2003 XLS - Eats Brakes

[iogen70]

My wife is the second owner of an 03 Avalon XLS. 170,000 miles on it and it purrs like a kitten. Her aunt owned it before we did and took exceptional care of the car. This thing eats brakes like I eat popcorn...FAST and all the time. Even when the car had less than 100K on it, brakes, brakes, brakes.

2 years ago it was a frozen rear caliper. We just had it in for front end work November, 2010 and had brakes done at Toyota. Its about 2,800 miles later, and the driver-side just ground through. The steering always shakes too, even before we owned the car. Is this common for these cars? It's getting annoying as heck.

Thanks,

Iogen70, the Toyota Newbie.

[buchaja]

2800 miles and it's "ground through"? No, that's not normal. I assume you're talking about the pads.

Go back to the dealership that did the brake job and have them look at it again.

My '03 developed a severe shimmy at highway speeds somewhere in the first or second year. This was at low miles, about 12 -16k. Toyota trued up the rotor (or rotors, I don't remember) and they've been wearing normally ever since.

[MCX20-XLS]

The brakes are adequate at best. With 3500lbs behind those small 10.8 front rotors, its no surprise this car eats up brake pads. Change the way you drive or upgrade your pads.

[CraZySteve]

My wife has 35,000 miles on Wagner Thermoquiets w/Wagner Rotors and they still have a 1/4" on them.... The car has 116,000 miles on it....

Definitely bring it back to the Stealership that did the work - morons at best if you ask me.....

[bobflood]

Originally Posted by iogen70

My wife is the second owner of an 03 Avalon XLS. 170,000 miles on it and it purrs like a kitten. Her aunt owned it before we did and took exceptional care of the car. This thing eats brakes like I eat popcorn...FAST and all the time. Even when the car had less than 100K on it, brakes, brakes, brakes.

2 years ago it was a frozen rear caliper. We just had it in for front end work November, 2010 and had brakes done at Toyota. Its about 2,800 miles later, and the driver-side just ground through. The steering always shakes too, even before we owned the car. Is this common for these cars? It's getting annoying as heck.

Thanks,

Iogen70, the Toyota Newbie.

Definitely not normal. I easily get 50-60K on a set of front brake pads. Sounds like one side is frozen. You should always pull and lubricate slide pins and every other moving/friction surfaces when you redo brakes. The shake is also not normal.

[avalonshoe]

is it using oem brakes or at least semi-ceramic brakes? my oem pads lasted 75000 miles with over 1/3 life on them. It would have lasted til at least 100k miles on the original set of pads had i not opted for the change. I have 160k+ now only on a second set of oem pads. Rotors are still original and I'm sure they could be turned again.

[eurobob1978]

Double check the lubrication the the slide pins. I just did my brakes for the 4th time and too much lubrication on the caliper slide pins was causing it to not move straight in and out and was hanging up. Too much lube is a bad thing from my experience on the caliper, especially the rears.

[avalonshoe]

Originally Posted by eurobob1978

Double check the lubrication the the slide pins. I just did my brakes for the 4th time and too much lubrication on the caliper slide pins was causing it to not move straight in and out and was hanging up. Too much lube is a bad thing from my experience on the caliper, especially the rears.

I concur. My baby (avalon) turned 11 years old, I may consider replacing the pins. But may see if i can mirror polish the pins, then apply light lube.

I do this for my guns, the wear-and-tear environment is just as harsh, if not harsher.