Brakes, rotors, or something else?

ANSWER : Hi there. The first thing that pops in my mind beyond of what you have listed is perhaps the electrical harness attached to the brake switch. Perhaps the harness itself is damaged or you have an exposed wire, loose ground wire somewhere. You might want to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a brake lights not working inspection to help you diagnose this issue.

ANSWER : The brake pedal is working to stop the vehicle, but there may be air in the controller unit causing the ABS brakes to not function. I recommend bleeding the brake system from the farthest location from the master cylinder to the master cylinder including the ABS unit. If the brakes are still spongy after a full bleed, then the controller will need to be replaced. If you need further assistance with your brake pedal being spongy, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

ANSWER : Hello. I tried to view the pictures but the link seems to be broken. It sounds like you have two different problems reading the description of the problem. The first is the brake pads being too tight and binding in the caliper bracket. This is most likely caused from the pad ends are not machined smooth and do not slide into the caliper bracket smooth. This will cause them to bind and cause low brake application or will keep the brakes partly applied wearing them down quickly. The other possible problem is the caliper may be binding on the slides or the piston is binding. If you would like precise advise on exactly what needs repair, have a certified professional diagnose the brake system in person and follow through with correct repairs.

ANSWER : I would suggest trying to disconnect and reconnect the wiring to the rear lights. I have seen these older Toyota vehicles rear lighting short out on the lights themselves due to the way the light circuit was made on the lamp housing. Look at the housing circuit on the light to see if one is touching another, and that could tell you why it is malfunctioning. There could also be a problem with the brake light switch. If you are not comfortable dealing with wires, I recommend getting in touch with a certified mechanic who can look at your brake light issue for you to see what’s going on.

ANSWER : It sounds like the parking brake mechanism has failed and kept the brakes on in that wheel. I cannot say if the dealer should have found the problem at that time, since the problem may not have been there at the time they did the brake service for you.

If you feel they did not fix it correctly, then take it up with the manager to see what can be done to help pay for the repairs. The problem was not there before they touched the vehicle and now it is. Maybe something they did or didn’t do would require an investigation by an independent shop.

ANSWER : This is a common symptom of a wheel bearing(s) failing. A wheel bearing will usually fail due to pitting or small damage on the surface of the rollers or the bearing race. Both the surface of the rollers and the race is precision machined to tight tolerances and highly polished to allow the rollers to pass easily over the race with the addition of bearing grease for lubrication and cooling. Over time the bearing will wear slightly, allowing microscopic pieces of metal into the grease. Bearing noise can sound a lot like a brake pad dragging or grinding. It can also sound like whirring, whining or humming depending on how much sound deadening material your vehicle has in it. Bearing noise will always be dependent on vehicle speed meaning as you speed up or slow down the noise should change frequency or loudness. Cornering may affect the noise from a damaged front wheel bearing and is usually more pronounced as you make turns. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your home to take a look at the car and check your wheel bearings for failure.

ANSWER : It’s possible to have someone alter the brake pedal or adapt a brake pedal from a different vehicle. You may call around to some customization shops to see if anyone is interested in taking on the project. But first, I would try reaching out to the selling dealer with your concern – especially since it is a new model. Good luck.

ANSWER : Hello. It is possible that you could have a control arm bushing that has failed. When a control arm bushing fails and the brakes are applied, the vehicle will display these exact same symptoms that you described. I would recommend enlisting the assistance of a qualified professional to inspect your steering and suspension parts for worn control arm bushings. If any excessive wear is found in the control arm bushings, I would recommend having them replaced as soon as possible because this can result in a safety issue. If you need help getting this taken care of, a certified professional can diagnose the suspension and brake system to verify the problem and move forward with appropriate repairs.