NHTSA Complaint #11218830 — 2004 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE "BRAKE" WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH THE HIGH PITCH AUDIBLE BRAKE FAILURE ALARM. APPROXIMATELY 1,000 - 2,000 FEET LATER ALL BRAKE FUNCTION CEASED ENTIRELY, ONLY BY APPLYING PARKING BRAKE AND PLACING THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL WAS STOPPING POSSIBLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. POPPING HOOD TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF FLUID LEAK, ETC, WE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR WAS OVER FILLED SIGNIFICANTLY - IT HAD NOT BEEN EARLIER AND THE BRAKES HAD RECENTLY BEEN SERVICED. A CURSORY SEARCH OF "LAND CRUISER BRAKE FAILURE" ONLINE YIELDED NUMEROUS REPORTS ON TOYOTA MESSAGE BOARDS OF IDENTICAL SITUATIONS: BRAKE LIGHT AND ALARM, TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WITHIN MOMENTS, OWNERS FINDING THAT THE FAILURE RESULTED IN FLUID RETURNING TO THE RESERVOIR OVERFILLING IT. THERE APPEAR TO BE NO FLUID LEAKS OR BRAKE LINE FAILURES. IN ADDITION TO THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS, ALL OF THE TRACTION CONTROL, ANTI-SKID, AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ARE NOW ILLUMINATED - I UNDERSTAND THAT EACH ARE ALSO POWERED BY THE BRAKE SYSTEM. WE HAVE NOT YET HAD OUR VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC, IN MOST OF THE SITUATIONS IDENTICAL TO OURS WE FOUND ONLINE, THE CAUSE WAS THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER MOTOR. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL COMPONENTS MAY FAIL EVENTUALLY. HOWEVER, IN OUR SITUATION, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT WARNING OF IMMINENT BRAKE FAILURE. HAD THE VEHICLE BEEN ON A HIGHWAY OR A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. FINALLY, WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CROSS-CHECK THIS SITUATION WITH OTHER TOYOTA SUVS AND TRUCKS FROM 1995 - 2006 AS IN OUR INITIAL RESEARCH ONLINE THESE INCIDENTS SEEMED COMMON TO TOYOTA VEHICLES MODEL YEARS SPANNING A LONG PERIOD.