2002 Tundra Brake Rotor Problems

[Rice Burner]

Hi Everyone,
I have a 2002 Tundra 4X4, V-8, Limited with 29K miles on it that had front brake pulsation since the truck was new. Every time I had a state inspection done on the truck the dealer told me that he would work with me when the time came to have the rotors replaced when they got bad enough and needed to be replaced, well Monday,(7/7/08), I had the pads replaced and the rotors replaced for state inspection at the dealer. The dealer said I might be able to get away until the next oil change with the pads and the truck would pass inspection but I decided to get the pads replaced now while I had the time to have it done.
The dealer also said that the rotors were out of round and had to be replaced, even though the pulsation in the brake pedal was not all that bad.
The dealer said that the warped rotors were a common problem, along with other brake problems, with the Tundra.
The inspection, pads, and rotor replacement came to $500.00,(Ouch!).
Can any of you other Tundra owners tell me if you have had or heard of problems with the Tundra Rotors?
I called Toyota Customer Assistance and complained about the bad rotors and they are turning my complaint over to the customer service representative from the dealer.
The dealer has not taken care of me, as promised originally.
If anyone could give me some feedback concerning this rotor problem, ASAP, I would greatly appreciate it. It would give me something to work with when I get back to The Toyota Customer Satisfaction Dept. I want to show Toyota that I am not the only owner that had problems with out of round rotors since the truck was new and Toyota had bad material in their rotors to begin with.

Sincerely,
Rice Burner

[Bruce1]

Mine: '02, V8, 2WD, SR5.

As for me, I've had no rotor problems with a little over 50k miles. If you're collecting data....I've not nothing to report.

But, I drive like a little ol' lady much of the time. No trailer pulling, and not much heavy hauling.

[bamafire]

It would appear that the brakes are undersized. My 02 had this same problem several times over. I replaced the factory type junk with Powerstop cross drilled rotors and Porterfield kevlar pads three years ago. The problem has not returned as of yet and the truck stops great. It is possible that you may get Toyota to fix it under the TSB, however if it looks as if it's gonna be a fight, you may be better off to bite the bullet and pay 250-300 dollars and just be done with it. There are other solutions on this forum which may be just as good, but the parts described above worked very well for me and I don't sweat it anymore.

[bamafire]

Sorry. I misunderstood your post. If the problem returns, see above. Search this forum for the TSB number on the rotors, and then google it to arm yourself with info.

[gquenstedt]

the calipers should have been replaced under the TSB. warped rotors are very common on these trucks. have you had your rear brakes adjusted?

[Rice Burner]

Originally Posted by gquenstedt

the calipers should have been replaced under the TSB. warped rotors are very common on these trucks. have you had your rear brakes adjusted?

Hi,
I was told a by my dealer assistant service manager when I first started feeling the pedal pulsation that my truck already had the new style, bigger calipers installed right from the factory and TSB did not apply to my truck because of this.
I never adjusted my rear brakes, but the same assistant service manager that told me my truck did not qualify for the caliper TSB, also told me that by using my parking brake frequently and backing up would self adjust my rear brakes and put less wear on the front pads.
Thanks,
Rice Burner

[gquenstedt]

Originally Posted by Rice Burner

Hi,
I was told a by my dealer assistant service manager when I first started feeling the pedal pulsation that my truck already had the new style, bigger calipers installed right from the factory and TSB did not apply to my truck because of this.
I never adjusted my rear brakes, but the same assistant service manager that told me my truck did not qualify for the caliper TSB, also told me that by using my parking brake frequently and backing up would self adjust my rear brakes and put less wear on the front pads.
Thanks,
Rice Burner

If you do have the new calipers, thats good. Using the parking brake supposedly adjusts the rear brakes, but it is not very effective. I have to adjust mine every couple of months. I would get them adjusted, either at the dealer or any good shop, or if you think you can do it, do a search on here for it. The drums should be removed and cleaned and then adjusted so they can still be removed and installed without much effort.

[ctw41]

If you feel the pulsation in the steering wheel it's probably front rotors, but if you don't feel it in the steering wheel your rear drums may be be worn. I had to have my rear drums turned to get rid of pulsations.