allivant

I currently have an '07 GS 450h and the brakes are embarrassingly squeaky. Does the new gen have this issue? I'm considering getting a '13+

jj14

My GS 350 (2013) brakes are practically silent (no squeaks whatsoever)

Prinny

That should be an easy problem fix... brake pads.. rotors.. that being said.. using the OEM pads and rotors now and no squeaks.

onexcite

My '13 GS brake start squeaky like hell today during stop and go traffic, although I bought it new and now still less than 17K on the odometer. I also experienced the ticking rolling noise when driving slow in circle but I do hear the ticking noise today on freeway speed when driving parallel with semi truck and window down. I took it to dealer a month ago to checking the noise but they said it normal for Lexus vehicles to have that kind of noise. My "08 GS brake also squeak like hell despite they change the pads 3 - 4 times. For sure my next ride won't be Lexus.

cquence

Try aftermarket pads, the OE pads are known to be very noisy and dusty.

Afrosheen

Yep factory pads squeak on this car, at least on my F Sport. Keep the front wheels clean is the best advice I can give. Take it to the spray wash once a week and hose down the front brakes, or swap to akebono or other "ceramic" pads.

To the guy with the 2013 that ticks slowly in a circle, the dealer has to fix that. It's a common issue with the floating front rotors and there is a TSB for it. I had a tech ride with me with the windows down in the dealer parking lot and he heard it in 5 seconds flat and knew exactly what it was.

peteharvey

Hi performance brake pads are soft for greater friction, so more dust is produced, and if this dust is not cleaned off regularly through washing, the accumulated dust will cause squeaking.

My front door neighbor's E Class Benz makes the same squeal.
He changed to ceramic pads, which produce less dust, so the squeal is gone, but so too his stopping power has diminished!

Ceramic pads are better for racing, because repeated braking under racing conditions raises the ceramic pad's temperature for superior grip, and at high temperatures with repeated braking, the ceramic pads are more resistant to wear.

allivant

i've had oem pads and rotors and then tried ceramic pads but nothing has seemed to work.

allivant

i am currently using akebono pads and it still squeaks but not as bad.

onexcite

The tech guy at dealer found the noise but said normal, I even contact Lexus customer service but they said they go with what dealer found. I'll take it to another dealer next week. If I found out the noise earlier, I would contact lemon law lawyer.

peteharvey

Remove the front wheels & wash them thoroughly, and the noise is gone.

Afrosheen

Yeah, screw the first dealer. This is a known issue. Even searching these forums for ticking brakes and you'll see a list of people that have had it fixed. Ask your service manager to look up a TSB on it, there is a parts list and everything. It is specific to the 2013 I believe since when Toyota/Lexus implements a fix, they issue a new part number, and correct it in builds going forward, so I wouldn't expect 2014's and up to have this problem.

Anyway, good luck with second dealership. This isn't normal and it isn't incurable.

peteharvey

Remember when the car was brand new on delivery?
The brakes didn't squeal when driving home, did they?
They only squeal as front brake dust built up, and it wasn't removed with high air pressure, or washing.
Notice how the front wheels gradually turned black, if not washed regularly?

I have changed both front rotors, front pads, and both front shims, all OEM parts, and at first the squeal goes away, but after a month or so, the brake dust builds up, and the squeal is back.

The secret is to clean the front wheel & brake assembly thoroughly & regularly, and be prepared to actually remove the front wheels with a cordless impact wrench [for speed & convenience] when necessary to do a more thorough removal of all brake dust.

Prinny

That's unnatural though.. never have heard of that as being considered normal maintenance. Such a hassle for something that shouldn't occur in the first place. Regular washing is one thing, but all that... definitely not.

peteharvey

In the old days, the pads used carcinogenic asbestos, and that prevented the squealing.

The other way is to find a harder set of metallic pads, but then compromise on braking power.

Ceramic pads will compromise on braking power too - until they heat up with repeated braking.

One day, try and replace with brand new front: rotors, pads & shims, and you'll notice the squeal immediately goes away for a month or two, only to return as brake dust builds up.

The brake dust causes the brake pads to vibrate at hi frequency causing the squeal.

The shims try to absorb the vibrations, but they can't when there is too much dust built up.

Mercedes E Class etc, all have the same problem.

Camry doesn't, but then Camry is over 400 lbs lighter.