Brake Routers rusted out after only 11 months? One winter??

Yes they are doing this as warranty, this time. The picture doesn't really do it justice. The cuts in the rear rotor are so deep they would need to turn them to remove, and thereby void warranty on the rotors. I am already looking into alternative brake parts for the inevitable next year. I am also going to be more aggressive with braking a few times a day to get the brakes into use more.

 

most people have good luck with toyota brake parts. i haven't read many problems with gen4 or prime, even in high salt areas.
with such low miles and time, i have to wonder if something in yours is defective. the gouges are a concern, they wouldn't be from non use

 

Aggressive braking isn't necessary (or even especially helpful; the car can brake pretty aggressively and still be using mostly regen rather than friction).

Something that will surprise you with how effective it is will be just tipping the shift lever quietly into neutral for two or three normal stops, say as you are approaching stop signs. This doesn't have to be 'aggressive' at all; if you have a passenger, they'll probably never notice.

Typically only done when the car has been parked in wet for a while, and you notice the old dragging-some-rocks sound when braking, just use neutral the next two or three normal stops, and you'll notice it cleaned right up and quiet again. No need to do it any other time.

Couple that with an occasional easy test for any brake drag and an occasional, up-close examination (maybe while rotating tires, everything's right there anyway) and you can enjoy smooth, quiet, problem-free braking for a loooong time.

 

Zinc plating on rotors is cosmetic only, as it wears right off at the braking surface, but protects other areas of the rotor from rusting. Got this info from a Google search. Personally, I'd go with non-plated OEM rotors, as I've had warping problems on aftermarket rotors I've used in the past. A little rust on the rotors isn't going to hurt anything, and quickly gets removed from the braking surface when you use the brakes.

 

I guess I didn't state that the zinc plating doesn't protect the wear surfaces...I guess I thought it was obvious. Yes, one could say it is 'cosmetic'. However, the winter road salt here is so bad that it 'gets up in everything' and I dare say it can start to rot out out the inside of the rotor. Our Prius V wagon was a prime example. I had never seen brake rotors in such bad shape..which is why I sought out plated rotors to begin with. Is it overkill? Yeah..possibly. However, I was doing the brake job anyway and the plated ones were not that much more $$$. I have done three brake jobs so far with the plated rotors and no warping problems as of yet. And the plating really does work...absolutely no rust spots at all after one winter.

I totally understand why one would want to use OEM rotors though.