I took my 99 GS4 into the dealer yesterday because I was getting a vibration in the steering column/brake pedal when lightly applying the brakes. The cars has ~22k miles. No surprise - they state the rotors are out of spec. Surprise - they will not waranty them. The same thing happened not once but twice on my 99 4Runner & both times, they were replaced under waranty (from two different dealers). The Lexus service manager said he "would if he could", but I think I am getting the shaft. Should I contact Lexus Corp? Suggestions? Imagine a BMW dealer informing the 540 owner that warped rotors are normal wear & tear. I don't think so. My Benz never warped rotors. I think Toyota builds grossly underengineered front brakes.

 

A,

Try to have your rotors resurfaced at a reputable machine shop, this may be the solution to your problem, good luck!

 

ADV,

when it comes to warranty issues, the service managers have all the control and upper hand. my experience with lex is that the 1st rotor replacement will be under warranty.

it was amazing that your 4runner received 2 replacement.

call lex corp and state your situation. this sort of inconsistency on warranty policy makes me upset too.

 

i had the same problem with my rotors a few weeks ago and the dealer replaced them under warranty although they said they couldn't change the pads cause there was nothing wrong with them.
if your dealer refuses to do it under warranty then just call lexus customer service. or you can just take it to any good shop and have them resurface the rotors. most shops around where i live charge $30 to $40 for each rotor.

 

Man, the variation between dealers is amazing. Did the dealer even give a reason why they denied the warranty claim?

Last time I brought my 98 GS 400 (32k miles) to my dealer for another service (replaced my sub woofer) they noticed, during the test drive, that my rotors were out of spec and they resurfaced them under warranty. i didn't even know they did it until I picked up the car. No hassle, no charge.

Call Lexus customer service and look for another dealer.

 

I called customer service & complained. I also set an appointment at the dealer where I bought the car who though farther away, has always provided great service. I agree that service is highly dealer specific with very little consistancy among them. Case in point; with my 4Runner, I had one dealer turn the rotors, replace the pads & then, order & install new TRD pads for free when they came in. Another dealer hassled me about the TRD pads when the rotors warped again then accused me of driver the vehicle too hard. When I sent my customer service survey in & voiced my concerns, the dealer then refused to service the vehicle at all; essentially black-listing me. I called Toyota & got the "each dealer is an independently owned & operated, go somewhere else" spiel.

 

i think i might have this problem too. i only sense steering wheel vibration under heavy braking at high speed (80mph) though.
rotor resurfacing vs replacement -- any drastic difference?
which brakes were wacked out? front only?
any idea why this occurs (e.g. bad pads/rotors?)
thanks.

 

I too have experienced the vibration from my steering wheel when braking at around 60mph. At that time I brought in my car for the 30K service, and they replaced my front rotors under warranty. So I believe that you should fight for the warranty repair, but of course it might help to take the car back to the dealer whom you bought it from.

I do have to resurface my front rotors again at 55K, so I don't know if this is common problem with GS400.

 

Sounds like yours need to be resurfaced or replaced. The difference is a few hundred $. Generally, it's just the fronts because of the higher percentage of braking they do.

If they can be resurfaced do it. Sometimes, however, they are too far gone or have already been resurfaced and they have to be replaced.

 

A while back before I bought my GS430 I had a BMW 735i and the rotors warped so bad it felt like the car was going to fall apart when I put my foot on the brakes on the highway. The dealer replaced them for free but I had to pay for a rental car I would call Lexus up and tell them about the problem and I am sure they will work something out.

 

Rotor warping can be attributed to the following (and may be more).

1. Improper torquing of the wheel lug nuts.
2. Thermal stressing of the material (braking habits, water on hot rotors.
3. Improper braking-in when the pads/rotor is new.
4. Braking habits (sharp braking)
5. Thickness and design of the rotors (everything being the same, re-surfaced rotors would warp quicker).
6. Brakepads. Softer pads wear out quicker but are gentler on the rotor.
7. Controvertional ... ABS (jack-hammer effect).

Salim

 

I just had my front rotors resurfaced yesterday at Lexus. The service rep claimed that he would take care of the rotors but I would have to pay for the new pads. I have always heard that you should replace the pads after resurfacing. The pads cost me 100$. My car has 24k miles. The rotor problem was my only real complaint about the vehicle, so now I am happy. I also had them replace a rubber seal around my headlights, as moisture was getting in. And, I ordered a new tilt steering motor as mine squels when I put the key in and it moves into place. That was all covered.

 

Never heard this before (but it can't hurt). They didn't do it when mine were resurfaced and no one has ever mentioned it in the many times I had discs resurfaced or even replaced. I would think the old pad would just wear the high spots down until it was even and continue on from there.

 

My experience with wrapped rotors is that it shold be replace. DO NOT resurface them. The reason is that the thermal stress that it caused on the rotor relieved the hardening of the rotor. If you resurface it, it will be fine for a while. About 10K miles later, the problem will come back. I know this for a fact because I used to race car alot and I had to replace a few rotors for my supra TT. It only best to resurface if it's a normal brake job. Normal braking does not relieve the hardening of the rotors.

Dnguyen_GS430

 

It only takes a small warp for vibration to be felt at speed. For street use resurfacing is a reasonable option if the warp is not too far out of spec, although multiple resurfacings is not recommended. Good shops will not take off more than the mfg allows. Taking off too much and leaving a thin rotor is dangerous, ill advised and should not be considered.

The demands of racing and the stress on components such as brakes is much greater than normal street use. How you proceed depends on how you intend use the car.