How Long do 4Runner Brakes Last

While getting to your destination is important, making sure that you are able to stop at your location is just as important. The Toyota 4Runner is a great car and is one of the most popular Toyotas because of its durability and reliability.

Most 4Runner brakes can last anywhere from 30,000 to 70,000 miles. A variety of factors such as road conditions, brake force, and if your car gets towed will affect how long the brakes last. However, when they start making noise or causing the car to vibrate means it’s time to change the brakes.

So, while breaks can last to 70,000 miles, how can you make sure that they are able to last this long instead of the much shorter 30,000 miles? Along with that, when I do have to go and get my brakes changed, how much do brakes cost to replace? I will cover both of these along with the signs that brakes need to be changed and what happens if you don’t change them.

Signs That Your Brakes Need to be Changed

There are plenty of different methods that will help you know when you need to change your breaks, but the easiest is that most mechanics will check your breaks when they do work on your car, like an oil change. Since most cars get an oil change every 3,000 miles or 6 months, you likely will be told by the mechanic that the brakes need to be changed before you will have to worry about any problems.

However, there are several other ways to tell that your brakes need a break. The first sign that you need to change your breaks is that the normally silent breaks start making noises like squealing, screeching, grinding, or squeaking whenever pressure is applied.

Other highly common signs that your brakes need to be changed include:

• Vibration or pulsing in either the steering wheel and/ or the brake pedal
• The car starts to shake when braking the car
• Burning smell when using the brakes
• Your car turns in one direction when braking (which means one brake is more worn out)
• Your car is taking much longer to stop.

How Much do New Brakes Cost?

There are a few factors that are going to determine how much it is going to cost to change your brakes, and one of the first factors is if you choose to change your brakes yourself or if you decide to take it into a mechanics or dealership so they change them for you.

With a dealership

If you do decide to take it into a dealership you can expect it to be within two different ranges. The first and the more expensive range is that for a luxury vehicle. Luxury brake pads will cost you anywhere from $150-$250, which is much more expensive than your standard brakes, however, due to the luxury materials they have a much longer service life and are more likely to hit the 70,000 or more miles.

Standard brakes with a dealership will typically cost you anywhere from $75 to $120 depending on what brakes you get and where you get them serviced. Thanks to the 4Runners reliability and longevity, the cost of a brake change is cheaper than the average cost for many other cars which is typically $115-200.

Do it yourself

If you want to go with a slightly cheap option and you have the knowledge of how to do it, then changing your own breaks is a good option that many people prefer. According to Toyota, getting the brakes you need in order to do the replacement yourself will cost $59.95 for the standard brakes. This means that you can save anywhere from $25-60 on a brake change when you decide to do it yourself.

For those who have the desire to change your own brakes but don’t have the knowledge or expertise, there are plenty of videos available to act as a guild to give you a step-by-step process in changing the brakes for your specific car as even cars of the same model may have slight changes. To avoid damaging your car, try to use videos about your car’s specific make, model, and year as they should all be the same.

Factors That Will Affect Brake Lifespan

There are plenty of factors that are going to be determining how long your car’s brakes are going to last. The first of these factors and the easiest to know is if your car has been towed. If your car has been towed the breaks aren’t going to last as long as your car’s break will be on while moving, wearing them down.

The next factor is what environment you are driving in. If you are in a more rural or highway driving environment, your breaks will last longer as you aren’t going to be using them as often. Meanwhile, those who drive in large cities and are using their brakes often are going to have to change them more often as they get more use.

The last two most common and major factors that will affect the lifespan of your brakes are how hard you are breaking and your driving habits. If you are slamming hard on your brakes on putting heavy pressure on them, your brakes are going to wear out much faster. Also, if you have an aggressive driving style, you are more likely to wear out your brakes as well.

Why Change Your Brakes?

This should be clear and obvious, however, there are other reasons besides the obvious not stopping reason for why you should change your brakes. While not stopping should be a big enough reason to change your brakes, another reason is that you can end up damaging parts like rotors or calipers. Along with that, you will also cause your tires to wear down faster and need to be replaced more often.

One of the last main reasons that you should get your brakes changed is that when they are worn out and need replacing, your car can end up vibrating, causing many internal problems, or it can slide to one side if only one brake is worn out, leading to a higher likelihood of accidents and damage to your car.