New To The Forum

[rav4meplease]

Hello, we've just bought our 3rd Rav 4, this time from a Toyota Dealer though, and thought we'd join for some advice...now please don't all shout at me for being a useless woman who hasn't got a clue, BUT, although the brakes are fine on the one we've now bought, the other two both had problems with the brakes, (after spending hundreds of pounds they both still had bad brakes, had the master cylinder changed, servo, etc) and we were just wondering if this is a weakness with the Rav 4's? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be, but the thought was nagging at my hubby so I thought I'd post on here and see if you more knowledgable people had any idea.

I'd test driven four before we bought this one, and all of them had brake issues. The last one I drove was from a Suzuki dealer, an o5 reg diesel that I did an emergency stop on, the brakes seemed to go soft and "crunch" (which I've previously been told is just the abs) which used to happen on our old cars, to the point where even pumping the brakes wouldn't stop the car. Obv we had the pads, discs etc looked at, and were told different things, "its just the ABS" or "it's the master cylinder" or "it's the Servo" so we never knew, and the problems were never resolved. You could sit in the cars and pump the brakes when stationary, with the engine on, and they wouldn't harden (you know like most brakes go harder after the third pump.)

As this has happened with more than one model we've had, and a few we'd test driven, I just wondered if it was a common thing??

Sounds odd, I know, just throwing it out there...sorry if the description of the issue is naff, bear in mind I'm a woman with not much mechanical knowledge at all!! (I also have an 11mth old baby on my lap who's intent with shoving the keyboard drawer back under the pc, making it difficult to type and keep a train of thought!!!)

:)

[jedi134]

Hmmmm You may need to have your right foot serviced :P

Seriously thou, I`ve never heard of brake problems on the RAv`s, seems strange you have driven 4 of them all with bad brakes?

The ABS when it activates will pulse the brake pedal, this is most probably the crunching sound you described.

O and welcome to the forum :)

[rav4meplease]

Hmmmm You may need to have your right foot serviced :P

Seriously thou, I`ve never heard of brake problems on the RAv`s, seems strange you have driven 4 of them all with bad brakes?

The ABS when it activates will pulse the brake pedal, this is most probably the crunching sound you described.

O and welcome to the forum :)

Haha thanks Jedi! :)

I don't drive fast or brake hard, I have two young children and my husband tells me I drive like a granny, usually using gear changes to slow down where I can so as not to wear the brake pads too much, which is probably bad for the gears!!? No idea. I'm still on a steep learning curve when it comes to cars!

Good to hear there's not a problem in general, maybe it's just me getting used to the way they are... the last one we had though there was def something seriously wrong, usually happened under 20mph and on wet/uneven surfaces, brakes would just go soft suddenly, and there would be an awful metallic sound. It terrified me! I love Rav4's tho, would never buy anything other than a Toyota!! The most reliable car I've ever had. Maybe we were just unlucky with that one and it made me extra picky with the ones I test drove.

This one seems absolutely fine :)

Thanks

[rambler]

hi

the only trouble's ive have with my rav's brakes have been the 'clack' clack' brakes,each time you manoeuver the vehicle (i.e shunting it around in a car park for example).

you get a 'clack','clack' from brake pads....this is cured with spacers between the pistons the pads.

and as 'jedi' has also said...'welcome to the club' :) :) ..loads of helpful folk on here

rambler

[jedi134]

"usually happened under 20mph and on wet/uneven surfaces, brakes would just go soft suddenly, and there would be an awful metallic sound."

That will be the ABS kicking in, nothing to worry about, just keep your foot on the brake, its perfecty normal. Here`s some info on the ABS if you fancy a read HERE

As for worring about wearing the brakes out, Don`t use them as much and as hard as you like they will last for 30K miles at least.

[anchorman]

Welcome to the club

There are a few ladies to keep you company, they will say hello soon.

The others are quite right in that the ABS will modulate (make that crunching noise under your foot) if you brake hard. If you had one doing it under normal braking there was probably a toothed ring split on a drive shaft. That causes it to do it all the time. No bother now - thats history but you should be aware that if you sit with your foot hard on the brake with the engine running the pedal will creep down to the floor or certainly very close to it. That is the servo and ABS working normally so don't condemn yours if you notice it doing it.

Keep talking to us and let us know how you get on with your new RAV. Photos would be good!

Cheers

[Ravmania]

Never any problems with brakes here either.

[tilleytoo]

Hi, I'm another one without a clue! My Rav's hopefully coming out of the garage tomorrow, but not because of brake problems. My ABS does seem to kick in sooner than in my husband's car, but may be that just happens to be the road conditions - especially the last few weeks! They have felt a bit soft over the last few weeks. I went into Kwik Fit and asked them to check the brakes - I was actually told that "there was no point in them checking because they didn't stock the parts anyway". ! (I emailed head office about this and got an apology and no of course this was not the attitude they expected from their staff). Anyway, the pads and discs are fine, (I had new ones in 2008). I have to admit that two new tyres last week (a bit late really) made it feel much better, but I was told that would have nothing to do with it. I'll see how it feels when I get it back.

[rav4meplease]

Thanks for the welcome, and for the incredibly informative posts!! I can see I'll learn a thing or three, glad I joined!! I must admit I've been reading posts for a while and finally plucked up the courage to post, I really do love Rav 4's, and this seems like the best place to be.

Good to see there are Rav 4 girls on here too, I feel like I'm clueless too Tilley :)

Thanks too, to the men for not laughing me out of the forum!! I can only just about change the oil, tyres, and oil filter!

I suppose I should quickly say something about me, I'm 30, half Italian half English, florist since I was 17 and work for myself now, but more importantly, wife and mum (my favourite job!!) respectively to a fantastic hubby, and two lovely little ones, 11mths and 6 yrs. My parents had 5 girls of which I was the 4th, and the one chosen by my dad as his replacement "son"!! He used to get me to help him change engines in his diesel peugeot 504 estates (of which he had 7) and they will forever be the cars I associate with my childhood!! I remember him hauling out a diesel engine by putting a chain around it, passing the chain over a rafter, and straining it out. Jeff Capes had nothing on him!! We bought our first Rav4, an R reg, after I decided I needed something to pull a pony trailer and put my hounds into (two Rhodesian Ridgebacks), and I remembered seeing one when I was 12, whilst out fitting kitchens with my dad in the school holidays, we'd pulled up at the house we were going to work in and this car was on the drive, and I was spellbound! I remember thinking, "Rav 4....what a name for a car!" and loving how exotic it looked.

So we bought one, drove to Italy and back in it, and it was our first beloved family car! This is our third, a diesel, 04, 1995cc D-4D XT3. I drove Nissan X-Trails, Mercedes MLs, Hyundai Terracans, and many other 4x4's and nothing drove like a Rav 4!! My hubby isn't mechanically minded at all, like me, and even he was amazed at the feeling he got driving a Rav!!

I'll post some pics, of new and old, but the only one I have of this one is the dealer pic, I'll pop it on anyway until I get a better one..and a picture of us!

Thanks again for your help and lovely welcome!! :)

(Incidentally, my dad is now a Toyota lover too, having an Avensis that has gone around the clock twice, and which he'll probably still have while I'm on my 5th Rav 4!!)

:)

[anchorman]

Well thanks for the pictures and the introduction - if you can change your filters and wheels etc you aren't doing so bad at all. The cars all look good and I'm sure the last will live up to your expectations.

I'm afraid the only picture I have of me is this one in the reflection of my RAV while having a brew after a polishing session. Some say there is a resemblance of some sort but I don't know what they are getting at.

[rav4meplease]

!!!!!!

That made me laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For a split second I thought, "Blimey he looks like........"

I see what you did there. (!)

:)

[tilleytoo]

Brilliant photo!

I can't say I know how to change anything more than a coffee filter, but I was right about the brakes not feeling right - I have a sticking front right caliper!