A brake rotor is the part of the brake assembly that the caliper grips onto thus stopping it and slowing down the car. This is usually a solid piece of machined metal with a special coating of ceramic or other synthetic protection to insure a rust-free and long life. On a good daily driven truck, you can expect your rotors to last up to 70,000 miles and maybe longer. If problems present, you might just need a re-surfacing but rotors usually last long.

Most brake rotors are made of iron with a ceramic coating to prevent rust. Usually, as heat and friction start to eat away at the surface, the rotor’s surface ends up being uneven or may have hotspots. These end up making the truck not brake well and lead to longer braking distances and maybe even squealing.

One thing however is that brakes last a long time. So, it came as a surprise to me when Luciano Strinati posted on the 2022+ Toyota Tundra Facebook Group saying, “Reached 10,000 miles without a problem. However, I need to replace both front rotors this weekend. I'm not feeling too great about that.”

Here’s the thing with brake rotors. Even if your truck is over 2 tons and is very heavy, a solid piece of machined metal should be able to stop your car longer than 10,000 miles. Luciano even said that he hasn’t towed anything or done heavy driving. The question here is, why did it fail so soon? Let’s take a look and see what other owners said.

Wallace Casey said, “Both of my previous Tundra’s had warped rotor issues. Nothing new and went aftermarket and had no issues.” Aftermarket rotors for a 2022 Toyota Tundra range anywhere from $80-$400. I personally wouldn’t put anything aftermarket on my truck unless it’s tested but who knows? Maybe the Chinese have stepped up their aftermarket auto parts game.

Even if you replaced the rotors on previous Tundra’s, for a reliable truck like the Tundra, you shouldn’t have to replace rotors after only a few thousand miles. That means one of two things. One, you drove it like a go-kart. Or two, you towed an overweight trailer. But would this service be covered by your bumper-to-bumper warranty?

Unfortunately, this isn’t something that your warranty would cover. According to a Toyota dealership, “Components of your car that have to be repaired or replaced because they are worn out from use are not covered under the warranty.” Things like brakes, brake pads, filters, etc.

However, unless Toyota releases a recall on these Tundra’s specifically for their brake rotors, it may be a liability issue for Toyota. Also, according to another comment posted by Luciano, a shop told him that Toyota was keeping the weights of these rotors down for better gas mileage.

This may come as a surprise since the Tundra already gets terrible gas mileage (in terms of the number). However, could this be the reason why they need replacing at 10,000 miles? A heavy brake rotor means that it is more tolerant to factors like heat and friction. If I make a very heavy rotor out of durable metal, it is going to last longer than a rotor made of aluminum. Toyota could go the route of making carbon fiber brakes which not only last long but weigh less as well but those are very expensive.

Lamborghinis use carbon fiber brakes, and a set is about $4500-5000. Imagine your Tundra with Lambo brakes. While Toyota should address this problem, make sure you talk to your dealer about this warranty loophole that won’t cover your brake problem. No car, even sports cars’, brakes last shorter than 10,000 miles.

What do you think? Should Toyota issue a recall for the 2022 Toyota Tundra because of a brake issue? Let us know in the comments below.

Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun for daily Toyota news.