08 Gs350 Brake Issue

[Onex Cite]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here and I need your advice on some issue with my GS350:

I got squeaking noise from the front brake, the dealer replace the high friction front pad with the low friction (that what they called) and machine the rotors. After 5000 miles, the squeaking noise come back then they repalce the rear pad and machine the rear rotors. I noticed the braking distance has increased, it's take longer for the car to stop, especially when panic braking at high speed. When apply the brake, the car pull to the left, and wobble. Sometime the brake pedal go all the way down to the floor, then I have to release the pedal and apply again. The instrusment display pop up the message: brake system malfunction! I also noticed that when slightly apply the brake, there a vibration on the brake pedal. Look like the rotors wrap.

I brought the car back to the dealer, they replace the rear brake shims kit and replace the front pad but didn't machine the rotors. Right when I took off from the dealer, I almost hit a van when they sudden change lane. The brake feel too soft on the brake pedal and the car come to stop at longer distance. Dealer said rotors are fine.

Why they have to machine the rotors at the first time when they change the pad but the second time they didn't machine it. When they machine the rotor, it will thinner so likely more easier to wrap or bend?

Pulling & Braking issue start around 13K miles and now car have around 27K miles. Noise start last winter.

The car still pulling to the left side even I'm driving on right lanes. When I kept the steering wheel on center, it pull to left. I told them the steering wheel off center, they said I need new tires and allignment!!!

I got rattle noise come from rear view mirror, driver seat belt areas and left door panel speaker areas. More noise in cold weather. Dealer said they can't hear it so no repair made. Any suggestion?

I got cracking noise from the dashboard close to the windshield, dealer put on new clips but no hope. What should I tell them.

This is my third Lexus in the last 2 years, I got an 07 ES350 with lot of rattle and funny noise, transmission problem so I trade it for this 08 GS350 but no luck. The other 07 RX350 are trouble free. But this time if they can't fix those issue I will bring this to a Lemon Lawyer.

Any advice or help to resolve those issue are highly appreciate.

[nick2479]

This is almost my exact same experience.

I came on here to post about.

I do almost exclusively highway driving. On my last car, on '04 Camry, I got about 100K on the front brakes, rear still have 65%. That will give you an idea.

After 30K on the ES350, the rotors were making an unacceptable vibration and Lexis re-surfaced the rotors. I thought that under a year and with that low mileage they should have replaced them, but the tech says that's what Lexus will do.

Here I am, now at 49K and there is vibration starting again. He says it is now from the back rotors, since they apparently were stuck on slightly and now need resurfacing which they will not do under warranty.

I told him forget, I was done with Lexus.I planned to have the work done at my local shop and sell the car, and he says Lexus will replace the front rotors, one time at no charge.

This is crazier than the first offer.

Since this is all they will do, I will have them replace the rotors and I will dump the car.

[steviej]

This is almost my exact same experience.

I came on here to post about.

I do almost exclusively highway driving. On my last car, on '04 Camry, I got about 100K on the front brakes, rear still have 65%. That will give you an idea.

After 30K on the ES350, the rotors were making an unacceptable vibration and Lexis re-surfaced the rotors. I thought that under a year and with that low mileage they should have replaced them, but the tech says that's what Lexus will do.

Here I am, now at 49K and there is vibration starting again. He says it is now from the back rotors, since they apparently were stuck on slightly and now need resurfacing which they will not do under warranty.

I told him forget, I was done with Lexus.I planned to have the work done at my local shop and sell the car, and he says Lexus will replace the front rotors, one time at no charge.

This is crazier than the first offer.

Since this is all they will do, I will have them replace the rotors and I will dump the car.

You condem a car let alone an entire make due to warped rotors? I think that is crazier than you not allowing your Lexus dealership to help you. Odd that you praise Toyota but blame Lexus.

My 02 ES had some rotor issues because there was a material mismatch by Toyota between pads and rotors that made the rotors very susecptable to warping. Lexus issued a TSB and took care of it. Brake rotor warping is not uncommon for any make and model car. It is very easy to do. Go out and heat up your brakes with very aggressive braking then immediately run you car through a deep puddle. The instant cooling of the very hot metal will warp a rotor.

Now consider how some people brake aggressively while it is raining, again hot rotors and cool water.

Rotor resurfacing is a very common practice as well. Why replace a part when the problem can be corrected with a simple and less expensive way. If, after resurfacing the rotor, it is still within safety specifications for thickness then the practice is totally acceptable.

steviej

[eatingupblacktop]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here and I need your advice on some issue with my GS350:

I got squeaking noise from the front brake, the dealer replace the high friction front pad with the low friction (that what they called) and machine the rotors. After 5000 miles, the squeaking noise come back then they repalce the rear pad and machine the rear rotors. I noticed the braking distance has increased, it's take longer for the car to stop, especially when panic braking at high speed. When apply the brake, the car pull to the left, and wobble. Sometime the brake pedal go all the way down to the floor, then I have to release the pedal and apply again. The instrusment display pop up the message: brake system malfunction! I also noticed that when slightly apply the brake, there a vibration on the brake pedal. Look like the rotors wrap.

I brought the car back to the dealer, they replace the rear brake shims kit and replace the front pad but didn't machine the rotors. Right when I took off from the dealer, I almost hit a van when they sudden change lane. The brake feel too soft on the brake pedal and the car come to stop at longer distance. Dealer said rotors are fine.

Why they have to machine the rotors at the first time when they change the pad but the second time they didn't machine it. When they machine the rotor, it will thinner so likely more easier to wrap or bend?

Pulling & Braking issue start around 13K miles and now car have around 27K miles. Noise start last winter.

The car still pulling to the left side even I'm driving on right lanes. When I kept the steering wheel on center, it pull to left. I told them the steering wheel off center, they said I need new tires and allignment!!!

I got rattle noise come from rear view mirror, driver seat belt areas and left door panel speaker areas. More noise in cold weather. Dealer said they can't hear it so no repair made. Any suggestion?

I got cracking noise from the dashboard close to the windshield, dealer put on new clips but no hope. What should I tell them.

This is my third Lexus in the last 2 years, I got an 07 ES350 with lot of rattle and funny noise, transmission problem so I trade it for this 08 GS350 but no luck. The other 07 RX350 are trouble free. But this time if they can't fix those issue I will bring this to a Lemon Lawyer.

Any advice or help to resolve those issue are highly appreciate.

Yeah, don't use the brakes! :whistles:

Oh, and welcome to the club!

[eatingupblacktop]

But seriously, Steviej makes good points explaining how your brake probs might have occured. I would say, if you're not satisfied with the service you're getting from your dealer, try another dealer or try a Toyota dealer. If you can't resolve you probs, I'm not sure what the lemon laws provide for and whether you have enough to qualify, but you could investigate. Another suggestion is find an indie who specializes in Lexus.

[The G Man]

I agree with most post here, brakes are consider a wear and tear item. Warranties on them is hit or miss, some dealer will do and some wont. The dealer doesnt know how you use your brake and how much abuse your brake takes. Instead of dumping your car, you can buy a whole new set of after market brakes and rotors for $500 and have a shop put it in. The rattles on your dash, door and pillars are a difference story :) Those are harder to fix.

Do you still get the brake malfunction message on your dash, if you do, then you have a good case for the lemon law.

I do agree agree with you though, Lexus does not make cars like they use to.