I'm finding as a new TCH owner, the brakes are real touchy with the dynamic breaking. I had to somewhat stomp on the brakes the other day and it was odd. As touchy as the brakes feel, they didn't feel substantial when I jumped on them. Is it just my imagination because they are so touchy on a regular basis or shall I investigate the condition of the rear brakes? Being that I've had the car for 2 days and it has a recent inspection, I'm hoping that it's just mentally me.

 

Weli I intentionally stomped on it today, I had plenty of braking power. I think that it's a mental thing and the dynamic braking is so touchy that anything less feels odd. I guess if it were as touchy I'd probably go through the windshield.

 

Seizing slide pins are common. Especially on the rear. This will also cause uneven and irregular pad wear. The rears are always worse because of lack of use and the fact that the front tires cover the rear brakes with water driving in the rain.

The car is 3 years old. The brakes have "probably" never been properly serviced. Servicing the brakes on these cars should be done as part as a "maintenance schedule" outside of what the dealer recommends. About every 30,000 miles, you should pull the pads, compress the pistons just a little to verify movement, clean and grease the slide pins and apply new anti squeal compound to the backs of the pads before re-installing.

Also, whenever I rotate my tires, I grab the calipers and give a good yank or 2 or 3. Then slam the calipers back against the rotor to be sure the slide pins are moving freely. Doing this a couple times insures that your slide pins are not seizing up. I have made this part of my routine maintenance. FWIW, I now have just over 251,000 miles and still on the original pads and rotors with 50 percent pad life left.

 

hot, you have no connection between brake pedal and brakes themselves.
Also, you do not have dynamic braking.
See, I found you here too.
You have regenerative braking. It's very simple actually - cohesive magnetic force between axle and motor generator is used, while in D mode, to slow down vehicle.
In B mode, engine starts slowing vehicle down in addition, it is very similar to engine braking in a manual shift car.
You have vehicle set up so that up to 80% of braking is done by regenerative braking then hydraulics kick in.
Hydraulic part of brakes is identical to conventional brakes in conventional Camry.
You have pedal position sensor, just like you have on gas pedal, that tells ECM how much braking force you want to have applied. Then, ECM disposes of braking force, stored in accumulator, as it is programmed to do.
Pedal feel you have is produced by brake pedal simulator. Basically, it simulates more or less regular brake pedal feel, not to freak out new users.
So stomp on it or whatever - ECM knows better.
Here's an experiment for you. Warm car, I call it - system- up. Put in P and start revving engine. It will rev once or twice thereafter you can press gas pedal all you want to - nothing happens. That's a vivid example of how much control ECM has over that car.

Word of warning. Keep DISTANCE to cars in front of you. Brakes actually are not the best emergency brakes. Maybe because ABS has some to say, or whatever. But I found that on VERY WELL MAINTAINED car, like mine, she does not have immediate braking power. So watch that distance, mate.

Also, relax. You will find a lot of weird things driving her. Best is to relax and simply enjoy.

Btw, here's another experiment for you, hot rod. Get on a long stretch without cars. Press gas pedal to the floor and HOLD. Be surprised. Just hold that steering wheel steady, she's got quite torque steer.
Car does 0-60 in less than 8. That's actually very reputable for the car. I took on quite a few jerks on FWY, not suspecting such agility from a family sedan. Have fun. Will cost you instant 0.5 mpg drop, if not more - but hey, man needs to Kick *** once in a while, right?