2003 Toyota 4Runner Brakes Problems

The VSC system in the vehicle becomes disabled due to a firmware 'glitch' identified by Toyota when an emission system issue is detected by the onboard diagnostic system. The VSC system is listed as an 'essential safety feature,' so I'm curious why a recall was never ordered to patch defective firmware that can cause VSC to become disabled due to a completely unrelated emissions issue.

DRIVING ON A 3 LANE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, STOPPED TRAFFIC, AVS/ABS/BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON WITH A PIERCING NOISE. TRAFFIC BEGAN MOVING APPROX. 10 MPH, BEHIND SEMI, BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. NO BRAKES!!!! FROM CENTER LANE WAS ABLE TO GO THE THE LEFT LANE INTO THE THE SHOULDER. STOPPED NEXT TO CEMENT BARRIER BETWEEN NORTH BOUND AND SOUTH BOUND TRAFFIC (BOTH 3 LANES). SAT THERE SHAKING FOR TOW TRUCK DRIVER FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF WITH SEMI TRUCKS FLYING BY! GOT IT TO A MECHANIC. THEY CALLED BACK THE NEXT DAY TO SAY "WE ARE SORRY BUT THE COMPONENT THAT RUNS THE BRAKE PUMP IS MALFUNCTIONING." "WE RESET IT AND THE BRAKES ARE WORKING NOW, BUT IT WILL ONLY FAIL AGAIN." IT WILL COST A TOTAL OF $5,000 TO REPAIR!!!! THE VEHICLE IS ONLY WORTH $4,500-$7,000 (AT BEST)!!!! LIKE OTHERS ON HERE, THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY, MANY TIMES!!! NO RECALLS!!! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO PREVENTION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY?! ARE THEY WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE BEFORE THEY DO SOMETHING?!!! THIS VEHICLE WAS GOING TO MY 16 YEAR OLD NIECE FOR HER FIRST VEHICLE. THANK GOD THAT IT WAS NOT HER DRIVING!!! NOW SHE WILL NOT HAVE A VEHICLE BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE $5,000 TO FIX IT AND A GOOD OVERALL VEHICLE SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY THAT CAN'T BE USED. I HAVE HAD TOYOTA'S MOST OF MY LIFE, CURRENTLY DRIVE A TUNDRA AS WELL, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I CAN TRULY SAY.....SHAME ON YOU TOYOTA/MANUFACTURERS!!!!

MY DAUGHTER RETURNED FROM WORK TWO DAYS AGO AND PARKED THE VEHICLE, SHE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG WITH ITS DRIVABILITY. THE NEXT MORNING SHE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND A LOUD WARNING TONE WAS BEING EMITTED FROM THE DASH. SHE ASKED ME TO LOOK AT IT AND I NOTICED THE BRAKE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. I TRIED DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR INSTANTLY. I TRIED BACKING UP THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF REPEATED BRAKING IN REVERSE WOULD PUMP UP THE BRAKES AS IT DOES ON SOME VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED. THAT DID NOTHING AND ALSO UNLIKE OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE DRIVEN, THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS TOTAL. THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO MANUAL BRAKING. TRAVELING IN REVERSE AT MAYBE 3 MPH TOOK FOUR TO FIVE SECONDS TO COME TO A STOP. HAD THIS OCCURRED AT 60 MPH ON THE RURAL ROADS WE LIVE ON, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY ANY CAR WOULD BE DESIGNED WHERE SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER FAILURE WOULD RENDER THE VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE INSTANTLY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL EVENT HAD IT OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET AND YOUR 7 PAGES OF BRAKE RELATED COMPLAINTS ON SPECIFICALLY 2003 4RUNNERS, THERE WERE OVERWHELMING ACCOUNTS OF THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILING WHILE DRIVING, AND MANY ACCIDENTS REPORTED DUE TO THIS. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY BEFORE FURTHER INCIDENT AND TOYOTA SHOULD MAKE OWNERS WHOLE DUE TO THIS SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PRIORITY TOYOTA CHESAPEAKE (1800 GREENBRIER PKWY, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320, (757) 213-5000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED TWO MONTHS EARLIER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE REPAIR WOULD COST $5,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,596.

ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER COMPLETE FRONT BRAKE REPLACEMENT:ROTORS, CALIPERS, PADS,WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEED DOWNHILL ON GOOD HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING STRONGLY. STOPPED AT MECHANICS TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I HAD THE TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED. LEFT FRONT BRAKE ROTOR WAS EXTREMELY HOT, DIAGNOSED AS WARPED ROTOR. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY,CALIPER AND ROTOR AGAIN. NOW ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER THE VIBRATION IS BACK AGAIN. THIS SHOULD NOT BE. THIS HAS ALL HAPPENED WITHIN THE PAST 15000 MILES. SOMETHING MORE IS WRONG THAT IS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION BUT I DON'T SEE WHAT IT IS.

MOVING VEHICLE AT SCHOOL PARKING LOT - 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVING ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER GETTING HER LICENSE. VSC TRAC ABS LIGHTS ALL CAME ON, A LOW TONE NOISE AND THE BRAKE PEDDLE WAS HARD AS A ROCK WHEN DEPRESSING.

WHEN IN MOTION OR STOPPING, ON CITY STREETS OR THE HIGHWAY, TURNING INCLUDED, THE ABS SYSTEM MAKES EXCESSIVE NOSIES SUCH AS CHIRPING, SQUEAKING, AND GRINDING. CURRENTLY, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CRASH OR INJURY AS A RESULT; HOWEVER, THERE IS DOCUMENTATION WITHIN TOYOTA SERVICE AND ONLINE FORUMS OF THIS ISSUE AND CONCERN AMONG 2003 MODELS.

TAKATA RECALL MY SON AND I BOTH HAVE A TOYOTA 4-RUNNER AND THE ABS HYDRO BUSTER / BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WENT OUT ON THE 2004 AND IS ABOUT TO GO OUT ON THE 2003. I RECENTLY BOUGHT THE 2003 AND THE PROBLEM RECENTLY STARTED. I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A RECALL ON EITHER OF THESE VEHICLES. 2003 4-RUNNER TOYOTA VERY RECENTLY 2004 4-RUNNER TOYOTA I NEED TO VERIFY THE DATE OF PROBLEM THANKS

CONTINUOUS BRAKE CALIPER ISSUES WITH THEN LOCKING UP CAUSING THEM TO PREMATURELY WEAR OUT ROTORS AND PADS. NOW WITH THE CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE, LOST BRAKE PRESSURE ALL TOGETHER ALMOST CAUSING ME THE DRIVER CREATE AN ACCIDENT IN AN INTERSECTION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A DEVASTATING OUTCOME. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 155000 MILES, THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, I'VE ALREADY PAID IT OFF POCKET ALOT OF MONEY FOR THE BRAKE CALIPER ISSUE THAT I COULD HAVE BOUGHT A NEWER VEHICLE. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED CLOSELY.

TAMARA RECALL : THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER HAS WENT OUT AND EVERYONE WHO I HAVE SPOKE WITH HAS TOLD ME THESE PARTICULAR VEHICLES ARE BAD ABOUT. MY BRAKES GO ALL WAY TO THE FLOOR NO PRESSURE AT ALL AND WILL NOT STOP. I WAS ON AL HWY 278 IN PIEDMONT AND WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH RED LIGHT ALMOST GETTING IT FROM FROM AND REAR OF TRUCK.

ABS PROBLEM DISABLES BRAKES FUNCTION. WHILE DRIVING THE DASH ALERTS LIGHTS (VSC TRACK, ABS AND BRAKES ) WENT ON. THANKS GOD THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT A VERY LOW SPEED AND IN A FLAT TERRAIN. A TOYOTA EX-EMPLOYEE TOLD US THAT THE COMPANY BECAME AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO. NO SECURITY ALERT WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, A COMPANY BULLETIN DESCRIBED THE ABS MALFUNCTION AND OFFERED REPLACEMENT TO THOSE WHO REQUESTED IT. THIS OFFER IS NO LONGER OFFERED. I WENT TO A TOYOTA DEALER AND THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS 3622.41 FOR SERVICE AND PARTS. AT PRESENT THE UNIT IS OUT OF SERVICE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND BOUGHT THIS UNIT IN MARCH 1, 2003. IT HAS 58,239 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN THE UNIT FOR SERVICE WHENEVER A RECALL HAS BEEN MADE FOR THIS VEHICLE. TOYOTA COMPANY HAS NEVER ALERTED ME ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BRAKE MALFUNCTION AND THE SECURITY RISK THAT THIS PROBLEM INVOLVES.

CATASTROPHIC BRAKE LOSS WITHOUT WARNING. VSC, TAC AND E-BRAKE LIGHTS WITH LOUD AUDIBLE ALARM WITH LOSS OF ABILITY TO BRAKE. ONLY WITH STRONGEST PRESSURE ON BRAKE WAS ABLE TO SLOW VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY, NO COLLISION OR INJURIES OCCURRED. REPORT THIS TO TOYOTA - NO ADVISORY OR RECALL NOTICE HAS BEEN ISSUED. REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT NO ONE WOULD CONTACT ME AND THE CASE WOULD BE CLOSE. THIS FLIES IN THE FACE OF A MANUFACTURES LIABILITY TO NOTIFY OF POTENTIAL PRODUCT FAILURE AS LONG A PRODUCT IS IN USE. THIS IS A 2003 TOYOTA R RUNNER WITH 166830 MILES. TOYOTA WORK ORDER LIST THIS AS A BAKER BOOSTER MOTOR ASSY INTERNAL PART FAILURE. COST TO REPLACE THIS NECESSARY SAFETY EQUIPMENT WAS 3,817 DOLLARS.

WHILE PULLING INTO A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, ALOUD CABIN ALARM SOUND AND ABS, VSC AND TRAC AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON. MY VEHICLE SEEMED TO STOP OK SO WE DID OUR SHOPPING, WHEN WE STARTED THE CAR IT STILL HAD THE LIGHTS LIT UP AND BRAKED OK. WE WERE CLOSE TO HOME SO I DROVE SLOWLY TRYING TO GET THERE ABOUT HALF WAY HOME I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WAS HARD AS A ROCK AND WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN THE CAR APPLYING EMERGENCY BREAK AND USING SHIFTER IN ORDER TO STOP AND AVOID CRASHING WE GOT IT HOME ACCIDENT FREE. TODAY A TALKED TO A TOYOTA SPECIALTY SHOP AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AND HIS FIRST RESPONSE WAS THE ABS PUMP AND MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS 105000 MILES AND THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE BRAKES FAIL WITHOUT A BACK UP SYSTEM FOR SAFETY.I HAVE READ 1000S OF POSTS AND THREADS IN BLOGS FROM TOYOTA OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUE, AND SOME THAT CAUSED ACCIDENTS. I HAD JUST COME OFF THE HIGHWAY, SO THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT JUST MINUTES EARLIER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE AND TOYOTA IS VERY AWARE OF THE SITUATION BUT NO RECALL. THIS SITUATION MERITS AN INVESTIGATION BY TOYOTA AND A RECALL SHOULD BE AWARDED BEFORE HUMAN LIFE IS LOST IN AN ACCIDENT.

I AM DEEPLY DISTURBED BY THE THOUGHT ITSELF THAT MY SON AND I COULD HAVE DIED OR SEVERELY INJURED WHILE THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK LAST WEEKEND. ALL OF A SUDDEN, BUNCH OF LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON AND CONTINUED LOUD SOUND STARTED COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD WHEN I WAS REACHING MY SON'S SCHOOL TO DROP HIM OFF FOR A TENNIS MATCH. WHILE I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS DRIVING VERY SLOW AND I WAS ABLE TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE IT HIT ANY OTHER VEHICLE OR A TREE, I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE OTHER DRIVERS WHO MAY FACE THE SAME ISSUE WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGHER SPEED AND/OR ON A BUSY ROAD. I WOULD LIKE YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE AND REQUEST YOU TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE WITH TOYOTA. THERE ARE FEW OTHERS WHO HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA DISMISSES THE CASE BY SAYING ITS 'WEAR AND TEAR'. HOW CAN WEAR AND TEAR CAN BE A JUSTIFICATION WHEN IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND PEOPLE CAN LOSE LIVES? PLEASE DON'T WAIT TO WARN AND INVESTIGATE UNTIL SOMEONE LOSES A LOVED ONE'S LIFE.

FRONT BRAKE CALIPER PISTONS SEIZED UP CAUSING ME TO GO THROUGH A STOP LIGHT. SEE ENCLOSED VIDEO. PLEASE REVIEW ALL THE COMPLAINTS REGARDING TOYOTA 4RUNNER CALIPER PISTONS SEIZING UP. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT THAT REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON A CITY STREET, WITH MY LITTLE GIRL IN THE VEHICLE, BREAKS FAILED AND LOUD CABIN ALARM SOUND AND ABS, VSC AND TRAC DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. WE WERE CLOSE TO HOME SO WE GOT IT THERE INTO THE GARAGE APPLYING EMERGENCY BREAK AND USING SHIFTER IN ORDER TO STOP AND AVOID CRASHING. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TWICE AS THEY SAID THE FIXED IT AFTER ONLY HAVING IT 30 MINUTES AND SAID THE ACCUMULATOR PUMP WAS BLOCKED UP. CAME HOME, DROVE IT TWICE AND THE ONE WEEK LATER ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES GO OFF AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED ONCE AGAIN AND NOW BEING TOLD THAT IT WILL COST US $4000 TO FIX. VERY ODD TOYOTA GOES FROM A THIRTY-MINUTE CHARGE AND FIX TO A THREE-DAY PROCESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO ORDER PART AND COST US $4000. SUPPOSEDLY THE ABS PUMP BREAK MASTER CYLINDER IS BAD AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE READ 1000S OF POSTS AND THREADS IN BLOGS FROM TOYOTA OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUE, AND SOME THAT CAUSED ACCIDENTS. I HAD JUST COME OFF THE HIGHWAY, SO THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT JUST MINUTES EARLIER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE AND TOYOTA IS VERY AWARE OF THE SITUATION BUT NO RECALL. THIS SITUATION MERITS AN INVESTIGATION BY TOYOTA AND A RECALL SHOULD BE AWARDED BEFORE HUMAN LIFE IS LOST IN AN ACCIDENT. THEY SHOULD ALSO FIND A BETTER LESS EXPENSIVE FIX. GENERATIONS OF MY FAMILY HAVE PUT OUR FAITH INTO TOYOTA VEHICLES AND TO BE SCREWED LIKE THIS IS JUST NOT FAIR. THE ECONOMY BAILED CAR DEALERSHIPS OUT WHEN THEY WERE GOING UNDER AND THEY CAN'T DO THE RIGHT THING TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THIS KNOWN ISSUE. WILL ANALYSIS MY OPTIONS WHEN BUYING ANOTHER TOYOTA.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE ABS, EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND VSC TRAC LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT PLACED THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE CONTACT QUICKLY PLACED THE GEAR IN PARK AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC ABS AND THE TC MOTOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 260,000.

OWNER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE IN A CITY AT 10 MPH WHEN ABS, VSC, TRAC AND EBRAKE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH AN ALARM SOUND. BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED AND WOULD NOT RESPOND ON SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. MANAGED TO SLOW CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING BY PRESSING EBRAKE AND PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL. TOWED TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER COMPLETELY FAILED AND BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY. QUOTED $3100 FOR REPAIR. BASED ON SOME INTERNET SEARCHING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON ISSUE ON THIS MODEL/YEAR. DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT PROVIDED SOME FIX FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH COULD PROVE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FELT STIFF, WHICH CAUSED A LONGER BRAKING TIME. WHEN THE FAILURE FIRST OCCURRED, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING BRAKE POWER WHILE BEING OPERATED AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED THAT THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.

MY FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS CONTINUE TO FREEZE OR SEIZE AND CAUSES THE BRAKE PADS TO STICK TO THE ROTORS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I OWNED THE TRUCK. RECENTLY, UPON REPLACING THE BOTH FRONT CALIPERS, BRAKE PADS, AND ROTORS, AFTER BLEEDING THE BRAKES THE BRAKE SYSTEM NOW ONLY WORKED IN THE FRONT BRAKES AND NOT THE REAR BRAKES. *TR