2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITH THE BRAKES ENGAGED, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE REAR AND FRONT BUMPER WERE DAMAGED. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST WAS $3000. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THEM BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT A VERY LOW UNKNOWN SPEED THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS TURNED INWARD AND THE CONTACT NOTICED A ROD WAS HANGING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD WAS BROKEN. THE TIE ROD WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,925 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,200. UPDATED 10/05/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIIP MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AT NO CHARGE. UPDATED 10/07/10

1) STOPPED AT STOP SIGN WITH SNOW ON THE GROUND. THEN ACCELERATE TURNING ONTO ANOTHER ROAD. 2) VEHICLE CAN ACCELERATE AND MOVE A FEW FEET BEFORE THE TRAC (TRACTION CONTROL) SYSTEM ACTIVATES. THE POWER TO THE ENGINE IS THEN CUT OFF. AT THIS POINT YOU ARE UNABLE TO MOVE, STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THERE IS A FEW SECOND DELAY BEFORE YOU CAN GET ANY POWER BACK TO THE ENGINE. ULTIMATELY, YOU ARE LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WITH NO POWER TO THE WHEELS WAITING TO SEE IF ANOTHER VEHICLE IS GOING TO T-BONE YOU. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE, VERY CLOSE CALLS. FAILURE OCCURS EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP AND THE SYSTEM SENSES EVEN A TINY LOSS OF TRACTION. THE COMPLETE LOSS OF ACCELERATOR FUNCTION AND DELAY UNTIL THE RETURN OF POWER IS VERY DANGEROUS. 3) THERE IS NO FIX. I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE THE TRAC SYSTEM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SAFETY FEATURE WHEN IN REALITY IT IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SYSTEM. TOYOTA MUST THINK A LITTLE WHEEL SPIN IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN COMPLETELY TAKING AWAY THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO CONTROL THEIR OWN VEHICLE I HAVE DRIVEN VEHICLES THAT HAVE TRAC AND IT DOES NOT FUNCTION LIKE IT DOES ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. THE SYSTEM IS SEVERELY OVERLY SENSITIVE AND OVERLY CONTROLLING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 5 MPH ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A NEARBY VEHICLE AND THEN INTO A BUILDING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED, THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 160000, THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 185000. UPDATED 05/07/2010. *LJ THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS INJURED. UPDATED 09/13/10

READING ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEMS OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS, I LEARNED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM MIGHT NOT WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE HITS A POTHOLE, UNEVEN PAVEMENT, OR BUMP. I'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN MY '02 4RUNNER. IF THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE HITS A BUMP, THE BRAKES FEEL AS IF THEY ARE NOT WORKING, (BRAKE PEDAL GOES STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR W/NO PRESSURE). THIS ISSUE GOES AWAY IF YOU RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE, (PUMP). I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS WAS "NORMAL" UNTIL I READ ABOUT THE PRIUS ISSUES WITH IT'S BRAKING SYSTEM. THE ISSUES WITH THE PRIUS SOUND TOO SIMILAR TO DISMISS THE ISSUE AS JUST A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S ELECTRIC ENGINE. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER-SR5, SPORT EDITION WITH 74,600K MILES. IN NOVEMBER 2009, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM THAT'S BEING REPORTED BY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS WHOSE VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION ON ITS OWN AND QUITE SUDDENLY. THIS OCCURRENCE ONLY HAPPENED ONCE. THE ENGINE WAS RACING AT A VERY HIGH RPM AND MY REAR TIRES WERE SQUEALING LOUD ENOUGH TO DRAW ATTENTION FROM PASSERSBY. LUCKILY FOR ME I WAS SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT. MY REACTION TO THIS SITUATION WAS TO PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. MY MAIN CONCERN IS IF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA AND TOYOTA WILL INCLUDE A LOOK-BACK AT EARLIER MODELS FOR THESE KNOWN PROBLEMS? AND, IF SO, WHAT IS THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION TO OWNERS' WITH EARLIER MODELS? *TR

I OWN A TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING ACROSS COUNTRY LAST FALL I NOTICED THAT THE TRUCK WOULD ACCELERATE RAPIDLY WHEN I HAD CRUISE CONTROL ON. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD KICK IN AS IT SHOULD HAVE BUT IT WOULD ACCELERATE VERY RAPIDLY AND FELT OUT OF CONTROL. ONCE IT BEGAN THE ACCELERATION, IT WOULD NEVER STOP AND LEVEL OUT TO THE APPROPRIATE SPEED AS IT SHOULD HAVE. IT WOULD CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. BRAKING WORKED IN SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN, BUT IT FRIGHTENED ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I DO NOT USE THE CRUISE CONTROL NOW AS A RESULT OF THIS. I WAS DRIVING R/T FROM CA TO DENVER, CO AND IT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THIS TRIP. *TR

LARGE AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE UNDERBODY, GAS TANK SHIELD AND FRONT BRAKES. JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED WITH 39K MILES AND HAVE BEEN FINDING LOST OF CORROSION. TRIED TO USE RUST REMOVER AND NEUTRALIZER AND WIRE BRUSH. HOPE I CAN GET IT UNDER CONTROL BEFORE THE ENTIRE THING FALLS APART. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. IT'S UNDER MY WIFE'S NAME BUT I AM THE ONE THAT'S IN CHARGE OF AUTOMOTIVE ISSUES. THE BUMPERS HAVE BEEN HANGING DOWN ON THE FRONT AND REAR. AS I DRIVE AROUND THE CITY, I'VE STARTED TO NOTICE MAJORITY OF THE 4RUNNERS IN THE SAME MODEL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS MAKES ME THINK THAT THERE IS A DEFECT. I BELIEVE IT'S A SAFETY DEFECT ESPECIALLY SINCE BUMPERS ARE NOT JUST FOR COSMETIC REASONS, ITS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN A CRASH SITUATION. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS ALSO LINKED TO THE AIRBAG SENSORS AND I AM AFRAID THAT IT MAY GO OFF AT ANY TIME. I'VE GONE ON FORUMS AND FOUND THAT OTHERS TALK ABOUT THIS ALSO. THEY ALSO TALK ABOUT RUSTING AROUND THE BUMPER AREA WHICH IS SOMETHING I HAVE ON MY 4RUNNER ALSO. I HOPE YOUR DEPARTMENT LOOKS INTO THIS MATTER THOROUGHLY AND GET BACK TO ME ABOUT IT. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER WITH RUST OUT OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT METAL WAS QUITE RUSTED AT THE REAR HOUSING AND INSTEAD OF A SIMPLE PART REPLACEMENT, THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED, A COSTLY REPAIR. I FOUND OTHER OWNERS WITH SIMILAR STORIES ONLINE. IS THIS A DEFECTIVE PART? I HAD TEMPORARY REPAIR WITH GRINDING, WELDING AND EPOXY WHICH FOR THE TIME BEING HAS CORRECTED THE LEAK BUT EVENTUALLY IT WILL REAPPEAR. *TR