Ray, can air in brake lines cause inconsistent (work sometimes and not work other times) braking problems? I drive a 2021 Lexus LS500 and twice the emergency collision brake system had to stop the car because pressing the brake pedal did not work. Both times were at low speed when stopping to park. The dealer drove the can and could not duplicate the situation or find the problem. However, they did not mention or check for air in the brake lines. Could this be what was wrong?
Thanks, Jim Johnson, Dallas
I hope you realize that Ray is probably not going to see this much less answer your question…
That aside, What happened when you hit the brakes, did the pedal go to the floor OR??
Have you had any brake work on the vehicle right before this happened??
I hate to say this , but this sounds more like a pedal mix up than a mechanical failure…
At the time, I was in panic mode so I am not sure if the brake pedal went to the floor but I think it did. Are you saying air in brake lining always acts the same? Thanks, JRJ
Not going to make a blanket statement, but typically with air in the system the pedal will be soft or spongey most/all the time, since hydraulics (brake fluid) can not be compressed and air can be, it doesn’t sound like air in the system… But you can always have the brake system/fluid flushed and bleed…
I will ask again, have you had any brake work on the vehicle recently before this happened??
Air in the brake lines would cause excessive brake pedal travel. You or anyone else who drove the vehicle would notice air in the brake system anytime the vehicle is driven, it would not be an intermittent problem.
No work done prior but since brake fluid flushed. Thanks for responses. JRJ
I think you are part of the pedal mix up crowd, it happens a lot more than you would think…
Be glad for Toyota’s pre collision system…
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), pedal misapplication causes around 16,000 crashes in the United States each year, which is about 44 crashes per day.
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