What's wrong with your calipers?
Nothing beats OE parts.

 

Anything is better than the crappy stock front calipers that love to seize up. ES330 front ones if you're sticking with the stock rotors or 2nd gen / 3rd gen + HL if you have 17" rims or larger and want bigger brakes. All the new calipers are made in China, no matter what the brand is. I have had terrible luck with aftermarket calipers, so I just have 5-yo-old calipers on mine (From 2019 Sienna).

Maybe you can find NOS online?

 

you really don't have a choice. all are a toss-up today. best is to rebuild what you have with OEM parts from the dealer if you have the skill. otherwise...pick one. It really isn;t that big of a deal.

 

I actually used some cheap China made no name painted calipers in my 2007 Highlander without any issue nearly three years later. Calipers are simple hydraulic devices that will work well if the pistons are smooth, the piston and slide pin bores are smooth , and the seals are good enough(no leaks) to hold the brake fluid pressure to move the pistons. No need to buy expensive OEM replacements if the aftermarket versions are made well.

 

I will be having new rotors, brake pads and brake hoses installed next summer. The calipers on my car are factory original. They seem to be in good shape, but I want to replace them anyway since I am having all of the other work done. Toyota calipers are over $300 each. Everywhere I look for information on brake calipers states that they should be replace every 100k miles before a problem occurs. So, at 223K miles, my car would be due for new ones.

 

My old brake calipers was working(I believe) with 220k miles on them, but were very rusty and just looked bad. Hence why I changed them, however the old calipers could be rebuilt with new pistons and seals if they did have an issue. I just decided to put is some cheap new replacements. I believe the aftermarket fronts calipers were about $100 a set and rears were about $70 a set.

Here is how my old calipers looked.The previous owner installed some fresh front pads in the old calipers so I assume they was working fine.

 

The reviews I have read for many (not all) non-OEM calipers have not been a confidence builder. When 10% or more of the reviews are about build/manufacture quality, poor fit, damaged parts, poor anti-rust coating, etc., I am hesitant to take that chance with a purchase. It is only a brake caliper - it is not complicated high tech engineering. These reviews should be close to 100% positive. It shows poor quality control by the manufacturer. Who makes Toyota OEM calipers?

 

What I noticed is that many owners/shade tree mechanics who buy/install aftermarket parts like calipers never really properly flush out the old brake fluid and debris(rust,dirt) that end up contaminating the new aftermarket brake calipers. Generally it is the installer with no experience,lazy, or lack proper knowledge that causes the issue; not the aftermarket calipers. However, it is the DIY/shade tree mechanic that give the negative reviews on the after market parts that they improperly installed.

Many owners who just reinstall OEM calipers generally have a Toyota service center properly install them which include a brake fluid flush. So they most likely do not have any issues, which means that Toyota brake calipers are not some over engineered part compared to the after-market calipers but are just installed correctly more than the aftermarket calipers.

I performed an complete brake fluid flush before installing my cheap no-name aftermarket brake calipers and no issues 3 year later.

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Aisin makes the calipers for an 01-07 Highlander, later 2nd gen Highlanders and all newer Toyotas have calipers made by Advics. I find the reliability on the Advics calipers much better, even though Aisin is involved with Advics as a company.

 

Modern brake hose materials don’t have the water vapor permeability issue that was the primary cause of brake fluid contamination 30+ years ago. My problems with calipers (annoyingly large sample) are exclusively due to problems external to the hydraulic system.

On aftermarket you can expect increased problems with stuck bleed valves, stuck pins, stuck or badly corroded pistons, bad hardware, out of tolerance carriers, leaky rubber boots…

Tokico was oe on my car.

 

Modern brake hose materials don’t have the water vapor permeability issue that was the primary cause of brake fluid contamination 30+ years ago. My problems with calipers (annoyingly large sample) are exclusively due to problems external to the hydraulic system.

On aftermarket you can expect increased problems with stuck bleed valves, stuck pins, stuck or badly corroded pistons, bad hardware, out of tolerance carriers, leaky rubber boots…

Tokico was oe on my car.

Brake fluid is still hygroscopic(absorbs water) and needs to be changed every 2-3 years even now in 2024. Therefore, if the brake fluid is not changed every 2-3 years; then the internal metal brake lines and metal brake calipers can become corroded due to water contamination. Aftermarket brake parts(or any parts) can be a hit or miss depending on the brand. Fact of life since some companies cut corners or make crappy parts that are cheap. That goes for any product made.

As for brake calipers; they are easy to make and are generally good to use if they are smooth operating when first installed after a brake fluid system flush.

If you feel better buying $700 Toyota brake calipers go for it, but I have had good results from after market calipers when properly installed after a brake fluid flush.

I used the same(or similar) no-name after-market brake calipers on my 2015 Lexus RX350 as well about a year ago and no issues so far.

 

From what I can conclude from all of the various reviews is that 90%, give or take, of the calipers are just fine. But I don't want to take a 1 out of 10, or even a 1 out of 20 chance that something I order on the internet from an after-market manufacturer is going to have some kind of problem right away or a year later. Also, I have an excellent repair shop near me that will allow customers to bring in their own (new) parts. Many repair places will not permit this. I would not change brake calipers by myself - only though a repair shop.

 

I perform my own repairs so I can easily just swap in another caliper or be fine with replacing them every 3 years or so when I change the brake fluid if they are having any issues by then due to how cheap they are.

Maybe it would best in your case to just spend money on OEM replacements at a dealership for a better piece of mind and the warranty coverage Toyota provides.

 

I finally purchased a set of TRQ new front and rear brake calipers. After much research (overkill) I decided to go aftermarket with this particular brand. I bought them on Amazon for just over $300. The Toyota OEM calipers, front and rear, would have been just under $1000. I am saving almost $700 for a 2007 Highlander Limited with over 230k miles. If these crap out on me before 5 years (if my car is still running), it will be a lesson learned, and I will go back to OEM. I can afford to lose $300 on this particular gamble. I will have them installed next month (May) and will keep you updated. I am also having new Centric (Power Stop) slotted rotors, Centric brake hoses and Akebono Ultra-Premium ceramic brake pads installed. I only drive 6-7k miles a year, so this could be my last first and last brake work done on the mighty Highlander.

 

The front calipers arrived today. They look pretty nice. I have attached some photos.

 

The TRQ calipers looks very very similar to the off-name calipers I bought for about $100 cheaper online. I believe that TRQ probably sourced those calipers from the same(or similar) Chinese supplier that made the ones I purchased . The additional cost is more from TRQ up-charging to make a profit I believe.

 

Looking good! If the factory ones can't be rebuilt for any reason, new ones are the way to go!

 

I know that these are manufactured in China. TRQ has a QC/testing facility in Massachusetts. The reviews are mostly very positive. I am a little unsure about Chinese made aftermarket calipers, but if they work out good, then I am saving $700. The Toyota calipers are probably marked up quite a bit.

 

I am sure that they will work just fine. My similar Chinese made calipers are still working just fine three years later after I installed them on 2007 HL.

 

The rear brake calipers arrived today. Here are some photos.

 

Here are the brake hoses, brake pads and rear/front rotors.. I am all set for installation.

 

My advice would be to flush out all of the old brake fluid before using your new calipers. Flush out the new calipers with fresh brake fluid to rinse out any small debris inside the calipers and brake lines. I used a power bleeder.

 

Thanks. I did not think of flushing the new calipers to clear out any possible debris. Good tip.

 

I use a Harbor Freight vacuum bleeder and teflon tape around the bleeder screw. Vacuum allows air bubbles in the lines to expand, while pressure compresses the bubbles. For me it's easier with the vacuum setup than my old Motive bleeder, which I tossed years ago, as it seemed to introduce more bubbles and moisture into the brake fluid.

There was enough time for me to manually check and refill the reservoir (shutting off the vacuum if needed), so I didn't use the fancy Holt reservoir that would tip. In retrospect, I think the cheaper Pittsburgh bleeder will work just fine too, but Holt was on sale then, so didn't ouch as much.

https://www.harborfreight.com/brake-fluid-bleeder-92924.html

Pneumatic Air Operated Brake Bleeder with Auto-Refill Kit

Amazing deals on this Pneumatic Brake Bleeder Kit at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

i use the little harborfreight hand pump bleeder. it "works" but indeed will pull air through the bleeder threads.

 

Hand pump works. I used to smear some brake lube around the threads, but I find a thicker teflon tape from Home Depot works better. Wrap a few time and just thread in 2-3 threads. The regular thinner teflon tends to stick to the threads more, but I use a wirebrush to help clean it off.

 

I finally got my total brake overhaul/replacement done. Here are some pictures of the old calipers. I don't have any of the rotors. Braking is fantastically better.