2001 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON 7/15/18 AND AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE A LOUD NOISE STARTED BUZZING FROM MY DASHBOARD AND MY BRAKE LIGHT, ABS, AND VSC LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AT ONCE. MY BRAKES HAD COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO THE FLOOR WHEN I PRESSED IT AND IT WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. I ALMOST WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE OF MY BRICK GARAGE. LUCKILY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ALLOWED ME TO STOP BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. I CANNOT IMAGINE IF THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED AT THIS SPEED. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 17 YEARS AND I HAD NEVER HAD A DASH LIGHT OR SOUND COME ON. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF A WARNING! BRAKES SHOULD NOT JUST COMPLETELY FAIL WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT OR WARNING. I HAVE SEEN A FEW OTHER POSTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING FOR OTHER LAND CRUISER OWNERS AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED ON THE KING OF SUV'S.

THE SPARE TIRE IS HELD IN PLACE WITH A STEEL CABLE THAT BROKE SPONTANEOUSLY AFTER 14 YEARS OF STRESS SUPPORTING THE WEIGHT OF A HEAVY SPARE TIRE. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY IT MAY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I SUSPECT THAT THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TO ANY VEHICLE THAT DEPENDS ON A SINGLE STEEL CABLE TO HOLD UP A SPARE TIRE.

ON MAY 29,2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 1 PM, I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WAITING FOR APPROACHING TRAFFIC TO CLEAR SO THAT I COULD MAKE A LEFT TURN. SUDDENLY, I HEARD A BUZZER ALARM AND NUMEROUS DASH BOARD LIGHTS LIT UP, INCLUDING ABS, VSC, BRAKE, ETC.COMPLETING THE TURN, I REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES WERE VIRTUALLY NON FUNCTIONAL AND REQUIRED EXTREME FORCE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. I DROVE TO MY NEARBY HOME AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AND PARKED THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE. UPON RETURNING FROM A TRIP I HAD THE TOWING COMPANY FLATBED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSTICS CONCLUDED THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST IS $3100 INCLUDING A SLIGHT DISCOUNT SINCE I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR OVER 16 YEARS. THE SERVICE MANAGER COULD NOT RECALL A SIMILAR REPAIR DURING HIS 18 YEARS WITH THE TOYOTA AGENCY. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN I WAS STOPPED. HAD IT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS OR DRIVING DOWN THE LONG AND STEEP ROADS IN MY COMMUNITY I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS AND PERHAPS A FATAL ACCIDENT. I HAVE A PHD IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WITH OVER 32 YEARS OF INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE. THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE HAS A LATENT DESIGN FLAW WITHOUT A FAIL SAFE BACKUP. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, REDESIGN THE FAULTY COMPONENTS, NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM AND RECALL ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE TO HAVE TOYOTA PICK UP THE REPAIR COST. OF COURSE, THEY DID NOTHING, QUOTING THE EXPIRATION OF THE WARRANTY, ETC,ETC.I BELIEVE THE ONLY RECOURSE IS FOR THE NHTSA TAKE ACTION AGAINST TOYOTA. *TR

ON MAY 29,2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 1 PM, I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WAITING FOR APPROACHING TRAFFIC TO CLEAR SO THAT I COULD MAKE A LEFT TURN. SUDDENLY, I HEARD A BUZZER ALARM AND NUMEROUS DASH BOARD LIGHTS LIT UP, INCLUDING ABS, VSC, BRAKE, ETC.COMPLETING THE TURN, I REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES WERE VIRTUALLY NON FUNCTIONAL AND REQUIRED EXTREME FORCE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. I DROVE TO MY NEARBY HOME AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AND PARKED THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE. UPON RETURNING FROM A TRIP I HAD THE TOWING COMPANY FLATBED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSTICS CONCLUDED THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST IS $3100 INCLUDING A SLIGHT DISCOUNT SINCE I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR OVER 16 YEARS. THE SERVICE MANAGER COULD NOT RECALL A SIMILAR REPAIR DURING HIS 18 YEARS WITH THE TOYOTA AGENCY. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN I WAS STOPPED. HAD IT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS OR DRIVING DOWN THE LONG AND STEEP ROADS IN MY COMMUNITY I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS AND PERHAPS A FATAL ACCIDENT. I HAVE A PHD IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WITH OVER 32 YEARS OF INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE. THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE HAS A LATENT DESIGN FLAW WITHOUT A FAIL SAFE BACKUP. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, REDESIGN THE FAULTY COMPONENTS, NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM AND RECALL ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE TO HAVE TOYOTA PICK UP THE REPAIR COST. OF COURSE, THEY DID NOTHING, QUOTING THE EXPIRATION OF THE WARRANTY, ETC,ETC.I BELIEVE THE ONLY RECOURSE IS FOR THE NHTSA TAKE ACTION AGAINST TOYOTA. *TR

ON MAY 29,2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 1 PM, I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WAITING FOR APPROACHING TRAFFIC TO CLEAR SO THAT I COULD MAKE A LEFT TURN. SUDDENLY, I HEARD A BUZZER ALARM AND NUMEROUS DASH BOARD LIGHTS LIT UP, INCLUDING ABS, VSC, BRAKE, ETC.COMPLETING THE TURN, I REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES WERE VIRTUALLY NON FUNCTIONAL AND REQUIRED EXTREME FORCE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. I DROVE TO MY NEARBY HOME AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AND PARKED THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE. UPON RETURNING FROM A TRIP I HAD THE TOWING COMPANY FLATBED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSTICS CONCLUDED THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST IS $3100 INCLUDING A SLIGHT DISCOUNT SINCE I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR OVER 16 YEARS. THE SERVICE MANAGER COULD NOT RECALL A SIMILAR REPAIR DURING HIS 18 YEARS WITH THE TOYOTA AGENCY. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN I WAS STOPPED. HAD IT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS OR DRIVING DOWN THE LONG AND STEEP ROADS IN MY COMMUNITY I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS AND PERHAPS A FATAL ACCIDENT. I HAVE A PHD IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WITH OVER 32 YEARS OF INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE. THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE HAS A LATENT DESIGN FLAW WITHOUT A FAIL SAFE BACKUP. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, REDESIGN THE FAULTY COMPONENTS, NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM AND RECALL ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE TO HAVE TOYOTA PICK UP THE REPAIR COST. OF COURSE, THEY DID NOTHING, QUOTING THE EXPIRATION OF THE WARRANTY, ETC,ETC.I BELIEVE THE ONLY RECOURSE IS FOR THE NHTSA TAKE ACTION AGAINST TOYOTA. *TR