2020 Toyota Highlander Brake Pad Replacement — All 4 Corners

The 2020 Toyota Highlander is a straightforward brake job with one important complication: the rear calipers use an electric parking brake (EPB) actuator, which means you cannot compress the rear pistons with a standard C-clamp the way you would on a conventional caliper. Skip this step and you'll crack the caliper — I've seen it happen. Here's the full procedure for all four corners done correctly.

Why the Rear Is Different

The 2020 Highlander's rear brake caliper has an integrated EPB actuator that threads (rather than simply pushes) the caliper piston inward. The piston must be simultaneously rotated clockwise while being pushed in to retract. You need a brake caliper tool with rotating pins for this — a standard C-clamp won't work and will damage the caliper.

Required rear-specific tool: Brake caliper piston wind-back tool (cube-style or ratchet-driver style with rotating pins). Available at AutoZone, O'Reilly, or on Amazon for $20–$40. This tool pays for itself on the first rear brake job.

Parts and Specs

Front Brake Pads (2020 Highlander)

Item	Spec
OEM pad	Toyota 04465-0E030
Aftermarket	Akebono ACT1647, Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1647
Caliper bolt torque (sliding pin bolts)	25 ft-lb (34 Nm)
Caliper bracket torque	79 ft-lb (107 Nm)
Rotor surface	Clean with brake cleaner before installation

Rear Brake Pads (2020 Highlander)

Item	Spec
OEM pad	Toyota 04466-0E030
Aftermarket	Akebono ACT1648, Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1648
Caliper bolt torque (sliding pin bolts)	25 ft-lb (34 Nm)
Caliper bracket torque	55 ft-lb (75 Nm)
EPB piston	Must be threaded in (clockwise rotation + compression simultaneously)

Tools

• 14mm and 17mm sockets
• 12mm hex socket (caliper guide bolts)
• Brake caliper wind-back tool with rotating pins (rear only)
• C-clamp (front only)
• Torque wrench
• Brake cleaner spray
• Brake caliper grease (for slide pins and pad backing plates)
• Nitrile gloves and eye protection

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Step-by-Step: Front Brake Pads

1. Break the lug nuts loose (21mm) before jacking up the vehicle.

2. Jack up the front of the Highlander and place on jack stands at the frame pinch weld points. Remove both front wheels.

3. Inspect the front rotor — look for deep grooves, hard spots (blue-gray discoloration), or a thick lip at the outer edge. If the rotor is grooved beyond 0.039" (1mm) depth or is at minimum thickness (cast into the rotor hat), replace it now rather than bedding new pads on worn rotors.

4. The front caliper is held by two 12mm hex guide pin bolts at the top and bottom of the caliper body. Remove both and swing the caliper upward — do not let it hang by the brake hose. Use a wire hook or zip tie to support it from the spring.

5. Slide out the old brake pads from the caliper bracket. Note how the anti-squeal shims are oriented — new pads should include new shims; if not, transfer the old ones.

6. Use a C-clamp against the old inner pad to compress the front piston back into the caliper bore. Open the bleed screw one turn before doing this to relieve pressure into a catch container rather than pushing dirty fluid back through the ABS module.

7. Clean the caliper slide pins with brake cleaner. Apply fresh caliper slide pin grease (included in most brake hardware kits) to the pins and pin boots.

8. Install the new front pads in the bracket. Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to the pad backing plates where they contact the bracket ears — this prevents squeal.

9. Reinstall the caliper over the pads. Thread in the 12mm guide pin bolts by hand, then torque to 25 ft-lb.

10. Reinstall the wheel and repeat on the other side.

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Step-by-Step: Rear Brake Pads (with EPB)

Disable the Electric Parking Brake First

11. With the vehicle on a level surface and the transmission in Park, disable the EPB before jacking up the rear. On the 2020 Highlander, you can put the EPB into service mode by holding the EPB switch while pressing the brake pedal three times — the "P" indicator will blink to confirm service mode. This fully retracts the EPB to allow caliper piston retraction without fighting the motor.

If you have a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter and an app like BimmerCode or Torque Pro, you can enter EPB service mode through the OBD2 port as well.

12. Jack up the rear of the vehicle and place on jack stands. Remove both rear wheels.

13. Inspect the rear rotors the same way as the front.

14. Remove the two 12mm hex guide pin bolts on the rear caliper. Swing the caliper aside and support it with a wire hook or bungee cord.

15. Remove the rear brake pads from the bracket.

Wind Back the Rear EPB Piston

16. Unlike the front, the rear piston has a slot in the face — two slots, forming a "+" or similar pattern. This is where the rotating pins on your wind-back tool engage.

17. Set the wind-back tool's rotating driver to clockwise rotation. Apply steady inward pressure while rotating clockwise. The piston will slowly thread itself back into the caliper bore.

18. Continue until the piston is fully retracted and seated flush with the caliper bore. This takes more effort and time than the front — don't rush it.

19. Align the piston slots to match the orientation needed for the new pad (usually the slots parallel to the brake pad backing plate for proper contact surface alignment).

Install New Rear Pads

20. Clean and lightly grease the caliper slide pins and bracket ears.

21. Install new rear pads with shims. Apply caliper grease to backing plate ears.

22. Reinstall the rear caliper over the pads. Torque the 12mm guide pin bolts to 25 ft-lb.

23. Reinstall the wheel. Repeat on the other rear corner.

Re-engage the EPB

24. Once both rear wheels are on and torqued, cancel service mode: press the brake pedal and pull the EPB switch up (engage). The EPB will self-calibrate — you'll hear the motor run briefly. Confirm the "P" light is solid (not blinking).

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Bedding the New Pads

25. Before driving normally, bed in the pads: In a safe open area, accelerate to 30 mph and apply moderate braking pressure to slow to 5 mph (don't stop completely). Repeat 6–8 times for the fronts, then 6–8 times for the rears. This transfers a thin layer of pad material to the rotor surface for optimal braking performance and minimizes squeal.

Common Mistakes

1. Using a C-clamp on the rear piston. The EPB piston threads in — pushing it straight in without rotation will crack the caliper housing or damage the EPB motor internally. Always use the wind-back tool on EPB calipers.

2. Skipping EPB service mode. Fighting the rear piston retraction without releasing the EPB motor first is extremely difficult. It takes 30 seconds to enable service mode and saves 30 minutes of frustration.

3. Not opening the bleed screw. Compressing pistons without somewhere for the fluid to go pushes old, contaminated fluid back through the ABS module. A partial bleed is good practice any time you do a brake job.

4. Skipping rotor resurfacing on grooved rotors. New pads on scored rotors bed unevenly, reducing stopping power and causing vibration within the first 500 miles.

5. Not bedding the pads. Bedded pads stop 15–20% better in the first 1,000 miles than un-bedded pads installed on cold rotors.

For more Toyota Highlander maintenance, the 2017 Toyota Highlander brake pad replacement guide covers the 3rd gen (2014–2019) which used conventional rear calipers — useful context if you're working on multiple Highlanders. The 2018 Toyota Highlander oil change guide covers the drivetrain fluid service if you're working through a full maintenance backlog.

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