I have seen the previous threads about the TSBs related to brake squeak problems (BR008-06 and BR010-06) but according to the TSBs my TCH shouldn't have the problem (my VIN is above that of the "Production Change Effective VIN" list.)

I have heard it 5 times now in 3 different occasions (one time I was reversing out of a long driveway and it happened 3 times). I would say it sounds unlike any brake squeaking I've ever heard.. it's more of a klunking noise to me as if some large piece of metal is dropping or something. All 3 times this has happened it was when reversing at low speeds while applying the brakes. From inside it *sounds* like it's coming from the rear brakes (the TSBs seemed to indicate the reverse squeak was from the front brakes).

Does this sound like the same problem everyone else has been having? Does anyone else have an affected TCH that shouldn't be affected according to their VIN number? Should I take it back to the dealer?

This is the first car I have ever purchased (all others were hand-me-downs) and I love it so far.. but 2 weeks (600 miles) later I'm saddened to have an issue already. My TCH is a Japanese base model build btw.

You guys are a wealth of information.. thanks!

 

I, too, have read about the brake squeak problem, but I have not yet (crosses fingers) had any issues. I bought my TCH in April, and I think my VIN isn't included in the TSB. My advice to you would be to take it to the dealer asap to have them check the brakes. It may be nothing, but a klunking noise from the brakes might indicate a serious problem.

On a side note, when I first got my TCH, I would hear a klunking noise coming from the rear of the car when accelerating/decelerating. It didn't happen all the time, but it did concern me. I decided to rearrange the emergency kit in the trunk to see if that would change anything. While doing so, I found a plastic bag containing two plastic brackets and hardware sitting next to the pass through to the rear seats. I moved this bag, and haven't heard the noise since. While this may be unrelated to your situation, you may want to double check if anything in your trunk could be moving around.

Good luck and enjoy your TCH.

 

It sounds like maybe a spring clip got bent or is missing. This would allow the brake pad and backing plate to slap around when the car reverses direction. It could also allow inconsistent squeal damping.

This is not a big deal. It's an annoyance at worst. Modern disc brakes are as fail safe as anything in the world. Just have your dealer look at it at next service or sooner if it bugs you enough. I just don't think it's a big safety issue to worry about.

 

Hello everyone, just like to say that I occasionally hear my brakes squeak when going forward slowly and reverse, let me say that it does bother me, but I will wait till the 20k and have dealer replace my brake pads and do tsb under warranty, remember the dealer will have to replace pads at that time because of there policy not to assemble use more then 50% brake pads. Also please remember when you take to replace brakes, usually they will scratch your rims, dint your door and more damage can be done. My believe is: if something small and you can leave with that let it be, dealers destroy nice cars. By the way I have 50th anniversary my self. Purchased in April. Overall I think the brakes are great.
Previously I owned 2004 Infiniti FX35 had worst brake squeak Dealer did it 2 times, TSB after TSB.

 

I am almost constantly getting a squeak from the front right brake while driving forward. It is so darn annoying and it ruins the elegance of the car. I will inquire about it at my 5k checkup.

 

My TCH is covered by the TSBs, but it doesn't bother me enough to consider having the TSBs performed. The brakes only squeak once in a while when backing up. Otherwise they are silent. There is no guarantee the TSBs would fix the squeaking.

mikieboyblue - try a few stops from 40 or 50 mph with the TCH in neutral. I find that helps reduce the squeaking and the tendency for the brakes to grab as the TCH comes to a stop.

 

I guess I'm reluctant to bring my car in because I’m afraid they’ll make things worse. But I’m also a bit worried if I let it go for too long it will break something else. It’s really too bad the people who have had the TSB applied don’t seem convinced that it fixes their problem.

I’ve had problems in the past where I couldn’t reproduce the problem consistently and it took many visits to the shop to get the problem solved. Unfortunately I can’t reproduce this problem every time.. although it happens almost 50% of the time when I back up now.

For those who take their cars into the dealer.. is there any benefit to taking it to the dealer you bought from or any old Toyota dealer would be fine?

 

Let me give you my story, for what it's worth. I had both the front brake squeak and the rear brake squeak occur shortly after getting my Japanese-made TCH last July. When the TSBs came out, I had them both applied to my car. Since the Canadian TSBs come out some weeks after the corresponding US ones, it wasn't until late December that the second of the two (the front) was completed. The squeaks seem to have been completely cured by these TSBs, and so I do recommend that you have them done.

However, in connection with the reluctance of some people to have the service technicians work unnecessarily on their car, I can empathize, and I feel similarly. My experience over the years is that the less work they do on your car the better in general! Often they don't seem to get things back together as well as the factory originally did.

In early January this year, before heading off on a 1500-km round trip to visit my brother in Indiana, I took my TCH in to the dealer complaining of a small "clunk" from the front suspension when negotiating road surface irregularities. They couldn't find anything wrong. After the trip, I again took the car in with the same complaint, and again nothing was to be found. About a month ago I went back for a third time, and this time took the technician out for a ride, and as luck would have it, we succeeded in finding a section of road where a drain-cover depression consistently triggered the "clunk." About an hour later, after the technician had given up locating the source of the "clunk," he asked one of his colleagues to come out with him for a ride, but the second guy also was flummoxed. Up on the hoist went the car for the third time that day, and after much prodding and pulling on the front suspension parts, the second technician happened by chance to notice that one of the two bolts that hold the left front brake caliper assembly on to the suspension was missing, and that the remaining bolt was loose! Yes, that was it! A loose front caliper assembly. The fix was simple — put the missing bolt back in.

The punch line: The second technician was the one who had done the front brake squeak TSB work last December! It was after this that the "clunk" had first made its appearance. That bolt hadn't been properly re-tightened, and had fallen out shortly thereafter — I had in fact heard a metallic-sounding clang while driving around town shortly thereafter, but couldn't see anything on the road or feel anything wrong with the car, and had figured that it was just caused by a piece of debris thrown up by the tires. So, I had taken a long trip, and driven the car for six months with an important bolt missing from my brakes. Had the second bolt fallen out (and it was only a matter of time until this would have happened), I would have lost my front left brake assembly altogether! This could have led to a serious accident. The technician who had done the front TSB work had been careless. Fortunately, no-one was hurt, and things are now fine, but it was just luck that we located the problem before an accident occurred. So, there you have it. You have work done on your car at your own risk!

Stan