Grinding Brakes Issue - 2007 Gs 350

[KrystalARLexGS350]

Hello all. I hope someone on this forum might have some helpful insight for me.

I purchased a new loaded up (sticker price $49K) 2007 GS 350 from my local Lexus Dealership in Oct 2007.

I drove a Honda Accord for 6 years while I saved my money to be able to afford this fancy luxury car (more than I make in a year). I didn't have one ounce of problems with brakes in my Honda, but now I have daily issues with no clear repair answers in my new "luxury" car. Ugh.

In April 2009 I had 12,550 miles on the car and I had experienced several months of consistent/persistent grinding in the brakes.

This grinding is not terribly loud, and does not come with any vibration. If I wanted to cover up the issue by turning the radio up - I could. But that is not an acceptable fix for me. The noise is mainly when I am moving very (somewhat) slow and am softly applying my brakes - for example.... when awaiting my turn behind cars at a stop sign and/or slowly rolling forward.... softly applying the brakes. (As opposed to heavily apply the brakes in a faster situation). It also happens when I am entering my garage and thus slowing rolling forward until I finally / eventually settle fully at the front of the garage. It also happens when I am slowly rolling in reverse and slowly or intermitently applying the brakes for different reasons. (Now - in reverse - I also get high squeeking too).

At 12,550 Miles I took my car in to the dealership to have the brakes looked at. The dealership supposedly turned the rotars, replaced the front brake pads and shims. I don't see any mention of doing anything to the rear brakes.

In June 2009 (Mileage 13,380 I returned to the dealership with the same grinding brake issues. The dealership compared my brake noise with a new GS 350 on their lot and told me that the noise was "normal brake noise" and there was nothing further that could be done.

However, while I was in a Rental car Toyota Camry for 3 months and a Ford Taurus rental car for 2 days in Dec 2009, those vehicle's brakes did not make ANY grinding noises? (Yes... unfortuantely, I had a wreck in my new car and it took 3 months for Lexus Repair shop to fix it! Ugh - my luck really does suck!). So exactly what gives on this brake issue? I am fairly certain I can purchase a Ford Taurus for less than $20K, but I pay nearly $50K and it apparently comes with the added bonus of grinding brakes??

I now have 21,000 miles on my car and I have continued to experience the grinding noises in the brakes on a daily basis. For the last two months an additional squeeling noise has been added in the rear brakes...whenever I am backing up.

I have lost faith in my Lexus dealership (which, by the way, is 40 miles away from where I actually live).

Today I took the car to my local Toyota Dealership. It was raining and they could not duplicate the grinding noises. They suggested that all the moisture in the air perhaps had a hand in concealing the grinding issue - which may be true - and I may need to return on another day when its not raining so that the issue is more likely to be noticable.

When I picked the car up I did get the squeeling noise to occur as I was backing out of the service bay. They told me that cars will sometimes do that as a way of cleaning the brake surface. They also told me that I might do some research of my own on the web to see if I could figure out an answer for myself.

I am not very savy with web searching, but I did not notice anyone else complaining about their GS 350 brake issues on this forum. I wonder if I've just missed the long string of discussions on it, or if I'm "really" the only one to post about it?

Thanks.

[charlieGS350]

Hello all. I hope someone on this forum might have some helpful insight for me.

I purchased a new loaded up (sticker price $49K) 2007 GS 350 from my local Lexus Dealership in Oct 2007.

I drove a Honda Accord for 6 years while I saved my money to be able to afford this fancy luxury car (more than I make in a year). I didn't have one ounce of problems with brakes in my Honda, but now I have daily issues with no clear repair answers in my new "luxury" car. Ugh.

In April 2009 I had 12,550 miles on the car and I had experienced several months of consistent/persistent grinding in the brakes.

This grinding is not terribly loud, and does not come with any vibration. If I wanted to cover up the issue by turning the radio up - I could. But that is not an acceptable fix for me. The noise is mainly when I am moving very (somewhat) slow and am softly applying my brakes - for example.... when awaiting my turn behind cars at a stop sign and/or slowly rolling forward.... softly applying the brakes. (As opposed to heavily apply the brakes in a faster situation). It also happens when I am entering my garage and thus slowing rolling forward until I finally / eventually settle fully at the front of the garage. It also happens when I am slowly rolling in reverse and slowly or intermitently applying the brakes for different reasons. (Now - in reverse - I also get high squeeking too).

At 12,550 Miles I took my car in to the dealership to have the brakes looked at. The dealership supposedly turned the rotars, replaced the front brake pads and shims. I don't see any mention of doing anything to the rear brakes.

In June 2009 (Mileage 13,380 I returned to the dealership with the same grinding brake issues. The dealership compared my brake noise with a new GS 350 on their lot and told me that the noise was "normal brake noise" and there was nothing further that could be done.

However, while I was in a Rental car Toyota Camry for 3 months and a Ford Taurus rental car for 2 days in Dec 2009, those vehicle's brakes did not make ANY grinding noises? (Yes... unfortuantely, I had a wreck in my new car and it took 3 months for Lexus Repair shop to fix it! Ugh - my luck really does suck!). So exactly what gives on this brake issue? I am fairly certain I can purchase a Ford Taurus for less than $20K, but I pay nearly $50K and it apparently comes with the added bonus of grinding brakes??

I now have 21,000 miles on my car and I have continued to experience the grinding noises in the brakes on a daily basis. For the last two months an additional squeeling noise has been added in the rear brakes...whenever I am backing up.

I have lost faith in my Lexus dealership (which, by the way, is 40 miles away from where I actually live).

Today I took the car to my local Toyota Dealership. It was raining and they could not duplicate the grinding noises. They suggested that all the moisture in the air perhaps had a hand in concealing the grinding issue - which may be true - and I may need to return on another day when its not raining so that the issue is more likely to be noticable.

When I picked the car up I did get the squeeling noise to occur as I was backing out of the service bay. They told me that cars will sometimes do that as a way of cleaning the brake surface. They also told me that I might do some research of my own on the web to see if I could figure out an answer for myself.

I am not very savy with web searching, but I did not notice anyone else complaining about their GS 350 brake issues on this forum. I wonder if I've just missed the long string of discussions on it, or if I'm "really" the only one to post about it?

Thanks.

Check your service invoice to see if your dealer serviced your brake noise under

TSB-0040-09 Front Brake Squeal/Squeak In Cold Weather

The (free) service includes new front rotors & pads if your car is still under warranty.

[Jeff PE]

CharlieGS350 is spot on ("TSB-0040-09 Front Brake Squeal/Squeak In Cold Weather"). My wife's 2007 GS350 AWD began to exhibit this symptom at approximately 19xxx miles this past November. The dealer's first response to my phone call was that the squealing was coming from dirt (since there was no brake wear warning and the brakes showed plenty of pad wear left at inspection just a few months earlier). When the symptom persisted, they replaced front pads, calipers, and rotors, which immediately resolved the problem.

[Kemo Sabe]

I've owned my 2007 GS 350 for 18 months and have enjoyed it except for 2 flaws. The rattling dash board and the squeeky/squeely brakes that are so annoying. I had the dashboard taked care of by Lexus America. Fortunately they acknowledged the problema and got it fixed for me. The brake problem was only recently resolved when I decided to try ceramic brakes for the the front where the loud obnoxious sound was coming from. It truly was very embarassing driving this fine car that sounds like a diesel truck with bad brakes. Anyway, I went to autozone and purchased the top of the line ceramics for this vehicle. It cost me $50. Then I went to a brake shop who agreed to install after re-surfacing the rotors. Cost for that was $100. Voala!!!!! I could not believe the problem was resolved. Not a single sound when I come to a stop. I am amazed that Lexus does not recommend this solution. I guess it's because it's not a lexus part! I am very happy with the outcome. :)