2006 Toyota 4runner Brakes Problems

Your front brake calipers are corroding, causing the inner pistons to freeze and stick. This makes your brake pads wear unevenly — the outer pads wear twice as fast as the inner pads — which increases your stopping distance when braking. This problem has happened repeatedly even after replacing the brake pads multiple times, and you're not getting any warning light about reduced braking performance.

THE BREAKS PULSE WHEN YOUR STOPPING AND THERE HAVE BEEN TWO INSTANCES WHEN I EXPERIENCED THE BREAKS UNEXPECTEDLY WENT OUT OR SLIPPED...IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN EXACT FEELING BUT IT WAS SCARY. THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AT A SLIGHT HILL AND THE BREAKS MADE A STRANGE NOISE THIS HAPPENED TWICE HOWEVER THE LIGHT ONLY CAME ON THE ONE TIME. THEN WHILE DRIVING THE ABS, TRACTION, BREAK, AND ANOTHER LIGHT ALL CAME ON AT ONCE. THIS WAS JUST RANDOM WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY. ABOUT 20MIN LATER THEY WENT OUT. ALSO WHILE SETTING AT THE LIGHT OR BEING STOPPED WHILE IN GREAT THE CAR PUSHES FORWARD WHILE THE BREAK IS DEPRESSED. THESE THINGS FAVE BEEN RANDOM WHEN THE BREAKS FELT AS IF I HAD LOST THEM I WAS TURNING A CORNER AND STEPPED ON THE BREAKS WHILE IN THE TURN THEY MADE A SLIGHT NOISE AND I LET UP WHEN I FELT AS IF I WAS LOSING THEM THEN DEPRESSED AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS IN A NORMAL STRAIGHT ROAD AND DEPRESSED THE BREAKS AND AGAIN IT FELT AS IF I HAD LOST THEM...I JERKED A LITTLE AS IT SCARED ME BEING IN TRAFFIC THEN I LET UP AND DEPRESS THEM AGAIN AND IF FELT NORMAL. AGAIN IT HAS BEEN TOTALLY RANDOM. ALSO MY TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT COMES ON QUITE FREQUENTLY AND I KEEP LOSING A LITTLE PRESSURE IN ALL TIRES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE PISTONS WERE FROZEN AND THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER WAS REPLACED ONCE EVERY YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

THE PISTONS IN BOTH FRONT CALIPERS HAVE FROZEN UP AND HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME AT 90,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 160,000. MANY FORUMS ON THE 4TH GEN 4RUNNERS DOCUMENT MANY PEOPLE OTHERS HAVING HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I ASKED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM THEY WERE AWARE OF. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN/FACTORY DEFECT. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

COMING TO A STOP SIGN AT ABOUT 30 MPH I APPLIED BRAKES AT NORMAL PRESSURE. THERE WAS A LOUD SNAP AND CAR SUDDENLY VEERED HARD LEFT. TOOK IT TO SERVICE CENTER FOR EVALUATION. THE FRONT RIGHT ROTOR WAS BROKEN. THE DISC HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HAT. SERVICE CENTER REPLACED BOTH FRONT ROTORS AND INSPECTED ALL BRAKES, ON JULY 24TH, THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE FRONT LEFT ROTOR, WHICH IS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD. SOMETHING VERY DANGEROUS IS WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE THAT IS ACTUALLY BREAKING THE ROTORS. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS IT COULD CAUSE COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

WE WERE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. AN ALARM WENT OFF IN THE CAR AND THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. AT THAT POINT WE ROLLED THE CAR TO SEE IF THE BRAKES WERE WORKING. THIS IS WHEN WE REALIZED THERE WERE NO BRAKES AND THE ONLY BREAK WE HAD WAS OUR EMERGENCY BRAKE. IT WAS TAKEN TO A NEARBY MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A CALIPER OVER-EXTENDED CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT- LOSING THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM ALL TOGETHER. LUCKILY WE WERE NOT MOVING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT BECAUSE HAVING LOST THE ENTIRE BREAK SYSTEM WHILE MOVING COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

DRIVING IN RAIN ON FREEWAY CONNECTOR ROAD , 25 MPH, REQUIRED TO USE BRAKES DUE TO ANOTHER DRIVER ILLEGALLY SWERVING FROM SLOW LANE OF FREEWAY ADJACENT TO CONNECTOR ROAD, ACROSS TWO SOLID LINES, IN FRONT OF A CAR THAT HIT THEIR BRAKES, AND WAS REAR-ENDED BY A SECOND CAR, WHICH WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE TO STOP, BUT WHEN I STEPPED ON MY BRAKES, THEY INSTANTLY LOCKED UP AND MY 4RUNNER IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SLIDE...NO CONTROL AT ALL TO SLOW DOWN, AND IT FELT LIKE I ACTUALLY INCREASED SPEED. I KNOW WHAT ABS FEELS LIKE, AND MY BRAKES ARE NEW, INSTALLED IN JULY 2012 AT A TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPT. THIS ABS SYSTEM FAILED! NO PULSATING FEELING, NOTHING BUT LOCKED UP BRAKES, WHICH RESULTED IN MY HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE TRUCK THAT MADE THE CHANGE, AND WAS ALMOST 90 DEGREES TO THE LANE WE WERE IN THEN TOOK OFF. HE WAS NOT HIT, BUT I CHASED AND CAUGHT HIM FOR CHP. MY 4RUNNER IS CRUSHED BECAUSE OF AN IDIOT, AND THE FAILURE OF MY ABS TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. I HAVE BEEN SAFELY DRIVING 44 YEARS. *TR

I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE AND NEW BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. I WAS TOLD ONE OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS ON THE FRONT WHEELS WAS FROZEN. IF THE BRAKE CALIPER IS FROZEN, THEN THE CAR HAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED STOPPING POWER. THERE WAS NO ENGINE LIGHT INDICATING THE PROBLEM. MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT CALIPERS ON THE 4 RUNNER. PLEASE CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AND SEEK A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME WOBBLY WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD HAT THE HYDRO-BOOSTER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND MANIFOLD ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER EXTREMELY RUSTED AND NOTICED SQUEAKING FROM SAME. ALSO EXTREMELY DIRTY RIMS FROM BRAKE DUST, REPLACED WITH NON CERAMIC PADS, BUT NO OTHER RIMS SHOWED SAME AMOUNT OF GRIT. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE AND INFORMED THAT ALL OTHER PADS HAD 20% LIFE AND LEFT FRONT CALIPER OUTSIDE LOWER PISTON WAS SEIZED AS WELL AS UNSERVICEABLE BLEEDER VALVE LEAVING NO OTHER OPTION THAN TO REPLACE WITH CALIPER. NOW, NOT ONE WEEK AFTER REPLACING CALIPER, NEW ONE IS ALREADY RUSTING WHILE ALL OTHERS LOOK FINE. *TR

THE 4RUNNER PULLS TO ONE SIDE AND DOES NOT STOP AS QUICKLY AS IT SHOULD. THE PISTONS IN BOTH FRONT CALIPERS HAVE FROZEN UP TO SOME EXTENT. I HAVE CHECKED MANY FORUMS ON THE 4TH GEN 4RUNNERS AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHY MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAN NOT A PROBLEM AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. I PURCHASED REMANUFACTURED CALIPERS AND HAD THEM INSTALLED AND THEY ARE FREEZING UP AGAIN. THIS SEEMS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. AT STOPLIGHT PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR AND WILL NOT HOLD VEHICLE. TOLD IT WAS A MASTER CYLINDER. THIS IS A $1500+ JOB. DEALER TOLD ME THIS NEVER FAILS BUT OUT OF WARRANTY SO THEIR DEFECT IS MY LOSS. *TR

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE REVERSING OUT OF HER GARAGE, THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW OR RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP AS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL CHIP HAD BURNED OUT; THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THAT TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 128,000. UPDATED 06/17/10.*LJ THE DEALER REPLACED THE ABS ACTUATOR AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY. UPDATED 10/05/10

I HAD A 2006 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER, LIMITED. THE BRAKE SYSTEM NEVER WAS RIGHT AND THAT IS WHY WE GOT RID OF THE CAR. AT A LIGHT, CAR WOULD CONTINUE TO INCH FORWARD. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND WHEN IT LURCHED FORWARD WHEN STOPPED IN A SCHOOL ZONE THIS PAST SPRING, WE IMMEDIATELY GOT RID OF IT, SINCE THE DEALER KEPT TELLING ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. *TR

STARTING AT THIS DATE: ITS HAPPENED 4 TIMES SINCE WHILE DRIVING WHEN NEEDING TO APPLY MY BRAKES SUDDENLY. I APPLY THE BRAKES, MEDIUM HARD TENSION, OPPOSED TO JAMMING ON THE BRAKES, THEN MOMENTARILY LET OFF BRAKES AND THEN TAPED BRAKES TO MORE GENTLY EASE OFF THE SITUATION. THE CAR THEN BUCKS VIOLENTLY AS IF HITTING SOMETHING. EXTREMELY SHOCKING. ONE TIME I HAD A PASSENGER AND AS SHE WAS SHOCKED TOO, ASKED ME WHAT I WAS DOING? I REPLIED, "NOTHING, THE CAR DID IT! I READ ONLINE THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE I DESCRIBE. *TR

ABS SYSTEM FAILURE: 2006 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER LIMITED. IN FEB. 2009, I WAS DRIVING ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED, MY BRAKES LOCKED, AND THE CAR SPED UP INSTEAD OF SLOWING. I COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO STOP. INSTEAD OF HITTING THE LINE OF CARS IN FRONT OF ME I VEERED OFF THE ROAD THROUGH A SNOW BANK. THE CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER TRAVELING ANOTHER ~100FT THROUGH 8" OF SNOW. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE (CAR WAS DRIVABLE AFTERWARDS). THE POLICE DID RESPOND AND A TOW TRUCK WAS NEEDED TO TOW MY CAR BACK ONTO THE ROAD. MY ORIGINAL TRAVEL SPEED WAS ~ 40MPH (BEFORE BRAKING). I SPED UP AFTER BRAKING, BUT I AM NOT CERTAIN OF THE SPEED WHEN I HIT THE BANK. TOYOTA RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND RECEIVED SEVERAL ERRORS. THE ABS WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY SAID THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE RELATED TO A LOW BATTERY I HAD 6-12 MONTHS EARLIER. THE LOW BATTERY SOMEHOW DEACTIVATED COMPONENTS OF THE ABS. I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS EVEN POSSIBLE. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT A LOW OR DEAD BATTERY COULD RESULT IN ABS FAILURE I WOULD HAVE HAD THE SYSTEM CHECKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LOW BATTERY INCIDENT. TOYOTA FIXED THE ABS; HOWEVER, I STILL CONTINUE TO HAVE OCCASIONAL PROBLEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE CAR IS AT REST, BUT NOT IN PARK, IT WILL SOMETIMES LUNGE FORWARD (NOTHING LIKE YOU HEAR ABOUT ON TV, BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY SOME TYPE OF POWER SURGE), THERE IS ALSO AN OCCASIONAL BUZZING NOISE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER AREA WHEN THE BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED (EVEN IN PARK). FINALLY, I HAVE DRIVEN SEVERAL SUVS AND SMALL TRUCKS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE THAT WILL LOOSE TRACTION AS EASILY AS THIS VEHICLE LOOSES TRACTION. SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG. I PLAN TO CONTACT TOYOTA TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE ABS ONCE AGAIN. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO REPORT THESE ISSUES TO THE NHTSA OR I WOULD HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM A YEAR AGO. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

MY 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER BRAKES HAVE FAILED WHEN HITTING AN UNEVEN SURFACE- IE- POLE. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND RELEASED. THE WHEEL SPUN FREELY WITHOUT CONTROL. THE BRAKE DID NOT ACTIVATE. *JB

WE OWN A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER - DURING THE FIRST YEAR WE TOOK IT IN THREE TIMES AND TOLD THEM THAT WHEN WE ARE AT A STOP THE SUV WOULD SHIFT FWD WHILE STILL APPLYING THE BRAKE. WE TOOK IT BACK AGAIN THE 2ND YEAR, STILL WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. EACH TIME THEY HAD NO ANSWER AS TO WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSE THEY COULD NEVER GET THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT. TO DATE THE SUV STILL DOES IT AND WOULD SAY AT LEAST ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS SO MUCH SO WE HAVE JUST BECOME USED TO THE PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY (RUNNING) WITH TRANSMISSION IN PARK AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FULLY ENGAGED. VEHICLE ROLLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY, ACROSS STREET, OVER CURB, AND DOWN A STEEP RAVINE HITTING A TREE. BROACHED LOCAL DEALER CONCERNING ANY SAFETY ISSUES OR VEHICLE PROBLEMS AND THEY INDICATED NONE HAD BEEN REPORTED TO THEM OR YOUR WEBSITE AND QUESTIONED CIRCUMSTANCES AS REPORTED. CUSTOMER PAID FOR ALL DAMAGES AND REPAIRS. *TR

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES TOO SENSITIVE. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY IF I HIT A BUMP WHILE BRAKING OR IF THE ROAD IS WET, THE ABS KICKS IN AND THE VEHICLE LOSES BRAKING POWER (WHILE BRAKE CALIPERS OSCILLATE VIOLENTLY) THEREBY DRASTICALLY INCREASING THE STOPPING DISTANCE. I'VE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE VEHICLE STOPPING FROM 35 MPH IN OVER 200 FEET. I WOUND UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THIS PROBLEM HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND MORE RECURRING. LOCAL DEALERSHIP WAS UNCONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER AND CITED THAT THIS IS NORMAL. CERTAINLY, DANGEROUS ENGINEERING CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AS NORMAL IN THIS DAY AND AGE. INCIDENTALLY, THIS DOES NOT OCCUR ON OTHER MAKE VEHICLES WITH 4-WHEEL ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEMS. THIS SYMPTOM HAS OCCURRED OVER 100 TIMES, BUT THE DEALERSHIP ALWAYS MAINTAINED THIS TO BE NORMAL AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. *TR

I AM CANADIAN RESIDENT A BOUGHT A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5, WHICH IS A US VEHICLE IMPORT. WHEN I WENT TO BRAKE 2 DAYS AGO THE BRAKE PEDAL SUNK TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE KEPT ON GOING. I WAS ABOUT 3 INCHES AWAY FROM DRIVING INTO MY HOUSE. LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO STOP AS I WAS GOING VERY SLOW. HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE. *TR

FIRST ISSUE: THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS A BUZZING THAT OCCURS WITH EVERY STOP, IT' IS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT IT ALTERS THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE. SECOND ISSUE: WHEN HITTING A BUMP WHILE STOPPING THE BRAKE PEDAL LOSES PRESSURE. WOULD SEEM TO BE A CONCERN FOR TOYOTA, THEY FIRST SAID THEY HAVEN'T HEARD OF A COMPLAINT, AND THEN SAID IT WAS NORMAL. *AK