Wheel jerks when braking, or jabbing brake

[flipmode64]

Wheel jerks when braking, Dealer says front ball joints are bad even though I just put new ones on in the last 2 years, but I guess they could be. Would a bad ball joint cause this or should I be looking elsewhere.

I have also replaced in the last year, upper control arms, outer tierod ends, control arms #2 (castor arm), multiple alignments.

Do you think it would be the balljoints or possibly inner tie rods? Dealer wanted me to pay another $50 diagnostic fee AFTER they aligned it for a 3rd time so I don't really trust what they are telling me at this point.

If I jab the brake quickly the steering wheel will jerk to the left about 15-20 degrees.

Thanks

[TrevC]

Sounds like a brake grabbing....sticky caliper piston or slider.

If it's pulling to the left, it suggests that either the right hand front caliper is lazy or the left hand one is grabbing

 

[Lexus_DK]

Possibly a seized caliper. If anything have the front end lifted with a floor jack and check to see if there's any play with the wheels

[Lexus_DK]

Possibly a seized caliper. If anything have the front end lifted with a floor jack and check to see if there's any play with the wheels

[flipmode64]

UPDATE:

When I first turn the car on in the morning, the brakes work fine for about 2 or 3 stops, no pulling or wheel jerking, then as I keep driving it slowly gets worse until it starts dragging and wheel jerking.

Now I'm leaning towards a brake hose or the master cylinder.

Would it be the brake hose is screwed and on startup the hose doesn't get "stretched" until a few times the brakes are applied, and then it "stretches" out?

[Lexus_DK]

If I were you, I'd take it to a reputable Lexus/Toyota shop and have them diagnose the issue. Most places charge 1hr diagnosis at $100-$150/hr. If anything I think you are thinking too much into it. It's probably a siezed caliper piston or maybe a bad brake actuator or something. Maybe it needs an abs/trac module update

[Lexus_DK]

Just make sure you ask for a health check print out via Techstream if you take it to the dealership or Lexus shop

[flipmode64]

Yeah so I went out for a drive at lunch for 15 minutes, brakes worked perfectly fine, so I guess maybe its either an intermittent blocked hose, or a sticky caliper, I'm now leaning towards sticky caliper I guess. Don't have $150 to spend on a diagnostic, and then still have to pay to fix it. I'd rather shotgun it at this point since hoses are $12 bucks and caliper rebuild kits are $6. I assume if it was the brake hose it would be doing it all the time, and I've never read online about a brake hose collapsing and doing the complete opposite of a caliper piston that's always active. I know these cars have master cylinder issues but I fail to see how it could only effect one brake but who knows.