Brand new RX450h with creaking brakes when stopping

Aden B · April 2, 2017

I have a two week year old brand new 2017 Lexus 450h. When when I brake and just before stopping there is a very audible creaking sound and thud as vehicle stops. I have not experienced this on any other 450h. The dealer says it is normal but I am skeptical.

Has anybody else had experience of this please? Thanks.

Spacewagon52 · April 2, 2017

Normal? Dung from the male cow me thinks? Unless other owners can confirm? Does not sound like a Lexus trait.

rayaans · April 2, 2017

34 minutes ago, Aden B said:

I have a two week year old brand new 2017 Lexus 450h. When when I brake and just before stopping there is a very audible creaking sound and thud as vehicle stops. I have not experienced this on any other 450h. The dealer says it is normal but I am skeptical.

Has anybody else had experience of this please? Thanks.

Groaning sound is normal on hybrids, its the sound of pads glazing against the disc very lightly.

Seems to happen on all the newer Lexus hybrids.

steveledzep · April 2, 2017

Just had my first RX450h for a month now. I found the noise in the final stages of braking a bit unusual at first, but wouldn't describe it as creaking with a thud.

Spacewagon52 · April 3, 2017

10 hours ago, rayaans said:

Groaning sound is normal on hybrids, its the sound of pads glazing against the disc very lightly.

Seems to happen on all the newer Lexus hybrids.

Thanks, I stand corrected!

rayaans · April 3, 2017

11 hours ago, steveledzep said:

Just had my first RX450h for a month now. I found the noise in the final stages of braking a bit unusual at first, but wouldn't describe it as creaking with a thud.

The groaning/creaking doesn't happen on the 3rd Gen RX. They've changed the calipers on the new RX and they're similiar (if not the same) as the ones on the GS and IS which both make the groaning noise.

Having said that, the thud might be pathological. Worth checking the spare wheel and jack to make sure its not moving around when braking.

malcolmw · April 3, 2017

No creaking or thud on my latest generation RX450h. The brakes make the usual regeneration whine when slowing to a halt and sound a bit "grinding" first thing in the morning when cold but nothing like you describe. The grinding noise goes away fast and then all seems normal.

Aden B · April 3, 2017

Thanks for the replies.

Much appreciated.

C Mclean · April 3, 2017

Both my IS and then my NX sounded like an even more decrepit me getting out of bed then I tried to inch along in stop start traffic. Pads removed, cleaned, lubed and discs cleaned, sorted it for a few days then the noise returned. Now I just make weird faces when the groaning/creaking noise starts..

PCM · April 4, 2017

On 02/04/2017 at 10:16 PM, Aden B said:

I have a two week year old brand new 2017 Lexus 450h. When when I brake and just before stopping there is a very audible creaking sound and thud as vehicle stops. I have not experienced this on any other 450h. The dealer says it is normal but I am skeptical.

Has anybody else had experience of this please? Thanks.

I get that on my RX300.

Had it fixed ( skimmed pads and a clean ) now it's back.

I believe it's on the rears that do less work...

Sounds like a slow creak...

NemesisUK · April 4, 2017

Brakes get such light use on the hybrids one gets a build up of pad material on the disc face. One or two hard, from high speed, stops usually clears it for a while.

PCM · April 4, 2017

8 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

Brakes get such light use on the hybrids one gets a build up of pad material on the disc face. One or two hard, from high speed, stops usually clears it for a while.

Forward or reverse stops?

NemesisUK · April 4, 2017

2 hours ago, PCM said:

Forward or reverse stops?

If you can do a 70-0 mph hard stop, in reverse, go for it....

Post up the video...

NAIJABOI · June 17, 2021

On a 2017 RX450H, I hear that creaking and thudding noise when breaking. Seems like it's pulling the car when i break intermittently and usually thats a downer as I dislike noise in a car meant to be quiet. Hopefully there is a fix one day. I been asked to plan changing the discs, about £500 from dealer. Not brilliant but bearable.

Barry14UK · June 17, 2021

Try breaking hard two or three times but don't overdo it, you don't want cooked pads. Make sure nothing is behind before doing this. Some disc/pad combinations are more susceptible to this creaking/groaning sound. I get it more on my BMW but not 3Generation Lexus.

RXJasonRX · June 18, 2021

Yes, it's normal. On my RX 450h mine creak. I thought its the antilock braking.

It's done it on all the Lexus loan cars I have ever had too, so it doesn't bother me

LisaMyersHomes · January 30, 2022

It is so annoying and frankly embarrassing to hear it. I am a Realtor driving a safe luxury car that makes an odd sound when braking, not good.
I have the 2014 RX 450h. I like to keep my cars forever, but looking at trading it in. But, I don’t want another Lexus car that makes that noise, which the dealer says is normal. And, hubby says when braking, “That’s not normal.” 😞 A $65k car should sound normal. Those aren’t the bells and whistles I opted for in my pearl white, tan leather, fancy car that I dreamed of for several years. I love everything else about it. Oh, it does chip easier than my past cars.

Christian1066 · June 8, 2022

On 4/2/2017 at 10:16 PM, Aden B said:

I have a two week year old brand new 2017 Lexus 450h. When when I brake and just before stopping there is a very audible creaking sound and thud as vehicle stops. I have not experienced this on any other 450h. The dealer says it is normal but I am skeptical.

Has anybody else had experience of this please? Thanks.

I have the same issue on a brand new 2019 rx450hl, I’m taking it to the dealer on Friday

Haylands · June 12, 2022

This is an issue I have had with just about every Lexus we have owned, my brother had the same on his LS and his SC...

It's down to the genuine Lexus brakepads, we always change them now for Powerstop ceramic low dust pads and all is quiet and refined again... Not sure what it is with the originals and I don't like using anything but genuine when I can, but genuine brake pads now go in the bin...!!!

Barry14UK · June 12, 2022

brake pads are a compromise. The primary requirement is that you want them to slow or stop the car in a reasonable distance for normal use. For hard or track use you need need a pad that will stand up better to fade but will require greater foot pressure and may need a few hard retardations to stow. Then drivers don't like overmuch brake dust, although the ones that do tend to wear quickly too but retard well, at least in normal use. Then some will last longer but sometimes at the expense of greater wear on the discs. Some pads produce more noise. Better pads can use more expensive materials. Manufacturers fit pads that they consider meet conflicting requirements best for normal use. Certainly, there are pads that perform differently but as you move away from standard, you find they tend to perform less satisfactorily in another respect.

The pads currently fitted on my BMW groan a little with light pressure as I slow just before stopping under light pressure. They will also groan and creak if very light pressure is applied to them along together with very light throttle. They don't do this at a hard stop or on hard acceleration. My thinking is that this noise is caused by very slight movement in the mechanism caused at slow revolutions as pads grip and slip. It doesn't happen so much under more heavy braking when the pressure on the pads continuously takes up all the movement. You can observe this more easily by looking at an old brake calliper on a bicycle. Another way is to run your finger lightly over a piece of wood. (Just done it on a coffee table). Done very lightly, the finger just slides along but increase the pressure while moving slowly and the finger moves in little jerks due to slight flexing of skin. However, if you maintain pressure but move your finger very quickly, it will move across the wood without jerking because the free movement with intermittent varying grip has been permanently taken up. The pads work in a similar way but the vibration will vary with material on brake and disc with flexing and pulsing. Subject to wear, I would expect identical models equipped with the same pad and disc material to vibrate in a very similar way.

Deafender · June 20, 2022

On 6/18/2021 at 3:50 PM, RXJasonRX said:

Yes, it's normal. On my RX 450h mine creak. I thought its the antilock braking.

It's done it on all the Lexus loan cars I have ever had too, so it doesn't bother me

I had the whole creaking thing and occasional thud on my 2018 RX450h, purchased used last September. The Lexus dealer first cleaned and changed the pads- no lasting effect - and on my second visit I took the car out with one of their technicians in the car listening - he immediately diagnosed the brake actuator - which I believe distributes the pressure evenly to each wheel- and is a known fault within Lexus. That part was replaced by the dealer, and problem solved - 7,500 miles later and no hint of the creaking from before.