Calbeartre

I have Lexus ES 350 2010 and recently I found it is very hard to step down the brake pedal when I start the car with smart key after 5-day vacation back without drving.
I tried many times with smart key close to the start button, and then I can step down the brake and start the engine.

Could anyone tell me why this happened? It is a new car with 3000 miles only.

Thanks a lot.

Dave Mac

I think you need to go to your dealer with this one. It may be that your brakes are losing their vacuum while you are gone causing the hard pedal. This assumes that power brakes still work off of engine vacuum and I don't even know that is correct. Holding your smartkey next to the button would help start the car if the smartkey battery is low but would have no effect on your brake pedal.

Let us know what you find out.

Dave Mac

Calbeartre

I figured it out with the help of technician. Lexus cars usually lose its brake vacuum after 2-3 day without driving, that means after more than 3 days without driving, you need step the brake pedal down hardly with more power.

bobsobi

That's not my experience. Returning from a vacation, with my ES not having been run for 8 days, there was no difference in the feel of the brake pedal when starting it. I think I'd want a second opinion on this.

jimmy2x

Agreed - we've left the car for more than 10 days and have never felt anything different from the brake.

LexPaul

Wow, that's a new revelation to me also, I never have this problem, as most often my 09ES is in the garage for days (over 5 days) at a time. I don't have to press down extra hard at all, just press gently and start, never had any problems at all. I think the technician missed this one. You could have another problem going on. I would get a second opinion if this issue persists.

Marbella

Did you get any resolution on this? I test drove a car the other day that had a similar issue - though it was a 2007 with ~30,000 miles.