This weekend i bought a 1999 t plate impreza turbo. The car has done 120k miles but had a full rebuild at 70k costing nearly 4k including new short block and turbo.

Any way ill get to the point, the car pulls like a train but the brakes wouldnt stop a sooty van never mind a train. Ive been told that they are 4pots and a common problem is the pistons seaze up on them, is this correct as im no mechanic and what sort of job/cost is it to free them up as they are deadly ! !


Thanks

 

hi, i bought a MY99uk 2 weeks ago and noticed exactly the same thing, almost scary on the drive home,but after haven driven the car for a bit longer and got used to the way it drives i think its not actualy a fault with the brakes, its just the pedal needs to be depressed a lot harder than most other cars, i previously owned a vectra v6 and i barely had to touch the brakes on that. let me know how you get on and if you find yourself getting used to it, or maybe my brakes are actualy poor aswell and im just kidding myself!!

 

cheers for reply you might be right as used to driving a berling van with good sloid brakes. The thing is my old impreza's brakes were poor but no where as bad as these!

 

The pistons might seize. Just fixed them on my ´02 WRX.

 

More than likely a sticky piston. I'm 90% at least one of mine is stuck. Just take off the caliper and clean up the piston - maybe buy some new seals while your thier.

Not a hard job.

PS - saw that car for sale - sounded like a right bargain.

 

The pistons do seize, it's about £30.00 for new seal kit, but it would be worth looking at the pads, does it get any better when the brakes get warm?
Some people use uprated pads, and depending on what was fitted some do not work from cold very well.
I have 4 pots on a MY99 and drive it hard on pagid rs421 pads, and the brakes are good.

 

Definately a siezed piston or two, pop a pad out & try levering the pistons lightly, should move with ease. You can get recon/exchange callipers for £90 each at my local motor factors.