I have an 07 RX400h and the brake actuator is failing. Can it be rebuilt by DIY or does it need to be taken to a specialty shop? Brand new are too expensive. I can’t find any information online.

Thanks

 

Is there any suggestions out there? Or am I off buying a new one?

 

I have never heard of anyone rebuilding one of those. You probably won't be able to find a rebuilt parts kit for it. The part # of the complete unit is 44050-48191 and has a list price of $1765. I would suggest you find a used one. It would probably be cheapest to go to a pick and pull and get one there.

NOTE: you need to find a 2006 -2008 RX400h. The rx350 uses a different one.

 

Before replacing the brake actuator- plz read- if you have a fading brake pedal.

Update 10-07-2021- sorry I had to update this entire post because I got the timeline and details out of order and all messed up as my fading brake pedal came back since I last updated this.

I had a slowly fading brake pedal and I thought my actuator was failing with possible debris in the valve body or something keeping it from holding pressure.
So I replaced the fluid in the reservoir several times with a turkey baster over the course of many months. Seemed like it improved for a while but still would come back intermittently. Just when I thought it was getting better I would have several bad days in a row when the pedal wanted to fade, drove me crazy. But I kept replacing the fluid and it went into remission for a year. I thought it was fixed.

Then after a year of remission it returned. Ugh!
So, this time I flushed the brake system with 2 quarts of new fluid and much trash came out of the lines. Lots of black fluid with debris floating in the pot when I collected it.
After this it improved a lot but it still kept randomly coming back, just not nearly as often and much more mild.

One day I saw a thread from a member from another country complaining of a fading brake pedal and how he had sticking VVT's. He fixed his VVT solenoids and had no more brake pedal fade. It got me wondering if I have sticking VVT's too but I already replaced my VVT solenoids. However, I started noticing that when the pedal would fade the engine sounded different. I hooked up Techstream and did an active test to work the VVT's and it was the same exact engine sound(without the pedal fade though).

In an act of desperation I did two Seafoam Intake Treatments and two Seafoam Oil Treatments about 100 miles apart(maybe more) The first treatment almost fixed it completely and the 2nd treatment was the last time I had brake pedal fade. The engine no longer make a stumbling sound as my pedal is fading.

Over the last 2 years it seems contaminated brake fluid in my actuator and sticking VVT's was the cause of all my grief.

Hopefully I got it right this time. I've done so much work on this car getting it running and driving like new again I can no longer keep everything straight so that's why I am documenting it the best I remember. I will update it the pedal fade comes back but before anyone replaces the actuator because of brake pedal fade, plz check out my post.