Brakes

Jcgs300h · May 23, 2018

Hi there!

i have issues with my brakes. Have a gs300h 2015 and had vibration when i press on the brakes, i can only feel it on the pedals. Took the car to lexus and they changed the disc and the pads spent aroo £400. Then after 2 weeks it came back again. So took it back to lexus and they said it was just dust accumulation on the hub.

A bit worried that there’s other problems. My warranty just ended.

john

AmbroseJohn · May 23, 2018

It's not unusual for new disks to warp.

I had three new sets on my old Saab before I got a set that worked and my BMW went back after a month too.

I changed the Lexus ones myself a couple of years ago, they're OK but not perfect but the disks came mail order so swapping them would be a pain.

Ala Larj · May 23, 2018

The brake dust accumulation is a valid response. I had a similar problem on mine. Apparently the pads and discs are only lightly used on a hybrid as most of the braking is done by the generators. Therefore it is possible for dust to gather as it is not often rubbed off during heavy braking. What I do is to have a couple of hard brakings from about 70mph when safe to do so and this seems to have solved the problem.

Ten Ninety · May 23, 2018

I'd second what Alan said. I get all sorts of rumblings and vibrations because I avoid using the brakes wherever possible, but a good hard stop (or two) is always enough to cure it. My Prius was pretty much the same, so when it comes to regen brakes I think it might be a case of "they all do that, sir."

5 hours ago, Jcgs300h said:

Took the car to lexus and they changed the disc and the pads spent aroo £400.

If the Lexus dealership are now correctly claiming it's brake dust, are they going to refund you the £400 for unnecessary disks and pads?

Jcgs300h · May 23, 2018

Thanks for the replies!

i have to speak to them about that because the brake disc they changed was still good. But they said 30000+ miles is reasonable mileage for the disc to cease. But as ive said i checked it before taking it to them. Should i ask for refund?

Ala Larj · May 23, 2018

I'm on nearly 60000 on my GS and apart from some surface rust the discs and pads seem barely worn.

Jcgs300h · May 24, 2018

i think i have to ring them about this.

royoftherovers · May 24, 2018

8 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

I'm on nearly 60000 on my GS and apart from some surface rust the discs and pads seem barely worn.

mine too. I think that 30,000 is too low and they should not ordinarily have needed to be changed. Some Dealers of all marques are looking for revenue.

Ten Ninety · May 24, 2018

22 hours ago, Jcgs300h said:

Thanks for the replies!

i have to speak to them about that because the brake disc they changed was still good. But they said 30000+ miles is reasonable mileage for the disc to cease. But as ive said i checked it before taking it to them. Should i ask for refund?

I think it's worth pursuing. They misdiagnosed the problem and replaced the disks and pads unnecessarily.

30,000 miles might be reasonable for a car without regen braking, but for a Toyota/Lexus hybrid it's nonsense. My wife's Auris hybrid did 80,000 on one set of disks and pads and my Prius would have done similar if I'd kept it long enough. The GS is heavier so it might not get quite that far, but as Alan and John have already suggested, 60k is easily achievable.

Hangie · May 25, 2018

On my previous GS disc gave up at 90k miles.

Jcgs300h · July 2, 2018

Hi! Thanks for all the replies. Spoke to customers service 2 weeks ago and they did investigate the case. They advise me to take the car to the dealership to get a free health check brakes will be completely checked. Yhey will look at the calipers too. They will pay for my petrol free full valet(asked them to clean engine instead). Then they will decide whether to refund me what i payed for the disx and pads

usuf_x · July 5, 2018

Sounds like they are wiling to help, always good to hear positive news from dealers which is rare

65mike · July 7, 2018

Hi all

Well at least they are willing to look into it and paying your fuel and free full valet you cannot in my view go wrong there.

What dealer is it care to share with us there address / name.

65mike

Jcgs300h · July 8, 2018

Hi to all!

got an email and they said that the rear disc has the same problem...now theyre saying that they skimmed the rear discs! They did not explain what was wrong and what caused this...a bit worried. Car’s mileage is just 30000! Now theyre saying that they did the right thing to change the front discs.

just wondering why it happened as well with the rear discs. No explanations given

what should i do?

rayaans · July 8, 2018

12 hours ago, Jcgs300h said:

Hi to all!

got an email and they said that the rear disc has the same problem...now theyre saying that they skimmed the rear discs! They did not explain what was wrong and what caused this...a bit worried. Car’s mileage is just 30000! Now theyre saying that they did the right thing to change the front discs.

just wondering why it happened as well with the rear discs. No explanations given

what should i do?

If its worked, leave it be.

Essentially, it sounds like the brake discs had a lip on them and had worn unevenly. The 2 main cures are to replace or skim the discs. It sounds like they replaced the fronts because they had already worn a bit and it was probably easier to replace than to skim. Skimming requires a certain amount of disc thickness.

Hybrids don't use their brakes as much - they use regen most of the time. Hence, sometimes, you need to give the vehicle an emergency stop from 60+mph, enough to set the ABS off.

Britprius · July 9, 2018

With a hybrid the braking system does benefit from using the brakes a couple of times a month down a hill in neutral. Using neutral forces the brakes to operate purely in mechanical mode "no regen". This keeps the discs clean, and free of rust while also removing the contaminated surface layer of the pads.

John.

Jcgs300h · September 5, 2018

Mates,

thank you for your advise. Lexus cambridge was so accomodating and they did admit that the mechanic made a mistake. They gave me a free health check, valet my car, gave me a free leather cleaner pack and one free full service.

rayaans · September 5, 2018

On 7/9/2018 at 10:51 PM, Britprius said:

With a hybrid the braking system does benefit from using the brakes a couple of times a month down a hill in neutral. Using neutral forces the brakes to operate purely in mechanical mode "no regen". This keeps the discs clean, and free of rust while also removing the contaminated surface layer of the pads.

John.

Whilst I agree regarding the fact that neutral forces the brakes the operate mechanically, I have not tried it due to the risk of losing control of the speed as such, especially down a hill.

Slamming the brakes on at 50mph does the trick anyway. I don't do it often anymore, maybe once a month and its OK but my car is garaged.