95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners 4th gen pickups and 3rd gen 4Runners

NHTSA Defects Investigation - NHTSA Website

Old Jun 16, 2006 | 08:33 AM
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NHTSA Defects Investigation - NHTSA Website

I really had to laugh. I was looking over the defects/complaints for my 2000 4Runner. Of 117 listings, a large percentage were for brake issues. When you read the summaries for those related to warped rotors, some are downright funny.

Like the ones where the dealer says that it has to do with where the owner lives because the "roads aren't very straight...".

Or where the dealer told the owner that it was his wifes fault.



Some should have resulted in the person from the dealership getting a busted jaw:
"It's normal wear and tear..." after the owner had his 4th set of rotors in 40,000 miles.


"It's your driving habits" after the owner had his 3rd set of rotors

The list goes on...

Last edited by Rick F.; Jun 16, 2006 at 08:51 AM.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 11:11 AM
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There must have been a big change in the quality of the rotors sometime between 1993 to 2000 because I'm still using my original rotors from 1993 and they have never warped. I had them turned at about 80-90,000 miles, but that was because I changed pads and they were looking a little groved.

Last edited by mt_goat; Jun 16, 2006 at 11:15 AM.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 11:14 AM
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wtf? are you serious? haha..thats funny. got linkage? id like to read more...

oh and you might wanna post up a link in bamachems tundra brake upgrade link. apparently theres someone there that doesnt believe theres a braking issue with 4runners and that the tundra brake upgrade is useless
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 11:39 AM
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Originally Posted by mt_goat
There must have been a big change in the quality of the rotors sometime between 1993 to 2000 because I'm still using my original rotors from 1993 and they have never warped. I had them turned at about 80-90,000 miles, but that was because I changed pads and they were looking a little groved.
Same here...154,000 on my 1994 V6 pickup and never a brake problem. Everyone keeps telling me to "learn to drive," sorry but something really HAS changed with the Toyota rotors. Something to keep in mind is my 1994 pickup had smaller brakes than the 3rd gen 4Runner and it weighed more, yet it never had brake problems.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by paddlenbike
Same here...154,000 on my 1994 V6 pickup and never a brake problem. Everyone keeps telling me to "learn to drive," sorry but something really HAS changed with the Toyota rotors. Something to keep in mind is my 1994 pickup had smaller brakes than the 3rd gen 4Runner and it weighed more, yet it never had brake problems.
Yep, it's the rotors. I have worn out 3 sets of front rotors on my 97 BMW. The first 2 sets were OEM and they never warped, the 3rd set I decided to try aftermarket rotors and they warped.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 07:42 PM
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thats a bad comparasin, BMW's are engineered to wear out the rotor as well as the pads more than most other cars out there. thats why they stop so well. yotas do it because of an under engineered braking system. imo they should have rear discs being as sporty as they are supposed to be......
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Old Jun 17, 2006 | 06:04 AM
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Originally Posted by KyleT
thats a bad comparasin, BMW's are engineered to wear out the rotor as well as the pads more than most other cars out there. thats why they stop so well. yotas do it because of an under engineered braking system. imo they should have rear discs being as sporty as they are supposed to be......
I agree, but my point, which I didn't state very clearly was: The quality of rotors, OEM vs aftermarket, made a difference as to warping. Quailty rotors don't warp much, cheap rotors warp fast. Thanks for helping me clarify that post.

Last edited by mt_goat; Jun 17, 2006 at 06:24 AM.
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Old Jun 17, 2006 | 06:33 AM
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I'm worried that once I do finally wear out the original quality rotors Toyota was using back in 1993 that I won't be able to buy the same quaility replacement. Because it seems to me they have lowered their standards on a lot of things for whatever reasons.
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Old Jun 19, 2006 | 11:38 AM
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My factory rotors wore out and got warped... on my 98 4runner SR5... but that's after... almost 290k kms....

had to get them replaced
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Old Jun 19, 2006 | 12:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Rick F.
I really had to laugh. I was looking over the defects/complaints for my 2000 4Runner.
ummmmm wasnt this why toyota released a TSB to "upgrade" the front rotors to solve this problem on the tundra's?....

i mean ive only read like a half a dozen threads around about adopting the newer designed rotors to the 4runners no?
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 05:35 AM
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Originally Posted by snap-on
ummmmm wasnt this why toyota released a TSB to "upgrade" the front rotors to solve this problem on the tundra's?....

i mean ive only read like a half a dozen threads around about adopting the newer designed rotors to the 4runners no?
I had the TSB done to my '00 after I had bought it used with 16,000 miles on the odometer and, after having the dealer replace the rotors twice with OEM AND after THOSE both warped, I put Brembos on and problem solved. So much for the TSB...
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 05:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Rick F.
I had the TSB done to my '00 after I had bought it used with 16,000 miles on the odometer and, after having the dealer replace the rotors twice with OEM AND after THOSE both warped, I put Brembos on and problem solved. So much for the TSB...
Brembos uh, that's good to know. How long you had them on?
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Rick F.
I really had to laugh. I was looking over the defects/complaints for my 2000 4Runner. Of 117 listings, a large percentage were for brake issues. When you read the summaries for those related to warped rotors, some are downright funny.
Can't say I'm too surprised about that at all.
....check out this thread if you guys haven't already (we had a small discussion of that very issue).
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/rotors-brake-setup-58649/
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 07:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Rick F.
I had the TSB done to my '00 after I had bought it used with 16,000 miles on the odometer and, after having the dealer replace the rotors twice with OEM AND after THOSE both warped, I put Brembos on and problem solved. So much for the TSB...

What exactly does the TSB do? Im not sure it was ever done on my 00 4runner, I guess a call to the dealer is what I have to do. My rotors have been replaced twice in a year and a half, and they are warped right now, it vibrates so bad that my passengers ask whats wrong, lol.
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 08:00 AM
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Tsb

[QUOTE=dibble9012]What exactly does the TSB do? QUOTE]

Among other things, they collect statitics on defects, mostly aimed at safety issues. Occaisonally they get congressional investigation-invites on high profile issues such as the Ford Explorer Rollover/Firestone/underinflation issue of a few years back.

All about statistics and regression analysis which is a method of projecting probabilities of events in the future, primarily safety related.
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by mt_goat
... How long you had them on?
I put the Brembos with the Performance Friction pads (the OEM pads, BTW, looked like new when I took them off...) on at about 65,000 miles. I now have over 110,000 and have had no problems, nor have I had to touch the front brakes.

I can't recall if the TSB replaced the rotors or turned them. I have the TSB # at home and I'm at work now. But I recall the dealer replaced them twice AFTER performing the TSB the 1st time when I kept returning with the same problem. The 2nd "new" set warped within 15,000 miles of the first "new" set they installed.
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 09:26 AM
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[QUOTE=rdharper]
Originally Posted by dibble9012
What exactly does the TSB do? QUOTE]

Among other things, they collect statitics on defects, mostly aimed at safety issues. Occaisonally they get congressional investigation-invites on high profile issues such as the Ford Explorer Rollover/Firestone/underinflation issue of a few years back.

All about statistics and regression analysis which is a method of projecting probabilities of events in the future, primarily safety related.
Actually, I meant what does the service recall do that "Upgrades" the brakes on 00 4runners.
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 10:28 AM
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[QUOTE=dibble9012]
Originally Posted by rdharper

Actually, I meant what does the service recall do that "Upgrades" the brakes on 00 4runners.
I don't think it did anything except to replace the rotors with new ones.
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Rick F.
I put the Brembos with the Performance Friction pads (the OEM pads, BTW, looked like new when I took them off...) on at about 65,000 miles. I now have over 110,000 and have had no problems, nor have I had to touch the front brakes.

I can't recall if the TSB replaced the rotors or turned them. I have the TSB # at home and I'm at work now. But I recall the dealer replaced them twice AFTER performing the TSB the 1st time when I kept returning with the same problem. The 2nd "new" set warped within 15,000 miles of the first "new" set they installed.
Were they just basic rotors or were they slotted, or cross drilled, or cryo treated or anything special?
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 11:19 AM
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Of course, the OEM rotors that the dealer installed were their standard non-slotted, etc.. I assume you're asking about the Brembos. The ones I bought were the standard OEM replacements; non-slotted, non-drilled, non-cryo. I say non-cryogenically treated since I'm sure that would have been a huge advertising ploy and the price would have been well above the $40-some odd dollars I paid for each. But I have a buddy that does cryogenic work (I tried to get my company to experiment with cryo treated stuff but they wouldn't buy into it. Their loss...) and has the tank... Maybe my next set... GOOD IDEA!
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