I can't seem to reproduce this issue reliably and was curious to know if anyone else was having this same issue.

Sometimes when I go to crank the car I REALLY have to bare down on the brake to enable the light on the start/stop button so I can start the car.

It seems that if I press the brake down the green light will come on but if I let up on the brake (not starting the car) and then press the brake down again I have to press it harder to get the light to turn green. If I don't start the car again and let my foot off the brake I have to press even harder on the brake than the second time to get the green light to come on.

I made sure the key fob was right next to the button to make sure that wasn't the problem.

Sometimes it does this sometimes it doesn't. It seems to happen more so when the car has been sitting over night or when it is cold.

Has anyone had this type of issue?

 

Its not an issue, im not car guy but its something with the brake fluid/pressure thing?

Its normal, just stop pumping the brakes when the car is off.

 

All of my fluids are correct according to my dealer.


It isn't "normal" for my sister to not be able to crank the car because she can't put enough pressure on the brake.

 

holy crap. what ^he said. it's not an issue. the pedal is connected to a switch, and you have to press it a certain distance for the switch to be tripped. if you press the brake pedal while it's off, you're going get rid of the vacuum force produced by the engine while the car was on. therefore you won't be able to press the brake very easily, therefore you won't be able to press the pedal far enough for the switch to engage.

quit pressing the brake pedal while the car's off

 

I guess no one has had this same problem, so I am going to take it to the dealership and just hope it happens.

I apologizes for not being more clear in my description. I can reproduce the issue by pumping the brake. But sometimes when I get into the car after it has been sitting over night WITHOUT touching the brake I can hardly press the brake hard enough make the green light come on.

It sometimes happens like this...I get into car...put foot on brake...no green light...without taking foot off brake...push harder...no light...push harder...no light push harder...no light push even harder. Sometimes I am basically standing on the brake. This is without touching the brake and no pumping of the brake but doesn't happen all the time.

What I described above with pumping the brake gives the same result, just more reliably.

 

In that case it's a problem, there might be some sort of slow leak in the vacuum system for the power brakes.

 

because the "power brake" system is off....not an issue

 

Never had this kind of issue with my car. I barely tap my brakes and the car starts without a problem. Seems like you're experiences a trigger problem with the brake to the starter. Bring this to the dealership to get this resolve rite away! btw try not to press on the brakes too much if you're not going to start the car, which im not saying you are, but remember if the car is not on and you keep pressing on the brakes it will lock itself if you know what im saying lolz.. confusing huh..

 

Oh I see, yeah in that case there is something wrong. The brakes shouldn't go stiff unless you pump them like 3 full times then it becomes very difficult.

 

Exact thing i thought when i read the first post!

 

take to the dealer

 

After doing a lot of driving on unplowed roads the past couple of days - with the ABS system having a field day on the snow and ice, I'm now experiencing this same thing. When I press on the brake pedal with the engine off, the pedal is rock hard. Once the engine starts, the pedal sinks to its usual height, and the power brakes work fine. Fortunately it isn't that difficult to push the brake far enough to turn the light on the ignition switch green, but I'm still concerned. Does this sound like the brake booster has developed a slow vacuum leak? (I'm out of warranty. )

 

Same thing happened to me for the past week ever since we have been hit with the two blizzards in the Northeast.

And on top of that, I have to press down harder on the brake WHILE driving (not just to turn the car on). I went on an empty road and hit the brakes from 40mph to stop the car and it took so much effort to slow the car down. In usual cases, the brakes are pretty sharp (tap the brakes a bit and there's almost an immediate grab) and my car stops in very short distance. Not so much the case now (BTW - the road was fine as in no snow or ice).

 

 

Not the original poster but I have experienced this problem with my 2006 IS350 for about 2.5 years. I always manage to push the pedal enough to start it but I don't remember it being that hard. I checked for vacuum leaks, changed the brake booster check valve, inspected all my brakes, complete fluid flush, etc and never did find the problem. I even tested the power brake booster and it seem to pass. I wonder if it could be the ABS Control Module? From what I understand the brake pedal will get really hard when it starts to fail and apparently it happens slowly.

Don't know what the hell it can be but my next course of action will be swapping out the Power Brake Booster and Master Cylinder if the problem gets worse unless of course it's evident what failed. All I know is that there are a lot of folks that complain about this and compared to my other two Toyota's it is nothing like their pedals.