If the automaker wants to improve on brake fluid, all they have to do is contact DOT, bribe a few politicians, and get the process started to revise the spec.
If they produce a DOT3 fluid that is only compatible with their vehicle line, then they should provide it free.
We have DOT specs for a reason. Conform to them or petition to make them better.
Yeah, its all a facade for Toyota. They're doing the right thing with a recall but still trying to blame the consumer for their lowest bid master cylinder seal.
Toyota is replacing master cylinders and NOW making the seal compatible with every other DOT3 brake fluid.
Pre-engineered failure points, or lowest-bid junk, seems to common among the automakers. Some are worse than others.
specs:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?section=571.116
BTW, corrosion is caused by lack of maintenance. If you have so much moisture in your brake fluid to cause it, then you're not bleeding enough.
After all the Tacoma buy backs and Tundra frame replacements, makes you wonder if Toyota will have a new line added to the owners manual:
"Driving on salted roads can cause corrosion and decrease the life of the frame. Salted roads should only be considered a temporary replacement for UNsalted roads. When possible, only drive on UNsalted roads."
Flushed the family fleet of Toyotas with Gunk, Prestone, Valvoline, and Castrol DOT3 and DOT4 brake fluids. The oldest is 12 years old and still has original master cylinder, wheel cylinders and calipers.
Stuff like this loses customers.
