Warped rotors and drums every 15-20k miles ISSUE FINALLY DISCOVERED!!!!!!!

I live in Florida. In February 2018 I purchased a pre-owned 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Crew Cab Long Bed with 3750 miles on it. I have since put 76000 additional miles on it. At 17K miles I started to experience a shudder in the steering wheel while braking that usually indicates warped front rotors. When I took it in to the dealership they told me that not only were the front rotors warped beyond turning, but the rear drums also! At 17k miles, on a Toyota!?! So, being out of warranty, $1000 for brakes on a truck I had bought 8 months earlier. Come 35k miles, the exact same thing! Every time I take it in they keep telling me it's my driving habits or I must have driven through a puddle with the rotors hot. I had a 2005 2nd Gen that got driven for 13 years and put 215k miles on that never had warping issues. Anyway, I started researching this and found out that there may be a problem with defective bent rear axles on 2016-2018 models that are causing the rear brakes to warp and then the front follows suit. The dealership keeps telling me that's not the problem, but they can't identify what the cause is. I took it in again at 55 k miles for the same problem again. They then told me that it wasn't unusual for rotors and drums to warp that quickly. I just about lost it and was able to complain so vehemently that they did the repair for free. Now it is 79k miles and it's starting again! Does anyone have a clue what is going on here?

UPDATE: IT WAS THE REAR AXLE!!! I WASN'T CRAZY!!! - So, I called Toyota Corporate and they started a file on this. I related everything above and mentioned that I had been talking to the dealership about the defective rear axles . They told me to go to a different dealership and get a second opinion/see if they could diagnose the problem, so I set one for today at 7:00 am at the dealership I bought the truck from 3 years ago that's 50 miles away. They had it in service for 4.5 hours and the advisor (he was a new hire) came back and told me exactly what I expected: "Yes your drums and rotors are warped beyond turning and we don't know why." So I asked to speak to the tech and he tells me that there's excessive heat on the rear drums. So I retold him my whole story and asked, "Could you please tell me, since y'all keep blaming my driving habits, what I could possibly be doing/how I could be driving so badly that I'm causing this to happen? Seriously, I'm not asking a rhetorical question here and I'm not trying to be sarcastic... I want to know because I'm tired of dropping $1000 on brakes every 8 months!" They told me they didn't know, and asked me a bunch of questions... "Are you a 2 footer? etc." I asked him about the rear axle issue and he tells me that there was a service bulletin but for the 2017-19 model years, not my truck. So I kept at it until they agreed to put my truck back up and measure, at their suggestion, the axle flange because it would show them if the axle was bent. So their head tech then additionally calls corporate and opens a tech case/ticket on my truck and spends 2.5 more hours looking at my truck with Toyota on the phone... They finally come in at 2:30 and tell me: "You were right! We took everything apart and measured everything and the rear axle is bent. We apologize." So, to make a long story short, I am waiting on Toyota corporate for the OK as the dealership has put in a request to get the rear axle replaced and all the brake work done at no cost to me! I KNEW IT!!!!! No performance brake parts needed... Not my driving habits... Just a defective part that made it past quality control and all I needed was someone who would finally listen!

 

Have you taken it to another stealership yet?

 

No clue what's wrong with your driving habits because warped rotors on front have zero bearing on bent rear axle if it is bent.
You should easily get 70K on fronts and even more on the rear. Take it to an independent shop. Pay to fix it right. Then you will know.

 

All new rotors and pads need to be properly broken in when new.
Google and you will find some easy to follow instructions. Basically, you are trying to get an even layer of pad material burned onto the rotor. Once it’s there, you should be good. Otherwise, you end up with an uneven transfer of material that will eventually lead to brake “chatter”. The rotor is still flat, but the build up of material is uneven.

 

Plus 1, the most important thing a driver needs to do.

In addition, buy a digital micrometer. You will need this later.
When someone tells you that rotors need replacement, always always ask for your rotors or drums back.
Bring discard spec for said rotors in writing with you. Ask for your rotors over counter. Measure said rotors in the waiting room in front of other customers. When they are not out of spec ask why they were replaced.
Get free rotors.

I learned as a service advisor that SOME mechanics lie to make money. After that experience I began to double check every rotor measurement handed to me by the techs. It ended with alot more turned rotors.

On car lathes work. Highly recommend you research on car brake lathes.

Ok
Antisieze on the hub face where the rotor sets works to reduce rust jacking.
Rotate your own tires and use a torque wrench that is another huge cause of rotor warpage.

Basically do it yourself, do it right, or pay out the butt for crappy work, UNLESS, you find a honest intelligent independent mechanic.

 

As for the front rotors, might want to bite the bullet, and get a set of slotted, and drilled EBC rotors. Combined with the stock ceramic pads, i found it 10 times better than the original setup for my 2001 tundra. It seemed to have a drastic effect saving the rear drums, and shoes from a lot of extra heat, and wear.

 

Read through this article, and find a shop that will work with you on each possible cause.
Maybe you'll find a competent shop that does all of the steps in the article by default.

https://www.brakeandfrontend.com/brake-rotors-dont-warp-the-earth-is-not-flat/

 

Transfer layer is critical to brake performance and longevity.

I've never had any issues with 2nd/3rd gen Tacoma brakes being too small thermally for intended use, but the 1st gen brakes were not really up to the task. A common swap for 1st gen stuff was the bigger caliper and thicker rotor from the early Tundra (I think it was Tundra parts?) which significantly increased thermal capacity of the brake system up front. I did that after my second set of trashed rotors on my 03 PreRunner. Maybe there is a similar swap for the 3rd gen???

 

If by chance, are you a 2 foot driver with the left foot resting on the brake pedal?

If so, then this may lightly apply the brakes. The pad/rotor/drum friction will heat the rotor/drum. Any rapid cooling or repeating heat/cool cycles will cause them to warp.

If you are a 2 footer, then relearn and break your habit.

 

Sounds like the issue to me. Also could be bad master cylinder/proportioning valve.

 

Welcome to TW.

Most of the responses overlooked your comment about putting 200K miles on another Tacoma without issues. So not driver error.

I'm wondering if the vehicle spent time on the beach (saltwater), rust causing calipers to stick, leading to heating issues.

Dial indicator would show if the rear axle flange is bent, but I've never heard of that leading to warped front rotors.

It would take time to go through everything. Search for an independent Toyota Repair shop. Often these are former Toyota Mechanics who got tired of dealership ramming vehicles down their throats and went out on their own. Dealerships million-dollar companies with overhead. The shop rate might be $140 an hour, but the mechanic makes less than half that, so they are in a rush to beat book time. So jobs that need an extra hour of diagnostic don't happen. Brakes replaced and sent on their way.

So not the mechanic's fault, nor common to Tacoma's, so you need someone to spend some time inspecting everything.

I have lots of guessing, but it would start by putting the Tacoma on four jack stands, tires off, and spending some time inspecting everything.

 

Had a similar problem with my 2nd gen. One piston in each front caliper was seizing up, the pads would drag on the rotors and ruin the surface. Problem solved with new calipers, fluid, rotors and pads. I ended up returning the new drums and shoes I bought because nothing was wrong with the originals.

My dad had similar issues with his F-150, it was the brake hoses that were the culprit. Upon regular braking the pressure wouldn't release after letting off the pedal and the brakes would drag.

 

Rotors don’t warp. You are getting excess pad material built up due to improperly bedded pads or you are overheating the brakes and leaving pad material unevenly on the rotor and glazing the pads.

Being that you state the rear brakes are doing the same, I would venture to guess you are overheating the brakes.

 

I was actually looking at the Power Stop® - Z36 Evolution Drilled and Slotted Disc and Drum Front and Rear Brake Kit. On inspection, the brake pads are worn evenly. My outside mechanic told me to use the parking brake whenever I park because it will auto-adjust the rear drum brakes. That has actually helped. The real issue is that someone actually sued Toyota over faulty rear axles, claiming that the drums warped and because the rear brakes were useless the fronts were doing all the work and that caused the fronts to warp as well. They settled out of court.

 

The bent rear axle was supposedly leading to warped drums, which in turn put all the braking on the front rotors, which then warped from the heat. There was a lawsuit that got settled out of court. I had a 2005 2nd gen for 13 years and put 215k on it and never had brake problems other than replacing pads and turning rotors at 80k and then 160k.

 

I'm taking it to an outside mechanic I know. He's actually honest and works on a racing team. He'll find out what it is. Thank you. I was actually looking at Power Stop® - Z36 Evolution Drilled and Slotted Disc and Drum Front and Rear Brake Kit.

 

It would be pretty difficult for OP to warp all four by user error, so I would also rule that out. It's possible that OP has towed some pretty heavy loads, or that the dealer is incorrect in their assumptions. It is possible that the caliper/drums are sticking, but having all four warp would require a common failure point. Take a drive on the highway for a few miles and pull over and feel the tires/rims. Are they hot to the touch? Break-in could have something to do with it, especially if the new rotors weren't cleaned before installation.

 

The brake bias on a pickup truck is already biased to the front because of weight distribution. I hope it is a simple mechanical problem but you will never know until a mechanic goes through it. It sounds like the dealer won't help so a independent shop is what you need.

 

Honestly I don't know how I am overheating the brakes. As I said, I had a 2005 2nd Gen for 13 years, 215k miles and no issues like this. There was a lawsuit where the plaintiff claimed that Toyota delivered Tacomas with bent rear axles, which caused the drums to warp, which then caused the fronts to take all the load and warp as well. It was settled out of court. I'm taking it to an outside mechanic, not the dealership next time.