brake. Is this normal? I have never felt it before. It sounded like the noise you hear when you try to put your car in gear without putting the clutch down.
I was slightly concerned also because the transmission seems to be stiffer (shifting in and out of gear is more difficult) since it got colder. Are these normal occurrances? Should I get it checked out? Please help a concerned car idiot. Thanks!

backy

Does your Yaris have ABS? It could just be the noise and feel of the ABS pumping your brakes very rapidly. It can be disconcerting if you have never experienced ABS doing its thing, but it's perfectly normal--IF your car has ABS that is.

Also it's not unusual for a stick shift to be stiffer in cold weather, until the car warms up. After all, think of how stiff you would be if you sat outside all night in the cold!

jswinton

I do have ABS - and come to think of it, this is the first car I have had ABS on. Thanks!

iluvmysephia1

I agree with backy, your Yaris sedan w/manual transmission sounds normal as far as the stiffness during the cold weather. It goes away after a few shifts in my 5-speed '01 Kia Sportage. Not a trouble area for you.

The ABS item was interesting and one that I need to learn more about. It sounds like your ABS brake system worked fine, though I don't know if I wouldn't have had the system checked out like you thought you might have needed. I haven't had a rig w/ABS brakes yet, so need to learn more about them. They're sure becoming more common all the time on newer cars.

mrbadwrench3

Purchased a 2008 Yaris Liftback Feburary 2008 in Burlingame, Calif. Why doesn't my Yaris have ABS?
Why do some Yaris's have ABS? Wish it was an option i would have bought it along with side air bags. The smaller the car the more safety features it should have!

docb

ABS is just that, a option. I bought my yaris yesterday and the cars I looked at varried widely in what was installed on them. One had side airbags but no cruise control the one I purchased did have abs and cruise no side bags.the side bags added about 500.00 dollars.