2001 Toyota 4Runner Brakes Problems

ON OCTOBER 11TH 2014, I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 4RUNNER, ON MY WAY TO WORK. HAD JUST TURNED OFF A ROAD WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55. AS I HIT 35MPH, MY CAR COMES TO A JOLTING STOP WITH A LOUD BANG AND DRAG ON THE TIRES. THE CAR STILL RAN, BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I HAD TO FINISH WALKING TO MY JOB, AS I WAS CELLPHONE-LESS AT THE TIME. I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED HOME, MISSING AN ENTIRE DAY'S WORK, WHICH WAS A LOSS OF 120$. THE GUY WHO TOWED ME TOLD ME IT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY REAR END. SO I HAD A FAMILY FRIEND WHO IS A RETIRED MECHANIC LOOK IT OVER TO SEE IF HE COULD SPOT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. FIRST THING NOTICED WAS MY EMERGENCY BREAK WAS ON AND FROZEN. THEY REMOVE IT, CLEAN IT, PUT IT BACK ON. I START THE CAR, GO TO MOVE IT AND THERES A CONTINUOUS LOUD BANG AND THE CAR AGAIN COMES TO THE STOP. THE EMERGENCY BREAK FROZE AGAIN. THEY ONCE AGAIN TAKE IT OFF, AND SO FAR IT HASN'T REFROZE. HOWEVER, MY CAR IS STILL MAKING THE LOUD BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END, WHICH THEY HAVE CONCLUDED IS COMING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING UNIT. WHICH THEY FOUND A DECENT SIZED HOLE IN, WHICH IT APPEARS SOMEONE TRIED TO COVER WITH A YELLOW GLUE TYPE SUBSTANCE. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR, AND AM NOW CARLESS. AS I HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN, AND CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT CAN COST UP TO $3,000 TO FIX. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY GOING 35 MPH WHEN IT BROKE, AND THERE WAS NO ONE FOLLOWING BEHIND ME, OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN RE ENDED, AND HAD MORE TO FIX THAT I ALREADY DO. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL CAR, AND TOYOTA REALLY NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT!!! IT'S FAIRLY DANGEROUS. I LOVED THIS CAR BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. BUT NOW IT'S USELESS TIL I CAN AFFORD THIS FIX. *TR

NHTSA ID

10651885

Incident

Oct 11, 2014

Mileage

198,000 mi

BRAKE PEDAL PULSATION DUE TO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. REPLACED PADS AND TURNED ROTORS AND PROBLEM WAS GONE FOR THREE TO FOUR WEEKS. PROBLEM CAME BACK. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED PERSISTENTLY FOR OVER 100K MILES. I AM THE SECOND OWNER, PURCHASED AT 32K IN 2003. *TR

NHTSA ID

10340288

Incident

Jun 27, 2010

Mileage

32,000 mi

ON THE EVENING OF 2-4-10, I WAS TRAVELING ON AN ANGLED, CURVED, ON-RAMP TO A FREEWAY, WHEN THE VSC (VEHICLE SKID CONTROL) SUDDENLY AND AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED THE VEHICLE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE SPEED WAS APPROX. THE RECOMMENDED SPEED FOR THE TURN. THE CONDITIONS WERE WET, AS IT HAD BEEN RAINING OFF AND ON ALL DAY. A BEEPING SOUND WAS HEARD, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE VEHICLE LOST TRACTION, AND TRAVELED IN A TANGENT/STRAIGHT DIRECTION TO THE CURVED ON-RAMP. I HAD ZERO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR ~3 LONG SECONDS, AND ENDED UP SIDEWAYS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS HURT NOR CLOSE BY. THIS COULD EASILY HAPPEN ON A YIELD TURN, CAUSING A BLIND-SIDED T-BONE COLLISION, OR REAR-ENDED COLLISION. THIS FAULTY SYSTEM NEEDS IMMEDIATE FIXING, AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10310247

Incident

Feb 4, 2001

Mileage

90,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING A 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ON A 2 LANE MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY A COUPLE YEARS AGO. WINTERTIME, WET ROAD. GOING 50 MPH AROUND A WIDE RIGHT TURN, THE ANTI-SKID BRAKE SYSTEM SUDDENLY SCREECHED AT ME, AND APPARENTLY APPLIED THE BRAKES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR, CAUSING IT TO SWERVE LEFT TOWARDS THE OPPOSING LANE OF TRAFFIC. I MANAGED TO CORRECT, AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I WENT WITH MY FRIEND WHOSE CAR IT WAS TO THE DEALER LATER AND DESCRIBED THE OCCURRENCE. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT ONE OF THE TIRES WAS LOW. I NEVER TRUST ANTI-SKID BRAKE SYSTEMS SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE. THIS KIND OF RESPONSE IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. THAT SAME CAR ALSO HAD A FIRMWARE GLITCH IN THE 4 WHEEL SYSTEM THAT WOULD CAUSE THE 4 WHEEL NOT TO BE DISABLED UNTIL YOU PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE FOR A BIT, ON AN UNFREQUENTED BASIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10307789

Incident

Jan 12, 2008

2001 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 4WD WHILE SPEED 30 TO 40 MPH DRIVING IN A SLOW RIGHT BANK ( NOT A CURVE) HEAR LOW BEEP NOISE SKID LITE ICON COMES ON AND AS IF TRUCK TOOK OVER I LOST STEERING , BRAKES AND POWER . BRAKES WERE ACTIVATING ON THEIR OWN AND THE TRUCK PROCEDED ACROSS YELLOW LINE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC!!! TOYOTA PULL CODES NOTHING SAID I MUST HAD PUT TRUCK IN A SKID . NO I DIDNOT PUT TRUCK INTO SKID. HAPPEN AGAIN THIS TIME WIFE FOLLOWING ME AND SHE WITNESS IT ALSO . SHE SAID IT WAS AS IF I WAS STEERING IT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10289932

Incident

Oct 25, 2009

Mileage

105,000 mi

VERY STRONG VIBRATION/SHAKING FELT WHEN BRAKING HARD OR DOWNHILL. ROTORS AND BRAKES ARE GOOD. *NM

NHTSA ID

10104686

Incident

Mar 1, 2004

Mileage

50,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A BEEPING NOISE AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ALL 4 WHEELS THEN LOCKED UP SIMULTANEOUSLY WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO SWERVE, ALMOST COLLIDING WITH OTHER VEHICLES. PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES DURING TRIP. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE YAW CONTROL SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO THINK IT WAS FLIPPING OVER, THUS TAKING CONTROL OF VEHICLE.*JB

NHTSA ID

10002580

Incident

Dec 1, 2002

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT A SUDDEN/ EMERGENCY STOP VEHICLE WOULD SLIDE OR SKID BEFORE STOPPING. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

896022

Incident

Jun 24, 2001

BRAKE PEDAL IS OF SUCH DESIGN THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES CONSUMER HAS TO TURN FOOT SIDEWAYS TO GET PEDAL TO DEPRESS. ARM THAT ATTACHES TO PEDAL GOES UPWARD, AND IS IN THE WAY WHEN APPLYING BRAKE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED TOYOTA, WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

891219

Incident

Jun 20, 2001