2021 Tacoma brakes

Has anyone had issues with the brakes on the 2021 Tacoma’s? We have had it 1 week and noticed when stopped at a light, that the truck would move forward with the same pressure on the pedal....... Then yesterday, it bumped into the car ahead so slowly, that it wasn’t even noticed that it was moving. We are very seasoned drivers....... so I can tell you that’s not it. I feel grateful that there was a car there before it rolled into the intersection. We drove a 2014 Tacoma before this one and the brakes never did this or felt strange....... Was this 2021 the lemon off the factory line?? Our salesman said he had never heard of this happening before........I just can’t imagine we are the only ones........Taking it in tomorrow.

 

You likely just need a little more force on the pedal and a lot more attention to what you're doing while driving. Let the dealer check it out for sure but I doubt there is anything wrong with the truck.

 

These trucks also utilize a computer to adjust pressure when needed, for instance if the truck believes you are taking too long to break (distance between you and the vehicle in front of you is closing the gap too slow) it will adjust the pressure for you (not sure of the technical term). I had a guy slam on breaks in front of me and when I went to break I barely touched my break pedal to come to a complete stop, the truck had already started to do the braking, or maybe pre-presurrized the break system. Once I released the break to move up a bit I had to press the peddle much further down to stop the truck. It is in the manual not sure what page though.

I am…. a bit confused how one could not notice they were moving forward and not see the truck get closer to the car in front of you, if you left enough safe space between the vehicles.

 

That's the emergency braking function of TSS-P. Completely separate from the OP's issue.

 

Note that ORs / Pros have an electrically boosted brake master cylinder. It has a different feel than the classic vacuum booster on typical cars and all other Tacos. Give it time for you to get used to it and for the brakes to completely bed in.

 

You didn't notice you were moving and crashed into the car in front of you at a red light? That doesn't sound like a "seasoned" driver to me. Sounds like a distracted one that's trying to pass the blame to the vehicle.

 

Welcome to TW.

Lets start with the basics. My personal habit when braking (any vehicle) is as I slow to a stop, I often lightly let up on the pedal so that the stop is gentle. Once its stopped however, I always firmly plant it back down. I keep my foot heavy enough that the brakes would still be engaged even through the bodily jolt of a rear-end collision. It's the safe and right thing to do.

Personally I have never had a vehicle creep so slow that I failed to notice it. I have had vehicles creep on me if I wasnt properly paying attention, but I knew that the fault in those cases could be 100% blamed on the unit that sits between my ears.

 

Very different feel. I was coming from a 3,500lb sedan so driving a heavier truck with different feeling brakes, it took time to adjust to sensitivity and pressure applied. Almost made the same mistake as OP when I was not holding the brake hard enough. Luckily had enough distance and noticed the truck rolling forward.

Also annoying is the rpm increase with steering input. That can catch you off guard (especially when cold) if you're not used to it.

 

Yeah, I knew it was part of the TSS-P I was just trying not to make any assumptions on how they came to a stop... IF they did trigger the TSS-P and it did adjust the pressure then it is very easy to not notice you release enough brake pressure for the TSS-P to kick back off and thus your peddle would need to be engaged much harder to keep the vehicle from moving forward.

However your next post is also a good explanation on how it could have happened. In both cases driver needs to be more aware.

 

I do find I have to put in more pedal input to remain stopped in this truck compared to most things I've owned for whatever reason.

 

From what I have seen, you will get a system message whenever a TSS-P function triggers.

 

Oh yeah, it scares the crap out of me when it triggers from a parked car on a 90 degree corner. Big warning on console and loud bells.

 

Aww man! I don't have TSS-P and had to tear out the dash speaker. Too many chimes. It would certainly be gone with a 2018+.


There is some weird zen with gone though. Waiting at a stop light with the turn signal on and no sound. Just a joy.

 

The brakes in my 2019 TRDOR and my 2011 FJ were/are very similar. Both had ABS, ATRAC, traction control etc.

They both did/do what your describing if you're not applying enough pressure.

There is no vacuum booster in our trucks, just an electric pump with an accumulator to store pressurized fluid on both trucks. On the "electric" version with a pump and accumulator the pressure in the accumulator will very slowly bleed off until it gets to a certain "low threshold" and then the pump runs again and re-pressurizes the system.
The system bleeding off pressure is normal and pumping the brakes with the key off to deliberately "bleed off" the pressure is part of the steps req'd for several maint tasks. Incl bleeding the brakes.... shit, that's a lot off bleeding going on, I'm done .

On a braking system with an engine vacuum booster you have constant "assist" as the you sit there stopped. The engine is making the same amount of vacuum at idle the whole time you're sitting there.

The first time the Tacoma did this was a WTF moment. I looked under the hood and it became clear, same system as the FJ, same quirk.

So, long story short..... It's probably normal.

YMMV RON

 

Normal. My taco does this. First time I realized I was moving forward was in a jack in the box drive thru. Now I put it in park and park brake on.

 

This is a scary statement. How, as an operator do you NOT NOTICE your vehicle MOVING? What else are you not noticing?

This is spot on. The ol’ Limo Stop.
I do this from pedal bikes, to motorcycles, to cars/trucks, to full on transports. Never once have I had a vehicle move on me after coming to a complete stop.

Heres a great video for anyone not familiar with this braking technique..

 

I think it probably has more to do with the idle surging(not caused by steering input)than the brakes.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2gr-fks-engine-failure.705778/


Here we go again...

 

it bumped into the car ahead
IT? Come on, YOU hit the car in front. The brakes are a little different, but it's never a good idea to hold juuusst enough brake pressure to hold.

 

Stacy, did you ever find out what was wrong with your brakes, I have a 2021 TRD OR myself and after 4 years and at 36,000 Miles the brakes that have always been excellent began to lose pressure while stopped and started to creep forward and although additional foot pressure would stop the creeping it also made the brake peddle very slowly start to sink toward the floor. Also monitoring the brake fluid level, shows that a small amount of fluid is going somewhere, with no sign of leaking that I can find even after pulling the calipers and rear drums to check under the dust seals on the slave cylinders. The brake pads and shoe are all well within service limits.