Just how bad are the brakes? 2006 base

BlackDogBrewing · 01-15-2013, 12:35 PM

I purchased a 2006 base model 4WD with 90,000 miles on it in October. The dealer I purchased it from indicated the pads and rotors had just been replaced, front and rear. The brakes are very spongy, a hard stop pushes the pedal nearly to the floor fairly easily. Brake fluid is good, no obvious leaks, pedal cannot be pumped up while it's running so I do not suspect air in the lines. It seems to stop reasonably well, but the brakes are not what I think of as confidence-inspiring.
Yes, I used the search feature and found others with similar issues. Just how bad are the brakes, really? Granted, I was used to the very firm pedal feel of a Mazda 6, but my wife's XTerra has a nice firm brake pedal as well. Any suggestion of what may be wrong, if there is something? Thanks.

WJBertrand · 01-15-2013, 01:29 PM

I think the whole mechanism in the 4.3 has too much give or flex, even when working correctly. When we first got our 2011 base, I took it back because of the soft brake feel. The mechanic said it was fine and let me drive a couple of other examples and they were all the same. I've since learned the car will stop just fine, and road tests of the Rav4 show acceptable stopping distances, but there's not much feel and the give in the system makes it numb feeling wise. Such a system would never fly on a performance car where you want a firm pedal.

I think it's just the nature of the beast unfortunately

RTexasF · 01-15-2013, 07:14 PM

Both of our '08 models have what I would call a "soft" brake pedal. They seem to go down quite a bit before you feel any purchase on the brakes. Your dealer could have blown smoke up your shorts or it could be normal. The '08 V-6 stopped from 60 to 0 in 125 feet. In days past that would have been Corvette territory. The brake pedal does seem to have a long travel but both of our's stop well once you get used to the pedal.

If indeed your's is going to the floor then there is a problem.

4ever · 01-15-2013, 07:47 PM

I had a V6 06 base and now have a V6 10 Limited. The brakes feel and felt soft on both but I have never had any problem stopping in a hurry.

vanib · 01-15-2013, 09:28 PM

2008 Base I4. I would say that my brake pedal travels a lot too. Brakes and rotors were replaced only a year ago by dealer. Once you get used to it, you will stop thinking about it.

4cyturbowrx · 01-16-2013, 12:35 AM

When I first bought my rav I noticed the oh snap I am not going to stop feeling .... I think it just takes some time to get use to.... Or just don't wait so long to stop

rav4two · 01-16-2013, 02:56 AM

The reason for the softer brake pedal is because of the OEM ceramic pads. Ceramic materials tend to be more compressible than organic or semi-metallic pad materials, and also have a lower coefficient of friction, so it takes more pedal pressure which compresses the pad material more.

I still sometimes have that "ohmygawdi'mnotgunnastop" feeling, and only in the Rav despite all five of our vehicles running on ceramic pads.

mrodgers · 01-16-2013, 05:42 AM

Interesting thoughts in this thread since I just test drove both engines in a Rav4 and a CRV. Drove the Honda first and thought I was going to chip a tooth on the steering wheel right in the lot because the brakes were extremely touchy. I recall the Rav4s' brakes feeling pretty good.

You want a soft brake pedal, try driving a piece of junk GM.

atoyot · 01-16-2013, 09:14 AM

I do miss my Honda CR-V gen 2.5 and it's brakes. Very responsive, light tough gets plenty of stopping power. The RAV (09, V6) is OK after getting used to it. At about 40K I replaced the pads all the way around with regular, middle-grade semi-metallic from Auto Zone. It's not as touchy as what I'd had in the other car by comparison, though it's definitely more grabby and responsive than the OEM and at a very fair price.

The only down side is that it's dirtier than the OEM on the wheels, and, they're eating the heck out of my rotors. Nothing's free...

BlackDogBrewing · 01-16-2013, 11:45 AM

It stops reasonably well, I guess it's just I'm used to the hard brake pedal coming from sport sedans, but my wife's XTerra has a nice firm pedal as well. I think I also tend to drive it like I did my Mazda 6, probably faster on the backroads than I should.
My wife hates driving my RAV due to the soft brake pedal. I'm OK with that...

01-15-2013, 12:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
BlackDogBrewing Junior Member Country: Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Slatington, Pennsylvania Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Just how bad are the brakes? 2006 base I purchased a 2006 base model 4WD with 90,000 miles on it in October. The dealer I purchased it from indicated the pads and rotors had just been replaced, front and rear. The brakes are very spongy, a hard stop pushes the pedal nearly to the floor fairly easily. Brake fluid is good, no obvious leaks, pedal cannot be pumped up while it's running so I do not suspect air in the lines. It seems to stop reasonably well, but the brakes are not what I think of as confidence-inspiring. Yes, I used the search feature and found others with similar issues. Just how bad are the brakes, really? Granted, I was used to the very firm pedal feel of a Mazda 6, but my wife's XTerra has a nice firm brake pedal as well. Any suggestion of what may be wrong, if there is something? Thanks.

01-15-2013, 01:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
WJBertrand Advanced Member Country: Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 514 Thanks: 13 Thanked 18 Times in 17 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I think the whole mechanism in the 4.3 has too much give or flex, even when working correctly. When we first got our 2011 base, I took it back because of the soft brake feel. The mechanic said it was fine and let me drive a couple of other examples and they were all the same. I've since learned the car will stop just fine, and road tests of the Rav4 show acceptable stopping distances, but there's not much feel and the give in the system makes it numb feeling wise. Such a system would never fly on a performance car where you want a firm pedal. I think it's just the nature of the beast unfortunately __________________ WJBertrand 2011 Rav4

01-15-2013, 07:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
RTexasF Advanced Member Country: Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rio Grande Valley TX Posts: 5,392 Thanks: 31 Thanked 156 Times in 144 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Both of our '08 models have what I would call a "soft" brake pedal. They seem to go down quite a bit before you feel any purchase on the brakes. Your dealer could have blown smoke up your shorts or it could be normal. The '08 V-6 stopped from 60 to 0 in 125 feet. In days past that would have been Corvette territory. The brake pedal does seem to have a long travel but both of our's stop well once you get used to the pedal. If indeed your's is going to the floor then there is a problem. __________________ Old Bird......sometimes wise 2008 Base V-6 front wheel drive 2008 Limited V-6 front wheel drive Both with Tow Prep Package

01-15-2013, 07:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
4ever Advanced Member Country: Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 1,912 Thanks: 17 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I had a V6 06 base and now have a V6 10 Limited. The brakes feel and felt soft on both but I have never had any problem stopping in a hurry. __________________ 4ever 2013 LIMITED Old Age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. (Chinese proverb)

01-15-2013, 09:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
vanib Advanced Member Country: Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada Posts: 3,005 Thanks: 69 Thanked 171 Times in 158 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	2008 Base I4. I would say that my brake pedal travels a lot too. Brakes and rotors were replaced only a year ago by dealer. Once you get used to it, you will stop thinking about it. __________________ 2008 Base Rav4, 4 Cylinder, 4WD My upgrades Allen Spare tire Bike Rack Currently listening to "Crimson Glory - Astronomica"

01-16-2013, 12:35 AM	#6 (permalink)
4cyturbowrx Junior Member Country: Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Pa Posts: 49 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	When I first bought my rav I noticed the oh snap I am not going to stop feeling .... I think it just takes some time to get use to.... Or just don't wait so long to stop

01-16-2013, 02:56 AM	#7 (permalink)
rav4two Advanced Member Country: Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 2,182 Thanks: 2 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	The reason for the softer brake pedal is because of the OEM ceramic pads. Ceramic materials tend to be more compressible than organic or semi-metallic pad materials, and also have a lower coefficient of friction, so it takes more pedal pressure which compresses the pad material more. I still sometimes have that "ohmygawdi'mnotgunnastop" feeling, and only in the Rav despite all five of our vehicles running on ceramic pads. __________________ 2010 Rav4 AWD V6 - Wife's 2007 Civic LX - Daughter's 1996 BMW 328i - Son's 1995 Miata - Daily Driver 2011 Corvette - Unintentional garage queen

01-16-2013, 05:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
mrodgers Member Country: Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: PA Posts: 113 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 12 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Interesting thoughts in this thread since I just test drove both engines in a Rav4 and a CRV. Drove the Honda first and thought I was going to chip a tooth on the steering wheel right in the lot because the brakes were extremely touchy. I recall the Rav4s' brakes feeling pretty good. You want a soft brake pedal, try driving a piece of junk GM.

01-16-2013, 09:14 AM	#9 (permalink)
atoyot Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Delaware Posts: 60 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I do miss my Honda CR-V gen 2.5 and it's brakes. Very responsive, light tough gets plenty of stopping power. The RAV (09, V6) is OK after getting used to it. At about 40K I replaced the pads all the way around with regular, middle-grade semi-metallic from Auto Zone. It's not as touchy as what I'd had in the other car by comparison, though it's definitely more grabby and responsive than the OEM and at a very fair price. The only down side is that it's dirtier than the OEM on the wheels, and, they're eating the heck out of my rotors. Nothing's free... Last edited by atoyot; 01-16-2013 at 09:16 AM. Reason: wrong process for url link

01-16-2013, 11:45 AM	#10 (permalink)
BlackDogBrewing Junior Member Country: Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Slatington, Pennsylvania Posts: 7 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Feedback Score: 0 reviews	It stops reasonably well, I guess it's just I'm used to the hard brake pedal coming from sport sedans, but my wife's XTerra has a nice firm pedal as well. I think I also tend to drive it like I did my Mazda 6, probably faster on the backroads than I should. My wife hates driving my RAV due to the soft brake pedal. I'm OK with that...

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