#Brake Issues/Problems/Questions
Pit Crew
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 126
Likes: 26
From: TX
I replaced my pads at 55K. Brake are very dependant on driving style and braking habits. The PO must have gone to the dealership where they strongly recommend replacing at 6mm which is when its just now in the yellow.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 266
Likes: 70
From: OH
Pit Crew
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 121
Likes: 104
From: LA
Brake pad and rotor consumption are relative to driver habits and environment. If you are the type to fly up to stoplights and cram on the brakes like a fat lady in a minivan, then you will use up the brakes fairly quickly regardless the vehicle. The GX curb weight ~5178 lbs, so......
Pole Position
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 2,727
Likes: 1,461
From: WA
The real story here is the Rear Brake replacement frequency ... strongly suggesting that the rear of the vehicle was carrying a payload ... either lots of people in the back seats with luggage, or towing a trailer. Under typical driving conditions (driver or driver + passenger) the front brakes do 70+% of the braking due to the weight of the vehicle shifting forward ... explaining why rear brake replacement brake replacement typically happens every other time (around twice the mileage as the fronts).
When the rear of the vehicle carries a load, the proportioning valve sends more braking hydraulic pressure to the rear brakes to where the 70-30 ratio (approximate only to make a point) moves in the direction of a 50-50 ratio ... so this vehicle was clearly a workhorse that spent the majority of its life carrying a load.
When the rear of the vehicle carries a load, the proportioning valve sends more braking hydraulic pressure to the rear brakes to where the 70-30 ratio (approximate only to make a point) moves in the direction of a 50-50 ratio ... so this vehicle was clearly a workhorse that spent the majority of its life carrying a load.
Lead Lap
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4,871
Likes: 1,429
From: GA
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
From: Maryland
So I've started shopping for a Lexus and have decided I prefer the GX to the RX--even though I don't need something that big and I have no intention of going off-road. The GX just appeals to me more.
I've also narrowed down the model year to 2011-2013, as I don't care for the '14s and later ones.
I came across a beautiful gold 2012 model with 96K miles for $19K from a used car store. Everything looked good until I pulled up the Carfax and discovered that the car seems to burn through brakes rather quickly:
28K miles front/rear pads replaced
41K brake pads replaced
52K front pads/rotors replaced
66K rear brakes replaced
77K rear brakes replaced
91K rear brakes replaced
That's a lot of brakes. Is this a problem with this year/model, or do you think it's something weird going on with this particular vehicle? I know the Carfax report can't be trusted 100%, but this is a little concerning.
I've also narrowed down the model year to 2011-2013, as I don't care for the '14s and later ones.
I came across a beautiful gold 2012 model with 96K miles for $19K from a used car store. Everything looked good until I pulled up the Carfax and discovered that the car seems to burn through brakes rather quickly:
28K miles front/rear pads replaced
41K brake pads replaced
52K front pads/rotors replaced
66K rear brakes replaced
77K rear brakes replaced
91K rear brakes replaced
That's a lot of brakes. Is this a problem with this year/model, or do you think it's something weird going on with this particular vehicle? I know the Carfax report can't be trusted 100%, but this is a little concerning.
I took it to Toyota for service today and they didn't mention the brakes. The carfax is weird. It will say "Brakes Serviced" and then a few thousand miles later the car will have a new entry that says they replaced pads and rotors. My thought is "brakes serviced" means they either "inspected" the brakes or checked/topped off the fluid.
10th Gear
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 11
Likes: 5
Hey quit talking about my baby!! 😋I bought that 2012 last Saturday. At least if it was in the mid-atlantic I'm pretty sure I did...
I took it to Toyota for service today and they didn't mention the brakes. The carfax is weird. It will say "Brakes Serviced" and then a few thousand miles later the car will have a new entry that says they replaced pads and rotors. My thought is "brakes serviced" means they either "inspected" the brakes or checked/topped off the fluid.
I took it to Toyota for service today and they didn't mention the brakes. The carfax is weird. It will say "Brakes Serviced" and then a few thousand miles later the car will have a new entry that says they replaced pads and rotors. My thought is "brakes serviced" means they either "inspected" the brakes or checked/topped off the fluid.
Lol--a gold 2012 from Car Lotz? I wanted it so bad but it was a 4 hour drive!
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
From: Maryland
I copied the carfax into an excel sheet so I could make more sense of it and later that night was checking this forum out and saw your post. The mileages were fresh in my mind since I had just copied them into the spreadsheet. Not gonna lie, it did make my hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I first realized it was the same car!
Last edited by Teagan; Mar 5, 2021 at 09:40 AM.
10th Gear
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 11
Likes: 5
That's the one! I drove a little over two hours to get there last Saturday.
I copied the carfax into an excel sheet so I could make more sense of it and later that night was checking this forum out and saw your post. The mileages were fresh in my mind since I had just copied them into the spreadsheet. Not gonna lie, it did make my hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I first realized it was the same car!
I copied the carfax into an excel sheet so I could make more sense of it and later that night was checking this forum out and saw your post. The mileages were fresh in my mind since I had just copied them into the spreadsheet. Not gonna lie, it did make my hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I first realized it was the same car!
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
From: Maryland
You will find yours soon, they are definitely out there! Drive safely my friend.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 29
Likes: 8
From: CA
2016 GX 460 Braking.
I had to emergency brake for the first time this last week. The pedal went hard and the 460 slowed rapidly, but no ABS jump and bump. The weird part was when the truck was truly slowed to crawling the pedal went to the floor and there was no more braking. I had to release the pedal and push down again, which brought the truck to a stop.