Brakes

[Ron O]

Since I took delivery of the H a little over a year ago, 22,000 miles and I have always had a problem with the "feel" of the brake pedal and the stopping ability of the vehicle.

My other cars have, in most part been "sport" vehicles -- Audi S4, BMW M3 etc. and the brakes always were a no brainer thing. You push on them and the car stopped . The ABS also was a no thought function.

The other day I was involved in a "panic" stop situation with the car ahead and almost hit his rear. I took my 400H into the dealer and they also expressed concern but said the system was operating with in specs. They further said the system was operated by a brake by wire electrical- electronic system and did have a different feel. I feel uncomfortable with it and wondered if any of you have had the same reaction as I have had.

[raleedy]

I think you'll find the stopping distances a bit longer than on the other cars you mention you've driven. My 400h replaces a 5 series (E39) BMW. I've just had to adjust my driving habits to accommodate. Think of the 400h as a truck. The latest Consumer Reports (came in the mail yesterday) compares the Camry hybrid with other Camries and other mid-size sedans. The Camry hybrid had noticeably longer stopping distances than the other Camry models. I assume this is at least in part because of the regenerative braking system and the complex integration with regular binders. It'll be interesting to see how Toyota deals with this aspect of the GS450h and the LS600h, which are really supposed to be sporty cars.

[Rx330driver]

its because of the regenerative braking system...hybrids do stop slower. I drive an rx330 and i already notice that stopping takes more press on the pedal to stop fully esp on hills.

[atebit]

Yes, I have noticed this as well. I have a couple of problems with the brakes in this car. First, there's a lot more pedal travel before there's any discernable effect (including canceling the cruise control). Plus, I agree that there often seems to be a non-deterministic period of time between applying the pedal and when the brakes "catch". This seems to be more pronounced the more quickly/forcibly the pedal is applied.

Whether or not this behavior is "as designed", I plan to take it up at my dealer during my first service. I think this is a potentially dangerous implementation. Learning not to "pulse" you brakes when ABS was nacient was reasonable. But, in a panic stop situation, it's not like you usually have a lot of choices. It's always smart to properly manage your following distance, but that's not always possible in an emergent situation.

[Rx330driver]

well even with the weird brakes, at panic situations, the car should be able to sense it and it should apply the maximum brake for you. It happened to me one time, i almost ran a red, i quickly stepped on the brake and i felt the brake pedal shoot down without me pushing it that hard, and i really did stop faster. I dont know how it senses it, but at a panic situation, the car should do its job

[RX400h]

I think you'll find the stopping distances a bit longer than on the other cars you mention you've driven. My 400h replaces a 5 series (E39) BMW. I've just had to adjust my driving habits to accommodate. Think of the 400h as a truck. The latest Consumer Reports (came in the mail yesterday) compares the Camry hybrid with other Camries and other mid-size sedans. The Camry hybrid had noticeably longer stopping distances than the other Camry models. I assume this is at least in part because of the regenerative braking system and the complex integration with regular binders. It'll be interesting to see how Toyota deals with this aspect of the GS450h and the LS600h, which are really supposed to be sporty cars.

I agree. We have to remember what the 400h weighs: 4600 lbs. I'll bet that if an H2 were to try to stop quickly and didn't allow an incredibly long distance between it and the vehicle in front of it, there's be one squashed vehicle as a result.

I am spoiled royally by the Corvette - unbelieveably short stopping distances and seats that not only provide perfect lower back support, but also coddle from the sides. Everything is a compromise of sorts and our RX400h is no exception.

If you really want to know if your brakes are faulty, I recommend that you drive another h to compare.

[LexRexBlue]

Before the 400h I used to drive a RX300. I too had to get used to the brakes. The first few days my family laughed because known for smooth stops I was making all these hard stops. Now, I tend to let the car coast more than accelerate. When the electric motors accelerate in addition to the regular motor, there's a lot more to brake than normal.The other day I wasn't going fast but I had to suddenly stop as the car in front of me didn't accelerate but came to a dead stop to turn. I pushed the brakes hard, harder than ever before. The car stopped instantly. They do work, but I've owned the car a year now so I'm more accustomed to the way the brakes react.

[mehullica]

Tires have allot to do with stopping distances. Tire pressures and wear will change how the RX440h brakes.

[Philly400h]

I always try to get a lot of "good friction" for recharging while braking - but it takes quite a bit of getting used to. When I hit a bump (and there are many in Philly) I can feel the friction disappear, see the blue charge guage getting nothing, and the regular disc brakes kick in. It can be a bit alarming if you're not prepared for it, and it's downright annoying when trying to charge while braking and you hit a small bump and the brakes switch like that - but as a safety feature, I can understand it's necessity.

If I slam them I find it jumps right to the disks. Since I'm used to it - I haven't really been concerned about safety. However I did warn my wife that if she ever has to drive it - be prepared for these braking differences.