New Brake Rotor Warp, 3 times?

I have a 2017 4Runner Nightshade since 2019, put about 40k on it and currently at 68k. Around 66k I got the brakes done at my trusted local mechanic. Within a few hundred miles the rotors warped* and I took it back he redid all the work with replacement parts. A few hundred miles later, warped rotors. I took it back. I talked to him and it was something about California banning asbestos in brake pads. I offered to pay extra for an upgrade or aftermarket or anything to solve this problem but he replaced all the parts from a different supplier and didn't charge me a dime - I saw the invoice it was nearly $800. I even asked if I needed to break them in in any way and he said nope. A few hundred miles: rotor warp.

I've been just enduring it ever since. I can't work on my own stuff anymore so I can't look at it myself. The reason I call it rotor warp is because when very lightly applying the brake (and I mean barely) it's smooth but the second I actually apply them to slow it jerks in time with the rotation of the wheel until stopped. It jerks enough my head moves. It stops fine, it's not like it's lost braking power it just is frigging maddening to jerk jerk jerk every application of the brakes.

I call it rotor warp because that's exactly what it feels like and, in discussing it with the mechanic all three times (before and after each replacement) he never disagreed. I don't think they ever tried to resurface the rotors or measure to verify, they just replaced them twice. Part of me wonders if the ABS got messed up and I was kind of hoping it would go away with winter and it actually being activated. It also happened SO FAST I mean warping before 200 miles is stupid fast from a normal commute. The only other clue as stated is the comment about california banning asbestos in pads. I'm fairly certain when I drove it away from the mechanic each time I thought it was fixed, but I'm not sure there isn't a certain amount of denial going on (e.g. me continuing to avoid fixing it right now).

In any case I'm hoping someone else has experienced this and there is a fix. My next step is to take it to a dealer but I fear the expense and worse, what if at that cost it doesn't get fixed? I'd rather throw the money at an after marked upgrade but again I want some assurance it will get fixed (and I need to find an installer). I seriously hate my 4runner right now and it's one of the best vehicles I've ever owned (or was) and this one stupid thing is ruining it for me. So anybody have a take on this?

 

The new rotors need to be bedded in. This deposits a layer of brake pad material onto the rotor evenly. This has worked for me on any pad and rotor swap on my cars.

 

~2000 miles of normal driving wouldn't have taken care of this?

 

With this happening 3 times, I would be looking at a problem with the calipers. You could very easily have a sticky brake piston that is not allowing the pads to retract. Pad drag = heat. Heat = warping. The reason why I know this is because it happened to me. Same scenario. Except I did all my own work. Replaced the calipers (with OEM new) and I haven't had the problem since.

 

It is but unevenly causing the warped feeling. Look up the procedure for doing it, which includes some low speed and high speed stops before starting to throw parts at the vehicle it may not need. I’m not sure if this can be done with rotors that already have uneven deposits unless you have them turned.

 

OK, this might be a stretch, but this sounds so familiar I am going to provide this anyway.

I went through the same exact issue with the rear brakes on the bicycle in my profile picture. It has disc brakes.

I kept eating rear rotors. On a long trip in the mountains, I destroyed the rear rotor over about 300 miles of riding (long, steep descents on loaded bike). I went through several rear rotors over the next year and kept working with my mechanic to figure out wth was going on. New brake pads, different compounds, different rotors meant to withstand high temps... nothing worked.

He FINALLY identified the issue: the rear caliper had been installed upside down. Once that was corrected, all of my previous issues have gone away.

Might be worth having another mechanice take a look?

 

I honestly can't believe that nobody is even considering the calipers.

 

1. OEM rotors are not warped unless heated red-hot and cooled unevenly
2. rotors are not warped unless it is confirmed by dial gauge. have you done it?
3. Was wheels alignment done recently? just a theory:
it is possible one wheel has Zero toe, making wheel "wandering" inside tolerances of hub bearing as a combination of certain forces applied. adjusting toe equally both wheels to achieve maximum toe 0.34 as equal sum left+right: 0.17 + 0.17.
(not 0.02 + 0.32), to create, let me invent term: "directional preload".
4. Or shop used air gun 1500 FT/LB without proper torque stick and damaged hub while tightening wheels.
5. Anyway, need dial gauge measurement first: rim, rotor and hub.
6. It is cheaper this way. and it is only for unmolested vehicles (not many here)

 

Did the mechanic check the calipers? The front calipers have 4 pistons each, so it’s definitely possible that at least 1 out 8 have siezed up by now (or were damaged when retracted during the brake pad replacement jobs).

If it’s sticking really bad, you might even be able to tell just by looking for heat discoloration or bluing on the rotor surface. Or take it for a normal drive and afterword feel the temp of each wheel (or use a temp gun reading on the rotor surface ). If a wheel/rotor is hotter than it is on the other side, you found your problem.

There’s a small chance that the caliper could be good, but it could still drag/overheat due to internal deterioration of a flexible brake hose. Restricted flow could cause a caliper to have more trouble retracting than the other side. If this ls the case, it will probably show up during bleeding of the brakes if they are bled by pressing the pedal and opening the valve on the caliper….when the valve opens, the pedal feel/movement will feel different compared to the other side. On the bad side, it will be harder press all the way down than the other side (the pedal should drop with very little force if the flow is good through the flexible hose).

Good luck. Post what you find out, because it’s always interesting to know the resolution.

 

As whippersnapper is saying, it's likely pad deposits on the rotor(s). As I understand it, rotors have to get extremely hot (red hot?) before any distortion can occur. As for deposits, they really can last a long time.

 

It might be true that rotors aren’t warped per se, but still be pulsing due to uneven deposition of material. If a caliper doesn’t retract, it will get hot enough to cause issues with pad deposition. For example, if pressure is held on the pads when you stop on a very hit rotor, it could cause deposition on the spot where the pads are resting rotor.

In the end, I think “warped rotor” or uneven deposition result in the same practical effect, coming from the same root cause, overheated rotors.

 

good point but that would be tough to do, not saying it couldnt happen but tough.

id look to see the wear on the pads, if 1 pad side is wearing thin and the other is thick, stuck piston for sure.

 

Stock Rotors are awful. My brand new OEM front rotors warped within a year while using TRD pads on 5th gen. I use EBC GD2 rotor now without any issues. Our 2020 Highlander had same warp issue with stock rotors and pads. Replaced those with BrakePerformance brand.

 

Your mechanic must be very knowledgeable and up to date if he’s blaming CA for banning asbestos in brake pads. The majority of auto manufacturers haven't installed asbestos-containing brake pads since the 1990's due to health concerns. In 2010, Washington and California passed legislation requiring brake pads installed or sold in these states to have no more than 5 percent of copper and no more than 0.1 percent by weight of asbestos, lead, chromium, cadmium, or mercury. Did he install OEM pads and rotors?

 

Here is the trick.. you need to drive very soft and no hard brakes for the first 500-1000 miles.... After that should be good. no need to bed them in like mentioned.
Changed the original rotors with genuine rotors and pads, and no issues what so ever.. very smooth braking...

 

I'd find a new mechanic.

 

Maybe he forgot the pads…

 

3 times, same results = Run away

Maybe get some of your money back!

 

Nope

 

Asbestos had been banned for all brake pads/shoes for decades in the entire country. Your mechanic is full of $hit in that respect.

 

There's a distinct possibility that tha Ops driving habits are to blame. Aside from a proper bedding in, coming to a stop from speed without releasing the pedal at the last moment and keeping the brakes applied after the stop will cause the friction material to weld to the rotor. This causes the misconception that the rotors are warped.

 

No they are not.

 

agreed nothing wrong with them. i have stock rotors and original OEM pads still and in excellent shape from when i bought my car new in April 2022. They have 46000 on them and stop smooth. Proper bedding is key

 

I've only used OEM rotors on my Toyotas. My 2019 has 130k miles on the original rotors.

 

First time I changed my original rotors out on my 2011 SR5 was at 127,000 miles and I only did it because I had the front end apart putting the lift kit in and figured I’d freshen things up. Go OEM!!

 

Some folks just replace rotors because they see that as 'something you just do' on a brake job. I inspect them, and if nothing crazy is going on, I leave them. I've put around 1.5 million miles on Toyotas since 1982, and only replaced bad rotors two or three times. I'll admit I'm a gentle driver and braker, which does help.

 

I've seldom had issues with any OEM rotors since they started using disc brakes in the late '60s shortly after I started driving, but then again I learned to avoid driving habits that would leave brake pad deposits on my rotors. The only times I have had to replace rotors was when I ran the pads down to metal or the rotors were just worn thin from high milage.

 

OP has been driving since before you were born, son and I'm better at it too.

 

I usually get about 60K out of a set of front pads..

 

Maybe change your brake pad material. I've never had any luck with full metallic pads, sure the pads last but they eat the rotors... with my more aggressive driving style.