Hi,

I have a 2004 Toyota Sequoia with 41K miles. For the last few months the red brake warning light would come on intermittently & sometimes the ABS or VSC lights would come on. I had my oil changed & asked them to look at the brake pads (not the dealer.) They showed me the front brake pads, they were down to about 1/4 inch. Had those replaced at an auto repair shop last week. This week the brake light (only) starts coming on again intermittently. Today I was making a u-turn & as I pressed the brakes, I heard a loud groaning/grinding sound and it felt like the brakes were not as effectiv as they should be. This happened 3 times in a row as I pressed the brake then it stopped & brakes worked normally. All lights were on this time (ABS included.) I took it back to that shop. They said the brake line had some air in it so they bled the system & drove it for 3 miles & says it's fine now. Why would there be air if only brake pads were changed? Lights are off but is it really safe? We are about to go on vacation with several hundred miles of driving and small children. If it truly was air in the line, would it make that groaning noise when brakes were applied?

Air in the lines wont make the brakes cause a noisy situation. New brake jobs do have a 'break in period' where at first the new brakes may seem to not be efficient. As far as the abs light, that is totally irrelevant to replacing brake pads. Check the fluid and if it's full, common sense says seek a professional shop to have it checked.