Toyota Tundra - Brakes

Keep having to replace brakes (front), and have rotors turned. The time the fix lasted only 11, 000 miles.

I have read many of the complaints about the brake issues. I have been experiencing the same brake vibration issues on my 2003 Toyota Tundra since I bought it in 2008 from a 3rd party when it had only 38,000 miles. At the time, I did not think it was a serious issue because I figured a new set of pads and/or new rotors would solve the issue. I did ask a shop their opinion and they said basically the same thing and that it was not a safety issue.

This is why I have not really done anything to this point, but I was going to change out the pads and rotors today because the vibration is extremely annoying. I was also skeptical that this could not be a safety concerns if the conditions were right. Now, I am not sure what to do because putting money into the truck only to have a recurring issue does not seem smart. To do what sounds like a permanent fix at $2000+ does not sound feasible considering the financial impact. I have tried to search for a class action lawsuit to join but I can't seem to find one to join. If somebody can steer me the right direction, then please let me know.

My 2005 Tundra had pulsating brakes and was fixed by replacing the pads and grinding the rotors. This fixed the problem for about 3 months and then more of the same happened. I use this truck like a pampered car, so excessive braking is definitely not an issue. Resurfacing the rotors was therefore not a cure for the inherent problem but just a temporary fix so more pulsation just like before started shortly after. The same problem was evident on my first Tundra purchased in 2002. I'm really disappointed Toyota engineers haven't been able fix the problem. Toyota makes a great vehicle but should be aware of these persistent problems and maybe should consider using alternate engineering/design sources.

We bought a 2000 Toyota Tundra new. We keep it in our garage when not driving. It now has 60,000 miles on it. We are experiencing a brake vibration when braking the truck. It literally shakes the entire truck when it stops. We took it to our dealer to have it looked at and discovered that in Sept. 2003 a TSB was issued from Toyota to the dealer stating they are aware of this problem, (we have a copy of this) and it is a defect in the brake system but told the dealers to only fix the problem if the truck has under 36,000 miles. Out truck was over 36,000 before Toyota issued this TSB2004 bulletin.

Everyone acknowledges the problem but since our truck has over 36000 miles, we have to pay for this manufacturing defect. I do not mind paying for normal wear and tear on a car but do not feel I should not be responsible for paying for a known defect on the truck. When I complained to Toyota, they responded by saying they will document my complaint on a national level but that is it.

The cost to repair this is $2000. The dealership's response to my questioning this fee was, "Maybe it is time to buy a new car." I paid $30,000 for a new truck and it only has 60000 miles on it. I do not want to hear my two choices are to buy a new vehicle or pay $2000 for a known defect in the truck.

We have a 2002 Toyota Tundra with the same brake defect that everyone else is having. The rotors continue to warp every 3,000 miles. The dealership has worked on the truck six times over the last 12 months and has not been able to fix it. The warranty has now expired and Toyota is not responding to all the certified letters we have sent requesting assurances on the vehicle and if they can not fix the vehicle, what action are they going to take to stand behind their product?

I purchased a 2002 Tundra in January 2002. I paid cash of $36,000, and at 14,500 miles, the front brakes were shot. I was informed that they would look at it, but would charge a diagnostic fee. I chose to have it done locally. Again at 31,000 miles, I was told by the dealer that only the brake lines and master cylinder are covered under the warranty from Toyota. The rotors were turned again, and new pads put on. At 45,000 miles, I got new rotors and pads for $386.00. At that time, the brake shop I used, said the rear brakes are not even working enough, and that causes the front rotors to warp.

Now, at 53,000 miles, the o2 sensor on the exhaust manifold went bad, and they had broken the manifold trying to remove it. My extended warranty covered all but $306.80, and I had to pay the bill before I could get the truck. To this date, the supposed best truck made, has cost me almost $2,000 in repairs, that should have been covered due to poor quality by them. This truck looks like it just rolled off the salesroom floor, and has never been off-road. At this point, I feel that hiring a lawyer is my only recourse,which will again cost me money. My suggestion is in the future by an American vehicle, or maybe write Japan, and tell them that their American dealers are going to cost them sales.

Toyota factory once again denied having any trouble, and that I drive too hard. I then had the transmission, that wouldn't shift into gear or move, unless I revved up the motor for 10 minutes. Upon the dealer's recommendation, they sent a tow truck and called me 2 days later, to inform me that there was nothing wrong with the truck, and a low battery caused the transmission not to shift. I had to pay $129.00 tow bill to get the truck. As a disabled American veteran living on a pension of less than $1,200 a month, I will probably fall behind in my bills, so that I can continually pay more repair bills on the vehicle I thought was the best. I used my mother's inheritance money to buy the truck, and have no other income.

My 2000 Tundra vibrated so bad when I went to slow down, it really scared me. I took it to the closest dealer and they did the 30,000 mile check up, so they say. I took it to a local garage and they had to replace the front rotors. Six months later, guess what? Turn new rotors and new pads. Come on, Toyota. I have had Toyota's for 15 years and never had these problems.

Is this what I expect to get in the future? I did not know they had a problem with the calipers (2000-2003) until I checked the internet. Now my warranty has expired. The dealer says, "Oh well, you should have gotten the extended warranty."

I have a 2002 Toyota Tundra 4WD SR5 extended cab. I have experienced braking problems with the truck literally since the first day, especially when braking going downhill. The brakes pulse and vibrate, including severe vibration to the truck cab, dash and steering wheel. Several times I have felt endangered when needing to stop quickly, as the braking action is erratic.

I was told by a mechanic at my local tire store that the Tundras had a braking problem that was known to Toyota. I called my local dealer and they denied knowing about any problem. Presently, I am informed that there was a "service bulletin" issued for extensive repair of the front brakes including new calipers, backing plates, lines, bearings and other parts to the tune of $2,000+ which Toyota will not cover because my truck is out of warranty due to mileage.

Today my brakes are being repaired at my expense and today begins my fight with Toyota to get reimbursed. Toyota is dealing in extremely bad faith on this issue as the braking problems were known to them and the resolution hidden from their customers. Cost me $2,300 to repair brakes plus unknown, untold consequential damage to truck parts, stereo, attachment points due to ongoing vibration when braking.

The rear differential is leaking into my rear brakes. This causes my 2000 Tundra to "grab" the rotors. This was repaired (seals replaced, and rotors turned because of damage from the grabbing) under warranty, 1 year after I bought it. However, it is happening again (44,700 miles) and my Toyota Service Center has confirmed it. I have not repaired it yet. I have called Toyota Consumer Affairs, and told them of the problem and they are contacting the dealership. At my 37,000 mile service, an oxygen sensor went bad. At my very next service (45,000), there are two more that are bad ($200 each w/labor)!

My truck shudders slightly when the brakes are applied. This started very early in the life of my 2000 Tundra. Please note that I have owned 4 Toyota vehicles prior to this, and have loved them all dearly. I buy Toyota over and over because of one reason, they are extremely reliable and quality made. I am shocked that I am having problems with this 2000 Toyota Tundra! I was so excited when I bought it. It was the first new car I had ever purchased, and I knew I would just have basic maintenance for the next 100,000 miles. Surprise! I am extremely upset.

The damage is the rear differential seals, and I still don't know how much it would cost to have it repaired. I am trying to contact Toyota to fix this on their own, without any cost to me. It is obviously a problem if it keeps happening. The oxygen sensors cost $200 each with labor. That will be $400 out of my pocket for this service. I am attempting to get Toyota to replace them. It is obviously a problem if they keep going bad. After reading about all the problems about Tundra brakes on this website, I think it may be hopeless to complain about it. I will notify Toyota anyway, just to add momentum to a possible fix for everyone.

My 2001 Toyota Tundra has brake problems, like the other people. I have the TSB from Toyota telling what the problem is and what parts to change. There are two bulletins out - one for the front and one for the rear, 2000 to 2003 front brakes and 2000 to 2001 for the rear. Toyota will wash their hands off you after the 36,000-mile mark. And when you are in warranty, they won't tell you.

I own a 2000 Toyota Tundra and have had front brake problems at about 28k miles. Toyota acknowledges that there is a TSB (service bulletin) on the fact that there is a design flaw with the braking systems on the Tundras. The rear brakes do not self-adjust properly thus transferring the braking load to the front wheels. Upon taking an increased braking load, the front rotors are not designed to withstand the excess heat and eventually warp. This causes a severe shimmy and vibration, particularly when braking between the speeds of 40-50 mph.

Turning the rotors on a lathe to remove irregularities will resolve the issue for about one week of normal driving. They have developed retrofit brake replacements with larger calipers and brake pads but for a ridiculous amount of money which is the responsibility of the consumer. Toyota seems to be doing a great job of dodging the issue. They will not offer to replace any parts free of charge because it is not a "safety concern" and not an official recall. I am hard pressed to believe that it is not a safety concern, particularly in wet, snowy, or icy conditions.

A vibration or shimmy due to an irregularity in the rotor is essentially the brakes producing higher friction and resistance to turning at certain points within the revolution of the wheel than at other points within the revolution of the wheel. If a vehicle is stopping on a wet, snowy or icy surface, it would seem logical that this vibration or (high frequency lunging) could compromise the mechanical grip that the tire has with the driving surface. The inconsistent transfer of momentum and lunging when braking could push a vehicle beyond the mechanical grip threshold which, in more simple terms, would be locking up the wheels. I do not understand why or how Toyota is not taking responsibility for an engineering flaw that that interferes with braking performance.

The dealership quoted me close to $400 to rectify the brake problem. Since I do my own mechanical work, I decided to order performance front rotors from Brembo ($150) and replaced my front pads ($40). The dealership wanted $99 per rotor (which are identical to the originals that came on the truck) and a much higher amount for the pads (identical to the one that came on the truck). It did not make sense to me to pay an outrageous amount of money to replace faulty, poorly engineered parts with identical poorly engineered parts only to have the same problem happen again.

Toyota now offers replacement calipers and pads that are supposed to fix the problem for approx $300 per caliper and I'm not sure about the pads. All in all, I have read hundreds of posts on message boards, out of perhaps thousands, regarding the braking issues of the the Toyota Tundra, particularly the 2000-2002's. Apparently they had a re-design on the later models that rectified the problem.

I would be interested in looking into perhaps a class action type lawsuit if one is not already in progress. I know that there are plenty of clients to make it worth while. In resolution to the issue, mileage should not be an issue due to the fact that Toyota dodges and delays this issue. Diagnosis and opinion seems to change when these vehicles are beyond the warranty mileage limitations. Many times the symptoms are not necessarily consistent with a particular mileage. Driving conditions and demographic differences will produce different results when it comes to this particular problem.

Brakes on my 2002 Toyota Tundra vibrate when applied on the freeway. I have taken the vehicle to two dealers a total of six times and the vibrations are still there. They have completely changed the entire brake system about two times. Cannot find the cause. This is an extreme safety issue.

I purchased a 2003 Toyota Tundra last Dec. and have had a brake problem. At 18,000 miles my brake pads were shot. I called a Toyota dealer. Every auto part store in my area available listed only one set of brake pads. The ones I need are larger than the ones everyone else carries. The parts stores say they are unavailable. The dealer says there are 15 sets on back order for customers. They have been on back order for over a week and they have no idea when they will be in. I am going to be out of work as I cannot put the old pads back on as they are worn to the metal. I have no way to get the right ones. What does one do? This is absolutely ridiculous. Obviously, Toyota has a problem or there would not be 15 back ordered set for a 2003 truck.

I am home for the weekend and have to work Monday morning 150 miles from home. I will miss work as I cannot find replacement pads for my 2003 Toyota Tundra which uses a type B pad. When I do find them, it will be several days if not weeks before I receive them. I lose an average of $280 a day in wages. I paid an enormous amount for a new truck that I cannot drive until fixed.

Like many others I have read on your site, we too have had problems with the braking system on our 2000 Tundra. We, too, have taken it to our dealer to find out about the vibration. We, too were told "it is normal for this model." Lo and behold, I find a TSB for this problem on the internet. Also for our 2002 Sequoia, which had the same vibration. We took our Sequoia in for service and referred to the TSB that we found on the internet. We were told by our service advisor that there was "no TSB that HE was aware of," and "But then, we don't get on the internet too often!"

I then had to go home, print out their TSB and take it to them. Only then were they willing to do the repair, which involved brakes (which were worn out at 8000 miles), rotors (which were "out of round" at 8000 miles) and the whole caliper assembly and everything. Now, the brakes are fine. Problem is, Toyota doesn't notify the consumer about this problem because they don't want to pay to have it fixed. So now, our Tundra is out of warranty by about 5 months and they refused to fix the problem.

I emailed Toyota headquarters as well and got the same generic response. Basically, that they don't have to notify the consumer. Those bulletins are for their dealers only. I believe we have quite a leg to stand on since we did complain about this problem long before the Tundra warranty ran out and were told it was normal. This is a crock and something needs to be done. This problem is not due to normal use and wear. It is a design problem and one that Toyota needs to fix and stand behind their product before their outstanding reputation goes down the toilet.

My 2000 Tundra began having vibration problems with its brakes at 38,000 miles. I do all my own mechanical work, so I went ahead and put on new ceramic pads and turned the front rotors. Everything was great for about a week and then the vibration was back. It has finally gotten so bad that I just replaced the rotors with new vented/cross drilled ones. This is at 44,000 miles. I've found that several owners have had the similar problem.

I called the local dealer, Stadium Toyota and was told by the service department that there were TSAs about this. But Toyota would not pay for it since it is out of warranty. The new rotors did not help at all and may have caused the high speed vibration when using the brakes to be even worse. This is dangerous and I'm hesitant to drive it out of town.

I've sent Toyota two e-mails and am going to send a complaint to NHTSA. In the meantime, I'm going to resurface the rear drums, install new shoes, and put on 4 new tires and re-balance everything. I am thinking about surfacing the old rotors and reinstalling to see if the problem is better. I do know that I will not give Toyota any money to fix what is an obvious manufacture/design problem.

I believe that Larry of Fort Leonard Wood MO is correct that there is a problems with the Tundra brakes. Toyota has asked me to bring my truck in for rotor and brake repairs. This is too late for me. I had an accident in Feb 03, which I believe was caused by the brake malfunction.

I owned a Tundra Toyota V8 Truck 2002. The engine would suddenly accelerate and the car started squirming and shaking very strong when braking, so much so that I could not control it and the truck spun around and hit the car driving in the next lane before it stopped. This happened on April 8, 2003. I had already called and reported to Toyota customer services on April 28 and they had promised to inspect the problem within 30 days but never did.

Instead of trying to inspect and solve the problem, Toyota made a fault report to my car insurance that my car was already inspected and claimed the decision has not been made on their parts. I am now very scared whenever I drive that truck. And I hope you understand how terrified I was in the accident and how lucky I am to be alive! But Toyota is trying to ignore the responsibility of the safety of all customers who are driving the Tundra. I know I am too little to fight back with the big giant company but for my own safety and to all the Tundra Toyota customers who are driving in danger, please stand up and talk to them to save many lives out there.

I have owned a 2000 Tundra since new and have experienced front brake problems since new. I feel Toyota should be honest enough to admit to the problem and have a recall before serious accidents happen from failing brakes. The front rotors are the problem. They warp at around 10,000 miles and cause shaking and fading when brakes are applied. I am on my third set that are warped now at 45,000 miles. All the dealer does is replace with same parts that warp again at 10,000. A recall and a solution would be nice before lives are lost.

I have a very bad vibration in my Tundra when I apply the brakes and a small vibration around 50 mph. I know for a fact that there was a recall on the front rotors because they were not thick enough to handle the weight of the truck. I know this because my brother is a mechanic for Toyota. Will Toyota replace my rotors on my 2000 Tundra? This is my third Toyota I have owned and I will always buy Toyota products. Any info would be great on how I can get this problem fixed by Toyota.

I have had my new 2002 Tundra in twice for the same noise a grinding vibrating noise in the front end. They tell me they know it is in the front differential and it is inherent to vehicle model and it is a normal noise. It sounds like metal grinding on metal and I also have some safety concerns and if it is doing damage to other components. After spending this much money on a new Toyota truck I am very dissatisfied and frustrated.