Left Rear Brake Fire

Fellow 3rd genians, I urge you to check your rear drums ASAP. My left rear brake came apart inside the drum this morning on the interstate and a small fire ensued. No damage, fire was contained to the drum and extinguished almost as fast as it started.

This is the absolute first problem I’ve ever had with this truck.

Once I got the truck to Toyota, they told me it would be $1400 to repair since brakes are not covered under any warranty or extended warranty, as expected. I e-braked the truck 18 miles to the house with a quick stop at Autozone to pick up new shoes, hardware, and cylinders.

When I got home and tried to get the drums off, they would not budge. After some beating and prying, I discovered that the shoes were not retained to the hub and were pressed against the drum and trying to come out with it. BFH time, finally beat them into submission to find that the hold down springs were missing and the pins that the springs go over were simply bent to stay in place. I looked and looked and couldn’t find the springs or retainer cap anywhere.

After getting that side replaced and cleaned up, I checked the other side to find the same thing.

I called Toyota and explained what I had found and they told me it still wouldn’t be covered under factory or extended warranty. Either way, I have it fixed and I urge you to check yours. I have 48k on the clock and never had an issue until now.

Only pics I took.

 

You need to contact Toyota customer care about this. The phone number is in the owners manual.

 

Already on it.

 

Good because that’s just nuts!!!

 

I couldn’t believe it when I got the drum off. I thought I was going crazy for a minute. I reassembled the shoes that were on the truck and everything but the hold down springs was there.

 

Sorry but that’s crap with that low of mileage....brakes wearing out is one thing if you have a heavy foot but disintegrating in the drum and starting a fire???......definitely should be a warranty item.

Glad you’re already getting the ball rolling with Toyota.

 

Man that is not a wear issue - that's just straight up failure. I would argue strongly by calling back to regional and US HQ about what the dealer told you. It cannot be the case they argue under any regular wear condition that your brakes fragment and freaking catch fire.

 

I have a family member who is on the exec team at Toyota HQ in Plano. I’ve been on the phone with her a few times today.

 

On the one hand, super cool. On the other, takes away the nuclear option of slamming it on to social media as a "Toyota ignoring customer safety" outrage, since you'd be ticking off a family member =). Good luck though, just common sense says a worn shoe is your problem but something that I dunno, catching on FIRE, might be a manufacturer problem =)

 

Missing parts...

 

I rarely would say something like this, but missing brake parts and fire are serious. Please report this to NHTSA as well so they are aware in case a recall is needed.

 

Brake shoe drag on the drum is something I’m fighting with my truck right now. There is an issue, at least with mine, with the parking brake cables and the auto-adjusters causing improper release of the parking brake, even when everything is clean and lubricated. I’ll let you know what they tell me after I take it back in tomorrow. I know it’s happening because the wheels get hot.

 

Did you buy the truck new? Ever been any work done? If you bought it new and never had any work, this a real problem.

 

Bought it new, first time the rear brakes have been cracked open.

 

Please tell me you took pics of the brakes with missing retainers. I agree....NHTSA report time. Then tell Toyota about the report and keep on them.

 

You had a fire extinguisher?

 

There’s a tsb for bent rear axle shafts on tacomas. Look into that.

 

2nd!

 

I was on FaceTime with my sis in-law at the time and showed her video.