Does your brake pedal feel a tad different than most other cars?
11-27-18 | 04:58 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Pole Position
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 224
Likes: 70
From: CA
Does your brake pedal feel a tad different than most other cars?
I got a grey on red 2019 Lexus IS 300 RWD F Sport about a week ago for December to Remember. I’m absolutely over the MOON with the car; I managed to get $4k off MSRP, got $1,500 added to my depreciating-by-the-second BMW trade and the Lexus is configured exactly as I would configure online except those horrible door edge guards I removed the moment I got home from the dealership. How do aluminum door edge guards make sense?
The one thing I’ve noticed is the brake pedal feels a bit different than my previous BMW 328i and other cars I’ve driven. It feels like the first fraction of an inch is dead space and feels like it has a very small amount of resistance to it before the brake pedal activated the calipers. However, it does feel like it was a design choice to me.
I stopped by my dealership during lunch just to get a second opinion and the service advisor wouldn’t answer my question as to “is it normal?” He just kept saying as long as my brakes work like they are supposed to, I’m good. The brakes work fine, but a brake pedal is not something to guess about! I can only assume he thought I was challenging Lexus’ design decision on the pedal and was trying to defend the company and/or make sure he didn’t give me any information that could be used to replace a working part with another working part.
Does your brake pedal feel a bit different than non-Lexus (or non-3G IS) vehicles?
The one thing I’ve noticed is the brake pedal feels a bit different than my previous BMW 328i and other cars I’ve driven. It feels like the first fraction of an inch is dead space and feels like it has a very small amount of resistance to it before the brake pedal activated the calipers. However, it does feel like it was a design choice to me.
I stopped by my dealership during lunch just to get a second opinion and the service advisor wouldn’t answer my question as to “is it normal?” He just kept saying as long as my brakes work like they are supposed to, I’m good. The brakes work fine, but a brake pedal is not something to guess about! I can only assume he thought I was challenging Lexus’ design decision on the pedal and was trying to defend the company and/or make sure he didn’t give me any information that could be used to replace a working part with another working part.
Does your brake pedal feel a bit different than non-Lexus (or non-3G IS) vehicles?
11-27-18 | 10:25 PM
#2
Driver
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 109
Likes: 12
From: OR
I have the same issue. I replaced all brake pads and rotors, it's still the same, I had the dealership check it out, said it's fine and that's how it's suppose to be(Dealer claimed they had a computer hooked up while he drove around to see if the car threw any codes lol). I still have hard time getting used to it, the fraction of an inch is pretty much a dead pedal. When the brakes do bite after that inch of travel, it's such a strong bite that front of the car dips. I still think it's got something to do with rear brakes, I had 8mm left on rear brakes after 60k miles. Would love to hear more on rear brake wear from others.
Last edited by SikhSipahi; 11-27-18 at 10:33 PM.
11-28-18 | 08:43 AM
#5
Pole Position
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 370
Likes: 35
From: MO
Mine is great on my 2018 350 F Sport. The pedal is perfect, IMO. Far removed from the pedal on our 2015 RDX, which is too strong, and too immediate. I'd drive another IS to see if it feels any different. If not, then it's just normal.
11-28-18 | 11:29 AM
#7
Pit Crew
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 233
Likes: 38
From: CA
A lot of braking feel is down to the pads. In my old car, changing to upgraded pads changed the feel. The IS uses high friction material in the F-sport. I actually think the car has good modulation and predictable stopping distance from a stock pad, you don't necessarily want full anchor all the time. In the aforementioned upgraded pads situation, I would stop 10-20 feet before I expected to, with average force applied.
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11-28-18 | 11:54 AM
#9
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 8,712
Likes: 4,009
From: GA
Yeah maybe it's the pads - I have the F Sport pads. Sure, there's a small amount of play at the top of the brake pedal, but much less than basically any other car I have driven. Everytime my wife drives, she throws me forward in the seat on the first stop. "Yep, the brakes work!" lol
11-28-18 | 12:28 PM
#10
Driver
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 127
Likes: 7
From: Ontario
Same here. I went also to the Lexus dealer and the shop manager said it was normal. It does feel weird tho, also for mine, when you let go the brake quick when you have it on about an 1" i can hear a very slight "thud" sound.
11-28-18 | 01:30 PM
#11
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 273
Likes: 17
From: FL
just bought my mom a honda accord sport 2016, after reading this post i tested the brake "feel". doesn't feel any different to be honest. there's a little play before you feel pressure in the honda as well.
11-29-18 | 09:32 AM
#12
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,848
Likes: 2,229
Brake performance and brake feel are fine but ever since new, my pedal had this clicky feel at very top of travel. got under and saw excess movement where the pedal pivots on its frame. dealer saw nothing wrong. but it's not smooth like other cars, particularly my BMWs.
My Ct200h feels perfect.
i think mine is an actual defect but lexus refuses to fix it. i just learned to live with it and got used to it.
But like i said the actual brake performance and stopping power (totally unrelated) are just great.
it's just my pedal assembly that's defective (in my opinion)
My Ct200h feels perfect.
i think mine is an actual defect but lexus refuses to fix it. i just learned to live with it and got used to it.
But like i said the actual brake performance and stopping power (totally unrelated) are just great.
it's just my pedal assembly that's defective (in my opinion)
11-29-18 | 08:25 PM
#13
Thread Starter
Pole Position
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 224
Likes: 70
From: CA
Brake performance and brake feel are fine but ever since new, my pedal had this clicky feel at very top of travel. got under and saw excess movement where the pedal pivots on its frame. dealer saw nothing wrong. but it's not smooth like other cars, particularly my BMWs.
My Ct200h feels perfect.
i think mine is an actual defect but lexus refuses to fix it. i just learned to live with it and got used to it.
But like i said the actual brake performance and stopping power (totally unrelated) are just great.
it's just my pedal assembly that's defective (in my opinion)
My Ct200h feels perfect.
i think mine is an actual defect but lexus refuses to fix it. i just learned to live with it and got used to it.
But like i said the actual brake performance and stopping power (totally unrelated) are just great.
it's just my pedal assembly that's defective (in my opinion)
12-03-18 | 01:31 PM
#15
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: CA
Both gas and brake pedal feels very different to me with any manufacturer - let alone compared to a German car. In general, all lexus and toyota (minus the hybrids) feel very similar to me. Gas pedal especially is very different on Toyota/Lexus vs. Honda/Acura to me.
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