Brake Disc Caliper problems of the 2004 Toyota 4Runner

Frame is extremely rusted, it just flakes off and after inspecting the joints am afraid that it will soon become a safety hazard also the brake calipers become in-op (frozen) have replaced the 2 front calipers 3 times and the 2 rear calipers twice.

Brake calipers keep seizing & need to be replaced. 09/10/2018 07/24/2014 04/17/2013 04/13/2013 06/18/2012.

I have had two incidents of brake calipers failure. Under 50k I had a front driver side caliper fail. Then again at 99k the rear passenger side caliper failure. Toyota has a major issue with their brake caliper design on 4-runners. Toyota should extend their warranty, I always bought Toyota's, but never again after this last incident. Toyota does not build cars like they use to.

This complaint is not about the vehicle but rather about a replacement parts made/sold by the following outfit: (954) 970-8820 fax: (954) 970-8819 brian@febestpanamerica. . Read more...

Front caliper seize up l/f and r/f 3 incidents 11/2012 02/2015 06/2015.

While driving at approximately 50 mph and pressing the brakes for a sudden stop, the 4-runner lurches to the left, and then, when the brake is released, back to the right. I was on a trip and was lucky enough to get in to a Toyota dealer on Saturday. The service department told me I had two frozen pistons in the brake calipers, and the rear slides were not working properly. I had to replace the calipers, pads and rotors on all four wheels 2 years ago for frozen calipers. The warranty for that repair was 1 year, so I have to pay another $1200 to make the car safe to drive once again, after having spent $2000 2 years ago for the same problem. The history of this problem is widely known and Toyota should either extend the warranty on these parts, or fix the problem permanently and issue a recall. This is a safety issue, as the car lurches from side to side, and especially in the rain or when towing a trailer, is quite dangerous.

There is a design flaw in the 04 4runner. The brake calipers rust out, and freeze, sieze, and need to be replaced any time the brake pads need to replaced. This also damages the rotors. Today, I had to overhaul the entire front end braking system, including pads, rotors and calipers. This is the second time I have had to go through this with the vehicle, and had all new parts installed 2 years ago, and the total miles on the vehicle is 56k. Toyota should be held responsible for this, as an internet search has turned up many posts for this exact problem.

I had a new break pads and rotor's installed at 50,000 miles,at 70,000 miles I discovered that the front lower brake caliper piston had frozen. It was the same for both sides. Took it into the shop, and they said the same thing. Had to have the caliper, break pads, and rotors, replaced on both sides for a total of $724. . Read more...

When I went to change my brake pads, I noticed that the front had hardly been worn down. I had previously noticed that I needed more room to stop, and my rate of deceleration had lessened. I discovered that my inner lower pistons on my front calipers had rusted and frozen. A quick search online and on a forum I am part of (t4r. Org) showed that this has affected numerous others. The design of the calipers caused the inner lower pistons to freeze up. This is an extreme safety hazard. I have not had this issue with the aftermarket calipers that were installed by my local shop.

Had to replace right front caliper at 55,000 miles after it froze up after new pads were installed--it was done by a local garage by a former Toyota tech. --had it checked by a Toyota dealership at 57,000 miles and they said it was all good--still did not feel right--had it checked again by Toyota dealership at 66,000 miles and they said it was all good again--at 94,000 miles still not working very well and had it service by Toyota dealership which said it was fine--at 105,0000 miles both front calipers are frozen and needed to be replaced.

Both front (left and right) caliper seized. Lower inside piston seized and would not retract. Replaced both calipers with re-manufactured parts from a1 cardone and less than 1 year and 5000 miles later both calipers have seized again creating wheel shake when braking above 40 mph. I am not the first owner of this vehicle and am not sure how many times in the past it has been an issue on this particular vehicle. Research on the internet has revealed that this is a very common problem for 4th generation 4runners. It seems like there is a deign flaw that has not been addressed by Toyota as I can find no "upgraded" replacement.

Took my 4runner to be serviced and I was told that both front brake calipers had frozen pistons. Because only one piston worked, they damaged the rotors and worn out the pads unevenly. This is a car that always serviced by dealer according to Toyota specifications with 67k miles. The job repair cost me $2000. Not only this extremely dangerous but also a very costly repair.

2004 Toyota 4runner brake calipers seem to seize at 10k miles. The boots on the pistons hold water, and during winter gather significant corrosion from road salt. Toyota replaces with the same part, but these fail in the same manner.

Tl * the contact owns a 2004 Toyota 4runner. She took the vehicle in for inspection on her brakes and the dealer found that the front calipers were rusted. The dealer replaced both front calipers, which cost the contact $1116. The manufacturer was contacted but they did not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 42,364.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota 4runner. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a loud rumbling noise. The vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed the caliper on the front driver side was locked and extremely hot. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the caliper and brake pad on the front driver side were replaced. The failure mileage was 29,000 and the current mileage was 33,000.

2004 Toyota 4runner sr5, with just under 74k miles on it, has a frame with severe corrosion, and more importantly the front calipers had to be replaced due a ceased lower piston. I've talked to the dealer about all of these issues, but they can't do anything for me. I got the same story from the Toyota customer service hot line. They blame the salt, but can't explain why its worse on the 4runner than other vehicles. I should mention that the people at the dealer and on the hot line were very friendly. They said they noted the issue and would monitor the calls for trends. I felt unsatisfied with this, so I am filing a complaint with the NHTSA. I'm a little annoyed by their unwillingness to address safety issues without a major accident or consumer report rating.

Frozen pistons on inside front brake calipers.

I have a 2004 Toyota 4runner sr5 v6. I have a constant issue with pistons on the front brake caliper seizing. This lowers the effectiveness of the brake system, and causes uneven wear on the brake pads. I have been able to dislodge the piston using a c-clamp and find that I have to replace the brake pads about every 6 months rather than the 2,3 to 4 year intervals on all other cars I have driven (including an older generation 4runner) this has been happening ever since I bought the car brand new in January of 2004. I found this website while searching for answers to my issues which I also found out that countless other Toyota 4runner owners are experiencing. I have been diligent with my constant brake pad replacements as to not cause further damage or safety issues. I believe that Toyota should step up and resolve this problem with these vehicles as they have with all of the vehicles in their new mass recall problems. They know it is an issue and even came up with a replacement caliper but it is not covered and is a $1500 job.

Frozen front brake caliper resulting in brake part failure and brake pedal pulsating. Occured again may 2010. This problem occurs with many Toyota trucks.

I was driving at about 35mph and had to start braking for a vehicle that was signaling a left turn. I notice the brakes did not feel normal and that the pads were not catching on the rotors. So I jammed on the brakes as hard and as far as they could go and avoided hitting the other vehicle by inches. I came home and decided to investigate and found that the front calipers inner 4 pistons were seized. I just changed the brakes last year and they were fine. But noticed a surge or slippage forward when stopped at a red light or stop sign after a complete stop waiting for right of way. I am now leaving the vehicle in the driveway for now until I can replace the calipers. Many other people have complained about the same problem on forums just look up 03-09 4runner caliper seize. This is very dangerous and could cause serious harm in an avoidance situation at highway speeds.