Vicqlo

Hello all:

Hoping to hear from those of you that have had the brake actuator replaced. My brakes have been terrible from day one, and after 3 dealer visits in the past 9 months, I am hopeful that the actuator will FINALLY be replaced.( 2011 and 25k on the car now.) For those that have had this fix completed, did the everything work flawlessly and did the car brake smoothly without brake/pedal noise? You know, the way an automobile of this caliber should be! Just curious. Thank you

hfahmy

Postive! Day and night difference after the change of the actuator

aeggroup

How do you know that actuator is bad ? How can I check it ? Thanks.

hfahmy

mine was clicking on light braking. The other issue that went away is shudder and uneven breaking power on 4 sides. This is not a "failure" but was very annoying to me.

Lexus will give u hard time to change them unless they fail and dash light come on. This is when it is dangerous to drive the car. I had to complain more than 3 time in three separate visits under CPO to get it changed

Junglequac

The brake actuator on my 2007 was replaced right around New Years. Somewhat disconcerting is the fact that it had been replaced once before 15,000 miles by the previous owner. That said, all evidence points to the first replacement using the non revised brake actuator.

roadfrog

Have not had my actuator replaced, but I wanted to comment about "night and day difference". A few of us recently have replaced our rotors and pads with "Centric Premium Rotors" and "Centric Posi-Quiet" pads. It was an unbelievable difference from before. No more grabby and jerky brakes, no more clunk and no more pulsation. So very smooth and linear. I also replaced my brake hardware (springs, clips, and pins). If you are nearing any brake replacement in the future, you should have a serious look.

Vicqlo

Thank you for responding. Well, I do intend, and am prepared, to fight Lexus on this. It's just ridiculous! At this point, I have had the rotors turned, and the TSB for "bleeding" the system completed. Although the brakes seem smoother (after the rotors were turned), the constant brake noise and brake pedal noise has worked my last nerve! lol.Tomorrow, I am dropping the car off @ dealership. I have requested to have a technician drive with me, so that I can let him/her know exactly what I am complaining about. But, I am sure that they have heard this noise before. It seems to me that the dealer is trying everything BUT replacing the actuator. Besides the noise that I have complained about, when I press on the brake pedal (depending on the condition) the pedal may be "very soft" or "mushy", or hard, like a brick. The back brakes seem to grab very harshly, too. At least that is the sensation that I feel.

Vicqlo

Roadfrog,

As soon as my warranty expires, in approximately 13months, I will be changing out all of the brake components to the materials that you have described. I have heard positive comments elsewhere, too.

aeggroup

Why should you wait for your warranty to expire ? My warranty is still in effect and I changed rotors and pads. Your warranty does not cover it anyway and will not be voided if you change it. The difference is huge.

Vicqlo

Yes, I suppose you are correct in that. Okay, so, exactly what do I need to order? To replace everything concerning the brakes, and which company should I order from?

aeggroup

I got these :

roadfrog

Rockauto.

Centric Premium Rotors (emphasis on "premium"). Don't settle for the regular. They're only a little more money

Centric Posi-Quiet pads. Bonus with these kits is that they come with hardware (pins, clips and springs).

My grand total inc delivery was 260 dollars for all 4 corners.

Vicqlo

Great,thank you! I took the car in to Lexus this afternoon. A tech took a quick drive with me. I was able to replicate the brake noise and pedal noise. Also, the "electronic buzzing sound" that I hear every second or third time that I depress the brake pedal. The dealer mentioned that a Lexus Field Service Agent will be in on Wednesday, and he will also take a look at it. The buzzing noise, according to the tech, is the pump motor. The reason why I hear it so loudly is because the motor is located directly to the left of the steering wheel in front of the firewall. Of course, I mentioned to him that this noise is somewhat new, and the car has never done this prior. The good thing is that the tech agreed that something is amiss. Fingers crossed!

Vicqlo

Okay. Update time!

I picked the car up from the dealer today. It was in for service for 8 days. If you read my original post, you will note that I brought it in for the on-going brake issue(s) and the buzzing pump sound that occurs every 2nd or 3rd time when applying the brakes. (As well as a new set of factory rims.) Anyway, I was eager to get the car back, especially since I was informed that the technicians' were taking their time trying to troubleshoot the issue. Going so far as to get the area Lexus Representative involved. I was all set to experience the drive home with quiet brakes and no pump sound issue. It felt great to get back in the drivers seat of my LS460! Guess what? The car still makes the same noises and the pump is still buzzing every 3rd time when applying the brakes. I am so at my wits end! According to the dealer, my brakes were bled again (for the the second time in 4 months), and some type of retainer brake attachment was applied the rear brakes. Nothing resolved the issue. Uggh! What do I from this point forward? Am I just getting the run around because Lexus does want to replace a pump and/or actuator? Seems to me that they are trying to do everything but fix the real issue at hand. I just may call Lexus, implement a case/complaint and go from there. Any helpful feedback will be appreciated. Keep in mind, the car has only 25,200 miles on it.

hfahmy

Only actuator swap will eliminate the noise. I think bleeding is the first step, if doesn't work, change is necessary. Call Lexus and offfer paying for the labor if they supply the part.