2021 4Runner Brakes Overheating

Wanted to let others know we are having a brake dragging and brake overheating issue on our 2021 4Runner with 1,300 miles and were told by the sales department at our selling dealer that this was normal. I am a former Parts and Service Director from the RV field and have worked on several brake systems myself. I'm fairly confident that I know what dragging brakes are. We will see how Toyota handles this

 

My 2020 came with the parking brake very poorly adjusted. It would barely hold the vehicle in Drive, with no throttle, on flat ground. Mine was adjusted under warranty. I'd say you might want to find a different dealer.

 

What odd behavior is the 4Runner exhibiting? I don't like my brake pedal's feel, I don't like the "switch" I can feel in it when the brake boost kicks in, I don't like the brake boost, and I don't like the audible high-pitched noise that my truck makes when I touch the brake pedal... BUT, it seems to drive fine and I don't notice any dragging at least lol..

 

Could be that. My parking brake is also garbage and I plan to have it addressed when I take her in for first service.

From watching Aussie 4x4 YouTube vids tho.. seems like garbage parking brakes is a common Toyota thing...

 

That doesn't sound normal. At least I haven't experienced anything like that on my Limited (now with about 6100 miles). No sounds of any kind, no sense of a switch being engaged, and the pedal feel is properly firm and progressive. If I was experiencing what you describe I'd consider taking it to the dealer / a shop.

I do however find the parking brake a bit weak and it feels it should be tightened up. Feels like it's loosened over time (there were several instances when I started driving briefly with the thing on, so no surprise there).

 

This parking brake issue you guys speak can you tell me more? I am preparing to get a 2021 ORP and tow a boat with it. So at a boat ramp a parking brake is quite important as you load your boat on the trailer on an incline. Appreciate any insight hope this is ok

 

Turn all of your audio off in the car and drive in a quiet area. Apply your brakes gently in a neighborhood from like 25 mph, and you don't hear a high-pitched noise? It's a bit documented at this point. No offense meant, but a lot of people can't hear noises at the range I'm talking about.

While driving take your foot and very quickly pulse your brake pedal, just at the very beginning of its stroke. In other words, punch it over and over with your foot, completely taking your foot off of the pedal in between "punches." Do you feel the pedals pressure/resistance change, nearly immediately, after you hit it? It will happen each time on my vehicle. I'm pretty sure it's one of the auxiliary hydraulic/assistance/whatever systems kicking in.

 

Well I mean, you probably put in park, too, right? So it becomes less important. But I don't like to rest the weight of my vehicle on the transmission, rather I prefer the brakes. My 4Runner's parking brake isn't strong enough to keep it from moving under gravity on even a fairly modest incline. I would go find a nice hill during a test drive before taking delivery and park the truck. Put it in Neutral and take your foot off the brake with only the parking brake applied. See if the truck moves. If I crank mine down as hard as possible... yeah, still doesn't hold well lol.

 

Any hydraulic brake pedal is gonna feel and act weird if you punch it repeatedly as you describe. It's hydraulic. You're messing with the pressure in the system in an abnormal way and that's felt in a typical pedal -- i.e. a pedal that's not drive-by-wire.

Not saying you aren't experiencing some kind of malfunction, it's hard to know just based on a description. But it sounds like you're trying to make it act weird. i haven't experienced the slightest thing odd in the workings of my brakes. And I've owned a sh*t ton of cars of all kinds, from econo boxes to luxury sedans to sports cars.

Again, yours may actually be broken. But I'm not aware of others on the forum complaining of what you describe, and I certainly haven't experienced it myself.

Suggest you take it to a good mechanic and see what they say.

 

So is anyone towing a boat here and noticed there vehicle move when in park and with a parking brake on while putting your boat back on a trailer? The last thing I need is to buy a new 4R to have it roll backwards into the water while loading a boat. This seems crazy?

 

@Trekker posted this in a thread I had a question about. Not sure if yours is the rear. Just thought it may help.
No clue on parking brake. Sorry,
Ryan.
https://youtu.be/LpvQmmIhrXI

 

All of our time responding and it is another 1 post wonder it appears. I need to start checking that!

 

Sorry I could not post sooner...on anniversary date with my wife. So after driving around 20 hrs or so on highway since my first post (the beginning of our first trip in the TRD), some of the other braking issues subsided (really long "brake"-in period...new vehicle owners should be warned). However, the primary dragging issue remains and I am almost certain that it is a parking brake that was installed too tight. The disc brake systems I have worked on normally use a drum brake style of brake for the emergency brake that is designed into a disc brake system. This is exactly what the noise and drag sounds and feels like...an over-tightened drum style brake. Luckily, if that is the case, these can be adjusted or replaced. But, it should not happen on a brand new TRD 4Runner. Please also note that this creates a "Buzz" feel in the steering wheel that is most noticeable when decelerating under 45 MPH.

 

Sorry I thought you posted & fled. Watch the video & keep an eye on the rotors. Take rear disc off & see if it binds or slides right off. That would confirm or deny your suspicions.
Keep us informed,
Ryan

 

thanks for the note Ryan, main reasons I have purchased 4Runners is for their reliability, capability, and build quality (I also have owned an FJ Cruiser and an older Toyota SR5 2WD 1/4 ton pickup. All of those vehicles so far have been very reliable. I know no manufacturer is perfect, but in the case of a new 4Runner, I don't see the added value in buying an extended warranty from my own personal experiences in not needing one.

 

Hi, mac1usa assuming you have an automatic transmission, only thing I can think of as far as the wheels turning while in park and loading a trailers is if the e-Brake was depressed and the vehicle was not put in park first or the transmission was not allowed to rest against the park pawl, there would be a very slight roll in in the wheels until the transmission actually hits the park pawl (think of how the vehicle rolls forward or backward when going into park while parking on an incline or decline until it comes to rest against the park pawl. If the transmission was put in neutral instead of park, this could could also cause the vehicle to roll under a significant load. If the vehicle actually rolls while in park, get it to the shop immediately because if the park pawl has failed, the vehicle could roll unexpectedly which could be very dangerous...in the meantime, make sure you engage the e-brake whenever parking.

 

totally agree Ryan, that's pretty much a sure thing on rear disc brake inspections if the e-brake is adjusted too tight. this is a brand new vehicle so I will be taking back in under warranty...no questioning then if I tampered with the initial brake installation.

 

Right, I know it's not broken. It's poor design / implementation. Or, it's a truck. My sports cars hydraulic brake systems certainly don't exhibit any of these odd behaviors. They also don't have 10 nanny systems interfering, either. C'est la vie, this is the way of the future and "AI driving."

 

Just a quick update on the brake issue on our 2021 TRD 4Runner. As I had suspected which the dealer confirmed, the issue that we were having was with the parking brake, not the hydraulic brakes. There was discoloration from excessive wear (caused by factory install - not the vehicle operator). At this point the problem appears to be resolved by the dealer, I will post again if there are any remaining issues.