2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser Brakes Problems

On the home my wife went to apply the brakes and she had no brake pressure. The pedal went all the way to the floor. Then several lights and a buzzer sound started, and she could not stop the car. She was able to pull up on the e-brake just before she drove completely into the intersection, where several cars were driving in both directions. The front end of car ended partially in the north bound lane of US MD-5. There was also a home at the end of the road that she could have also driven into. I researched on several forums where other owners have had the same issue and the dealership has been unable to diagnose the issue. No TSB or recall has been made, but the number of people that have had this issue, something should have been done. My 4-year-old daughter was in the car, and I could have lost both of them. People need to aware of this. I had no idea that a total brake failure was possible with these vehicles.

UPON HARD BRAKING, IF VEHICLE HITS A BUMP, POTHOLE, UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, ETC, THE ABS KICKS IN MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP UNLESS I COMPLETELY RELEASE THE BRAKES THUS REQUIRING ME TO SLAM ON IT HARD TO PREVENT REAR ENDING ANOTHER OBJECT.

HELLO, TOYOTA CALIPERS AND CALIPER PISTONS HAVE A PROBLEM. THE PISTONS OR CALIPERS ARE CORRODING AND CAUSING DELAYED EMPLOYMENT OF BRAKING ON THAT CALIPER. UNDERSTAND THAT THE CALIPERS THAT ARE WORKING CORRECTLY WILL "PULL" TO THE SIDE THEY ARE ON AND THE CALIPER THAT HAS A PROBLEM WILL HAVE A DELAYED ENGAGEMENT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE "GOOD" CALIPER CAUSES THE CAR TO PULL TO THAT SIDE, THEN THE "BAD" CALIPER ENGAGES PULLING THE CAR BACK THE OTHER WAY. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED, THE "GOOD" CALIPER LETS GO AND THE "BAD" CALIPER RELEASES A FEW SECONDS LATER. UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN ON ANY OF THE FOUR CALIPERS FRONT OR REAR. THE COMBINATIONS OF GOOD AND BAD CALIPERS CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO ZIG ZAG LEFT OR RIGHT UNPREDICTABLY, PULLING LEFT OR RIGHT, AND IF THE DRIVER IS NOT READY FOR IT, CAN CAUSE A BIG PROBLEM CONTROLLING THE CAR. HARD TO EXPLAIN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE VARIOUS BRAKING RESPONSES YOU CAN GET WITH THIS PROBLEM, BUT CHECK THE COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET AND KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH ISSUES WITH FJ CRUISERS, FOUR RUNNERS ETC. I HAVE HAD THREE CALIPERS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE PROBLEM IS RETURNING. TOYOTA KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT AS USUAL, NO PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. YOU CAN CONTACT ME ANYTIME, [XXX]. THIS IS A PROBLEM AND PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BRAKE CALIPER AND BRAKE CALIPER PISTONS BIND IN CALIPER BORE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE THE PROBLEM IS. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE "GOOD" CALIPERS DO THEIR JOB, BUT THE BAD CALIPER PISTONS ARE MOMENTARILY STUCK AND THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO PULL TO THE GOOD SIDE AS THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEN A MOMENT LATER THE "BAD" BRAKE PISTONS LET LOOSE AND THE CAR PULLS BACK THE OTHER WAY. ALSO THEN AS THE PISTONS ARE BOUND, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED, THE GOOD SIDE PISTONS RETRACT, BUT THE BAD SIDE BIND ON RETURN, SO PULLING TO THE BAD SIDE. THIS IS MOST NOTICED ON THE FRONT BRAKES BUT ALSO OCCUR ON THE BACK. NOTE THAT THE "BAD" SIDE ON THE BACK MAY NOT BE THE SAME SIDE AS "BAD" ON THE FRONT, CAUSING A ZIG-ZAG TYPE PULLING , FRONT ONE WAY, BACK THE OTHER AND CAN BE VERY UNPTEDICTABLE, PARTICULARLY WHEN SUDDEN OR "PANIC" BRAKING OCCURS. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH THE CAR AND TOYOTA AUTHORIZED AND THE DEALER DID REPLACE THREE COMPLETE CALIPERS NO CHARGE UNDER MY EXTENDED TOYOTA WARRANTY. HOWEVER SUBSEQUENT COMPLAINTS BROUGHT THE REGIONAL SERVICE REP TO A MEETING AT MY REQUEST WHERE WE WENT TO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT AND CONDUCTED "PANIC" STOPS SEVERAL TIMES AT 35 MPH AND ONE AT 40 MPH WITH NOT DUPLICATION OF MY COMPLAINTS. I AM SUSPICIOUS THAT THE PANIC STOPPING IS A WAY TO GET WHAT WOULD BE CALLED A "PROPORTIONING CONTROL VALVE" TO UN-STICK. THIS VALVE AS I CALL IT IS A DEVICE THAT BALANCES BRAKE FLUID PRESSURE TO ALL FOUR CALIPERS IN AN EQUAL CRISS-CROSS PRESSURE SO ALL CALIPERS ARE GETTING THE SAME PRESSURE UNLIKE OLD FASSIONED SINGLE OR DOUBLE SYSTEMS FROM BACK IN THE DAY. I CAN'T VERIFY THIS IS A "SECRET" SERVICE FIX FOR UNBALANCED BRAKING, BUT NOW SOME MONTHS AFTER MY CALIPER REPLACEMENTS, THE CALIPERS ARE BEGINNING TO EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEM AND I'M OUT OF WARRANTY. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN

THE DEALER DID REPLACE MY MASTER CYLINDER AND THE PRESSURE PUMP AFTER THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE ABS ISSUES AS OTHERS HAVE STATED, THIS WAS WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. IT SEEMED TO FIX THE ABS PROBLEM WITH THE LONG PULSING AND BASICALLY THE COMPUTER TAKING OVER THE BRAKING. I AM STILL EXPERIENCING A MUSHY PEDAL AND LACK OF BRAKING WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME OR DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. HOWEVER AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH AND PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SYMPTOMS, I AM CONVINCED THIS IS A PRESSURE AND HEAT PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WHY ON A 5700 LB VEHICLE THAT THEY ARE USING CERAMIC PADS, DOT 3 FLUID AND THIS PRESSURE SYSTEM, IT JUST CAN'T HANDLE IT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35MPH ON SMOOTH ASPHALT THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME STARTED BRAKING. I APPLIED MY BRAKES LIGHTLY AND NOTHING HAPPENED, PUSHED BRAKE PEDAL HARDER STILL NOTHING AND STARTED TO PANIC THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES ENGAGED HARD ALMOST CAUSING ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND THE CAR BEHIND ALMOST HIT ME. I PURCHASE THE FJ CRUISER USED WITH ABOUT 52,000 MILES ON IT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 5 TIMES SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. I DO NOT FEEL THE VEHICLE IS SAFE AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED OR KILLED. I SEE COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH THE SAME PROBLEM SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE! *TR

BRAKES IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS BECOME UNRESPONSIVE. HAPPENED TWICE WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING. ONCE WHEN THE STREETS WERE WET, SHE PUT ON THE BRAKES AND WENT SLIDING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. ABS DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT TIME COMING OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE, SHE WENT OVER SOME LOOSE GRAVEL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. SHE REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HER. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO DAMAGE AND THE OTHER DRIVER WAS NOT A JERK. SHE SAID BOTH TIMES THE BRAKES WERE UNRESPONSIVE. SEE THIS THREAD FOR MORE INFORMATION OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHERS: HTTP://WWW.FJCRUISERFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/PROBLEMS-DEALER-SERVICE/102642-BRAKE-ISSUES-REPORT-YOUR-DATE-MANUFACTURE-VIN.HTML SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET HURT IF IT HAS NOT HAPPENED ALREADY. *TR

WHILE COMING TO A STOP, IF MY 2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER HITS A BUMP THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES KICKING BACK ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THEN, THE BRAKES GRAB AS IF THEY ARE GOING TO LOCK UP AND SKID. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE BRAKE SYSTEM FROM CONTINUING TO DO THIS IS TO RELEASE THE PEDAL COMPLETELY THEN, REAPPLY THE BRAKES. OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN ORDER TO STOP. THERE ARE NUMEROUS CASES LIKE THIS DOCUMENTED ON THIS WEBSITE. HOW MUCH MORE DOCUMENTATION DOES TOYOTA NEED BEFORE THEY TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY? *TR

THE BRAKES JUST FAILED AND WAS SUDDENLY UNRESPONSIVE AT LOW SPEED WHEN I WAS DRIVING OVER SLIGHTLY BUMPY ROAD ON I-10 LOS ANGELES, THE ROAD WAS NOT ICY NEITHER HAD ANY DIRT OR SAND, IT FELT LIKE THAT I HAD NO BRAKES, AND ALMOST HIT THE CAR INFRONT OF ME, LUCKILY IT CAME TO A STOP WHEN I STEPPED THE BRAKES SO HARD THAT IT FEELS LIKE USELESS. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANICS,THEY INSPECTED IT AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS FINE. THE BRAKE PADS WERE VERY NEW. I REPLACED NEW BRAKE FLUIDS, BUT THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN ! I WENT TO FJ CRUISER FORUM,AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAS ENCOUNTER THIS SAME SITUATION WHEN DRIVING OVER POT HOLES TO CAUSE THE FAILURE IN THE ABS COMPUTER. AND TOYOTA CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!! *TR

FIRMLY APPLYING BRAKES TO SLOW FOR TRAFFIC, ABS STOPPED VEHICLE VERY QUICKLY, THEN ACTED AS IF ABS WAS WORKING BUT WITH MINIMAL BRAKING POWER. INCIDENT HAPPENED ON SMOOTH, DRY PAVEMENT. VEHICLE MOVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT I MADE A LANE CHANGE WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT WHEN IT TURNED YELLOW. I APPLIED THE BRAKES SLIGHTLY HARDER THAN NORMAL AT WHICH POINT THE CAR TOOK OVER AND APPLIED 100% BRAKING FORCE. THE CAR SLAMMED TO A STOP AND BOTH THE PASSENGER AND I WERE WHIPPED FORWARD AND WERE LUCK TO HAVE NOT BEEN REAR ENDED. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH ALL THE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS CONTROLLERS. *TR

2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER, BUILD DATE:10/07. HAVE HAD UNNERVING EXPERIENCES WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY FJ.(1) WHEN BRAKING OVER A NON SMOOTH ROAD THE BRAKE PEDAL PULSATES FOR A LONG PERIOD AND DOES NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. (2) HAD TO PANIC STOP AND HIT THE BRAKES HARD, THEY LOCKED UP, THERE WAS NO BRAKING JUST THE ABS TOOK OVER AND LOCKED UP THE BRAKES HARD TO THE POINT THAT I WAS GLAD I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT, BECAUSE I WOULD'VE BEEN LYING IN THE STREET.(3) THE PEDAL WILL BE HARD ONE TIME AND MUSHY THE NEXT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. WHEN THE PEDAL IS MUSHY THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK APPROPRIATELY, NEARLY REAR ENDING PEOPLE OR LOCKING UP THE BRAKES TO STOP. (4) WHEN AT A STOP THE PEDAL WAS MUSHY AND I TRIED TO "PUMP"UP THE PEDAL BY PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON (RELATED TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM) THE DASH AND AN ANNOYING ALARM SOUNDED, HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES NOW. (5) WHEN THE PEDAL IS MUSHY I CAN PUSH IT DOWN ALL THE WAY TO THE STOPPING POINT/FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE. CALLED THE DEALER THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HAD ANY "ISSUES". *TR

WHEN BRAKING SUDDENLY OVER UNEVEN ROAD THE TOYOTA FJ FAILS TO STOP IN A SAFE AND CONSTANT MANNER. *TR

I OWN A 2008 FJ CRUISER AND HAVE HAD BRAKE ISSUES. AS I APPROACH A STOP LIGHT AND TRY TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES SOFT AND NOTHING HAPPENS. I PUMP THE BRAKES 3-4 TIMES BEFORE THE BRAKES SUDDENLY ENGAGE AND STOP ABRUPTLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES SINCE DECEMBER 2009 AND MY DEALER TELLS ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. THIS SCARES THE [XXX] OUT OF ME AND I ALMOST ENDED UP IN THE BACK SEAT OF A BENZ THIS LAST TIME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE A 2008 FJ CRUISER MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME SINCE I'VE OWNED THE TRUCK. ON MAY 10TH, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 70-80 MPH. THE TRUCK TO THE RIGHT OF ME SEEMED LIKE HE WANTED TO CHANGE LANES IN TO MY LANE. I HIT THE BREAKS TO LET HIM IN BUT THE BRAKING POWER BEING APPLIED TO THE ROTORS WAS A LOT HARDER THEN WHAT I NEEDED. IN OTHER WORDS, IT SEEMED LIKE THE COMPUTER THOUGHT MY BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR WHEN IN REALITY, I JUST NEEDED A QUICK BRAKE. ANYWAY, THE WHEELS LOCKED UP TO AND RELEASED. IT SCARED ME HOW HARD THE TRUCK STOPPED-- ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BEHIND ME. THE BRAKES THEN RELEASED AND I KEPT GOING, BUT COULD SMELL THE BURNT RUBBER FOR ANOTHER MILE. THIS WAS A CEMENT HIGHWAY ROAD THAT MAY HAVE HAD SOME CRACKS IN IT BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IF BEING PARTICULARLY UNEVEN. JUST SEEMED LIKE THE COMPUTER MISUNDERSTOOD HOW MUCH ACTUAL PRESSURE I APPLIED TO THE PEDAL AND OVER BRAKED. THE FIRST TIME THIS EVER HAPPENED WAS PROBABLY A YEAR AGO WHEN I WAS GOING AROUND 20MPH. AGAIN, DON'T REMEMBER THE CONDITION OF THE ROAD BEING OVERLY TERRIBLE. *TR

MY TOYOTA FJ CRUISER HAS AN ISSUE INVOLVING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. IF I HIT A BUMP WHILE DECELERATING, THE ABS PULSES IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP SAFELY AT MY ORIGINAL PLANNED STOPPING POINT. IF, FOR EXAMPLE, I AM DECELERATING AND PLAN ON STOPPING WITHIN 100 YARDS AT A STOP SIGN, AND I HIT A POT HOLE, THE ABS WILL PULSE (ENGAGE BRAKES BRIEFLY, DISENGAGE THEM, THEN ENGAGE AGAIN REPEATEDLY) IN SUCH A FASHION THAT I WILL STOP SEVERAL YARDS BEYOND THE STOP SIGN. THE PULSE PATTERN OF THE ABS ON THE FJ CRUISER IS DANGEROUSLY LONG, AND HAS CAUSED SEVERAL NEAR MISSES ON MY PART IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS (MISSING STOP SIGNS / LIGHTS, ALMOST REAR-ENDING SOMEONE DUE TO HITTING A BUMP/ENGAGING ABS WHILE STOPPING,ETC.) *TR

2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. WHEN COMING TO STOP GOING DOWN A HILL, WENT OVER A POT HOLE WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AND STARTED TO JERK FORWARD. THE BRAKE PEDAL HIT THE FLOOR HAD TO RELEASE FOOT SO THAT THE PEDAL WILL COME UP VEHICLE ALMOST WENT THROUGH INTERSECTION. NO BRAKES POWER FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. DEALER STATES THAT NOTHING IS WRONG, TYPICAL BEHAVIOR FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR

I PURCHASED NEW A 2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER 2 WHEEL DRIVE WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SINCE OWNERSHIP FROM MARCH 2009 TO DATE, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A LURCHING FORWARD OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND AT A FULL STOP. THIS LURCHING FORWARD OCCURS WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON AND AT THE TIME THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH ENGAGES. MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH ENGAGES, THE ENGINE RPM ONLY INCREASES ABOUT 100 RPM, BUT FREQUENTLY, WHEN THE A/C CLUTCH ENGAGES THE ENGINE RPM INCREASES 300 TO 400 RPM WITH NORMAL BRAKE PRESSURE WHILE STOPPED, 100 RPM ENGINE INCREASES CAUSE NO PROBLEM, BUT WITH 300 TO 400 RPM ENGINE INCREASES, NORMAL BRAKE PRESSURES WHILE STOPPED ARE NOT ADEQUATE AND THE VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BILL PENNY TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT (HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA) ON 02/23/2010 AND THE SERVICE REPORT STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE MY OWNERSHIP BEGAN. *TR

I DRIVE A 2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THIS EVENING WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A BUSY INTERSECTION, I HIT A SMALL BUT HARD BUMP IN THE ROAD AND COMPLETELY LOST MY BRAKES MOMENTARILY. ABOUT A SECOND LATER THE BRAKING WAS RESTORED, BUT NOT BEFORE I WENT THROUGH THE STOP AND ENTERED A BUSY FOUR LANE HIGHWAY NARROWLY ESCAPING A CRASH AS AN ON-COMING CAR SWERVED. THIS BRAKE PROBLEM SOUNDS EERILY SIMILAR TO THE ALREADY RECALLED PRIUS, AND SINCE TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN VERY PROACTIVE IN ITS RECALLS I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM ON YET ANOTHER VEHICLE MODEL. WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? *TR

MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. COMPLAINED TO DEALER LAST SEPTEMBER. THEY LOOKED AT VEHICLE AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I CAN DUPLICATE THE ISSUE ON OUR ROAD WHICH IS UNEVEN AND HAS BUMPS. HAPPENED THIS MORNING AS I CAME TO WORK. SUV SPEEDS UP WHILE PRESSING BRAKE OVER BUMPS THEN BRAKES CATCH AND IT IF WERE NOT FOR A SEAT BELT I WOULD GO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD! *TR