2008 Toyota 4Runner Brakes Problems

I HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 SETS OF FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS ON MY 2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WHERE OVER TIME, THE CALIPERS WILL SEIZE UP AND STICK ON. THE ONLY WAY TO TELL THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE IS EITHER BY TOUCH, SMELL, OR FEEL. TOUCH, BECAUSE THE ROTORS GET TO BE OVER 250 DEGREES AND THEY CANNOT BE TOUCHED. SMELL, BECAUSE THE SMELL OF BURNING BRAKE PADS IS PRESENT FEEL, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOSS OF BRAKING. OTHER THAN THESE INDICATIONS, THERE IS NO NOTICE OF SEIZED CALIPERS UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND HAS HAPPENED WITH MOST 4RUNNER OWNERS THAT I TALK TO. I'M SURPRISED THAT THIS HAS NOT BECOME AN ISSUE.

WHEN BRAKING, ANY BUMP OR POTHOLE WILL CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO LOSE BRAKE POWER FOR ABOUT ONE (1) SECOND, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE AT THE SAME SPEED FOR TENS OF FEET FURTHER THAN EXPECTED. HIDDEN POTHOLES BY STANDING WATER CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO TRAVEL INTO AN INTERSECTION OR OTHER VEHICLE. THIS IS THE THIRD 4-RUNNER THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PREVIOUS VEHICLES WERE FROM 1994 AND 1998, AND I HAD THREE REAR-END ACCIDENTS, WHICH CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLES.

DURING A MAINTENANCE VISIT TO EAST COAST TOYOTA OF CARLSTADT, NJ AN "UPDATE" TO THE ECU COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS PERFORMED. AFTER THIS "UPDATE" I NOTICED THE ENGINE STALLING, THEN RECOVERING AND AUTO THEN SURGING FORWARD. THIS WAS EXPLAINED BY TOYOTA AS "SMART TECHNOLOGY" TO MODIFY ENG/ECT SYSTEM. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A DANGEROUS "FIX": EXAMPLE --WHEN TRYING TO ENTER A TRAFFIC LANE FROM A DEAD STOP, WITH FOOT ON BREAK IF YOU ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE THE ENGINE CUTS OUT- SENDING YOU INTO TRAFFIC WITH A LAG INSTEAD OF A POWER BOOST. I ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THIS MODIFICATION UNDONE BY TOYOTA BUT THEY EXPLAINED THEIR POSITION AS BELOW: WE APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR CONCERNS WITH THE SMART STOP TECHNOLOGY INSTALLED IN YOUR 2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. AS WE PREVIOUSLY INDICATED, IN RESPONSE TO CUSTOMER'S CONCERNS WITH THEIR VEHICLES, TOYOTA WORKED WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) TO COME UP WITH THIS REMEDY, WHICH IS THE INSTALLATION OF THE SMART STOP TECHNOLOGY. BECAUSE THIS REMEDY WAS MANDATED BY THE GOVERNMENT (NHTSA), WE ARE UNABLE TO REMOVE THE SMART STOP TECHNOLOGY. YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED AT OUR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS. IN MY OPINION THIS CHANGE DOESN'T FIX ANYTHING - IT IS DANGEROUS- YOU CAN'T ACCELERATE FROM A "HOLDING" BREAK POSITION (FOOT ON BREAK AND GAS) AS RECOMMENDED BY SOME DEFENSIVE DRIVING INSTRUCTORS.. I AM REQUESTING THAT THE NTSB LOOKED INTO THIS TOYOTA MODIFICATION (BEFORE UPDATE CODE 33562000,AFTER UPDATE 3356200) , DETERMINE IT'S EFFICACY (OR LACK OF ) AND DEVISE A BETTER FIX THAN THEIR SO CALLED "SMART TECHNOLOGY". *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF BUTTON ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS THE ABS LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED DUE TO THE WARNING LIGHTS NOT BEING ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 94,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 30 MPH WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED THEY FAILED TO ENGAGE AND MADE A LOUD POPPING NOISE. THE CONTACT THEN RELEASED AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN WITH EXTREME PRESSURE UNTIL THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33971.

APPROX 1 WEEK PRIOR TO 6/15 I STARTED HEARING AN INTERMITTENT SQUEAK WHEN DRIVING MY CAR. I TOOK MY 4 RUNNER IN TO HAVE TOYOTA LOOK AT IT, 2 DAYS LATER THEY DETERMINED IT "MUST BE" THE BRAKE PUMP. MY CAR IS 4,000 MILES PAST WARRANTY. NO ONE CAN TELL ME IF IT IS SAFE TO KEEP DRIVING UNTIL I GET IT FIXED AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF IT GOES OUT. *TR

2008 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN RACING BADLY, TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE, THE TOYOTA DEALER CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WE WERE DRIVING INTO OUR GARAGE, WAITED FOR THE DOOR TO OPEN WHEN THE CAR STARTED RACING VERY BADLY. I AM AFRAID TO USE THE CAR, WHAT CAN WE DO? *TR

I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER, SR5, 4WD. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 31,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIES WHAT FEELS LIKE THE FRONT LEFT BRAKE. THIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AT 30-50 MPH ON DOWNHILL GRADES. I AM APPLYING MILD BRAKING WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURS TO CONTROL THE DOWNHILL SPEED. THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING IS INTERMITTENT AND EACH TIME A LOUD BEEP IS HEARD FROM THE DASH AREA. THE EFFECT TENDS TO PULL THE VEHICLE STRONGLY TO THE LEFT. IT CREATES A VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT IS DIFFICULT TO REACT TO AND COMPENSATE FOR. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PREDICT OR ANTICIPATE THAT THE INCIDENT WILL OCCUR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN LATE JANUARY 2009 FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE AN INCIDENT OR LOCATE ANYTHING ABNORMAL. I REMAIN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN DOWNHILL CONDITIONS. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNINTENTIONALLY WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. SHE HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH SUCH FORCE THAT SHE DESTROYED THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE SO HOT THAT THEY DESTROYED THE ROTORS AND THE PADS. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT DOES NOT WANT TO PICK IT UP. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.