WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A CONTROLLED (LIGHT) INTERSECTION, MY REAR WHEEL SKIDDED SLIGHTLY ON THE WET PAVEMENT. AT THAT POINT THE ABS SYSTEM KICKED IN AND TOTALLY LOCKED UP THE LEFT REAR WHEEL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN 180 DEGREES AND TEARING THE RIGHT REAR TIRE COMPLETELY OFF THE WHEEL. DURING THIS SPIN I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE WHICH ENDED UP CROSSING THE HIGHWAY DIVIDER BEFORE COMING TO REST IN THE LANE OF THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY NO VEHICLES HAPPENED TO BE IN THAT LANE AT THE TIME OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER WHO CLAIMED THAT A CHECK OF THE COMPUTER REVEALED NO ERRONEOUS MESSAGE FROM THE ABS SYSTEM, LEADING THEM TO CONCLUDE THAT THERE WAS NO EQUIPMENT FAILURE DESPITE THE OBVIOUS EVIDENCE OF THE TIRE HAVING BEEN TORN OFF THE WHEEL. I FEEL THAT IF THIS HAD OCCURRED AT EVEN A MODERATELY HIGHER SPEED THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE OVERTURNED, AND IF IT HAD OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD HAVE LED TO SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. ONCE I DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT AS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THE DEALER REFUSED TO WORK ON THE CAR CLAIMING LEGAL LIABILITY CONCERNS. *TR
2003
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR FRONT BRAKE REPLACEMENT AT 121,679 MILES. FIRST SET OF FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT 70,452 MILES. TECH CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT FRONT CALIPERS WERE FROZEN AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. SEEMS TO BE A RELATIVELY COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR HIGH MILEAGE 4 RUNNERS. SAME TIME HAD RIGHT AXLE BOOT REPLACED AS WELL. $1,118.00 FOR THE WHOLE JOB! OF COURSE I ALMOST KEELED OVER BUT HAD TO HAVE THE WORK DONE, AND WANTED DEALER TO PERFORM THE WORK SO I WOULDN'T HAVE ISSUES LATER IF ANYTHING WENT WRONG. HAVE HAD ALL WORK DONE AT THIS DEALER AND THEY'VE STOOD BEHIND ALL THEIR WORK, BUT WAS STILL A BIT DISAPPOINTED THAT THE FRONT CALIPERS WERE SHOT. CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGE KEPT, AND KEPT CLEAN, INSIDE AND OUT. IN FACT, STILL LOOKS LIKE A NEW CAR. *TR
