2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

TOYOTA CASE #[XXX] THIS IS PART OF A MESSAGE SENT TOYOTA. MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED A BURNING SMELL INSIDE HER CAR ON HER WAY HOME FROM WORK. WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF NOTING THE SMELL, HER REAR WINDOW EXPLODED FORCING HER TO PULL OVER AND CALL US FOR ASSISTANCE. WHEN WE ARRIVED WE STARTED THE CAR AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY OF THE BURNING SMELL SHE NOTED SO WE DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO TOYOTA OF HUNTINGTON BEACH FOR SERVICE. THE SERVICE WRITER DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR DEFROSTER WIRING HAD SHORTED OUT WHICH WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE OVERHEATED THE REAR WINDOW CAUSING THE EXPLOSION. WE AUTHORIZED REPAIRS ACCORDINGLY AND CONFIRMED WE WANTED TO BE CERTAIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS IN GOOD ORDER. WE SUBSEQUENTLY WERE INFORMED BY THE SERVICE WRITER THAT THE DEFROSTER SYSTEM AND WINDOW HAD BEEN REPAIRED AND CHECKED OUT TO BE FUNCTIONAL, WITH THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY TURNING OFF WITHIN 15 MINUTES; HOWEVER, IT WAS LEFT TO OUR OPTION TO LEAVE THE SYSTEM DISCONNECTED. ON QUESTIONING WHY, THE WRITER ADVISED THAT HE, NOR THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THE HEAD MECHANIC HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SORT OF MALFUNCTION THOUGH IT WAS THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO LEAVE IT DISCONNECTED. WE AGREED IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. WE HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED ON VARIOUS WEB BASED BLOGS THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED PRECISELY THE SAME PROBLEM. LINKS WERE SUBMITTED TO TOYOTA. AS DISCUSSED WITH YOUR CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE, THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WERE AN UNWELCOME SURPRISE, HOWEVER, THE OVERWHELMING CONCERN IS WONDERING IF WE HAVE PLACED OUR DAUGHTER IN A CAR, THAT MAY HAVE INHERENT DESIGN PROBLEMS RENDERING IT UNSAFE FOR HER TRAVELS TO WORK, SCHOOL, AND VACATIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVING APPROX 40 MPH TOWARDS HOME AND REAR WINDOW EXPLODED, SHATTERED GLASS ALL OVER. IT SOUNDED LIKE AN M80 IN THE BACK OF MY TRUCK. HAD WINDOW REPAIR GUYS COME AND THEY SHOWED ME DEFROSTER CONNECTORS WERE BURNT OUT. I DID HAVE DEFROSTER SETTING ON AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. I CALLED TOYOTA BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST. MY CONCERN WAS IF MY DOGS WERE IN THE BACK, AS WE USUALLY TAKE THEM TO THE PARK, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. I DID HAVE A MAJOR ANXIETY ATTACK. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

DRIVING APPROX 40 MPH TOWARDS HOME AND REAR WINDOW EXPLODED, SHATTERED GLASS ALL OVER. IT SOUNDED LIKE AN M80 IN THE BACK OF MY TRUCK. HAD WINDOW REPAIR GUYS COME AND THEY SHOWED ME DEFROSTER CONNECTORS WERE BURNT OUT. I DID HAVE DEFROSTER SETTING ON AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. I CALLED TOYOTA BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST. MY CONCERN WAS IF MY DOGS WERE IN THE BACK, AS WE USUALLY TAKE THEM TO THE PARK, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. I DID HAVE A MAJOR ANXIETY ATTACK. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE NEW 4 RUNNER LISTED ABOVE, I BEGAN TO FEEL A CLUNK FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF IT BUT COULD DO NOTHING BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SERVICE BULLETIN PUBLISHED REFERENCING THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID A SERVICE BULLETIN EXISTED ON THE LEXUS GX470, WHICH USED THE SAME DRIVETRAIN. TO THIS DATE THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, NOT ONLY CAN YOU HEAR IT BUT THE INERTIA ON OCCASIONS PUSHES THE VEHICLE FORWARD. SERVICE BULLETINS ARE 00207 AND 00106, NHTSA ID# ARE 10021759 AND 10021707. *TR

THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE MAIN FRAME UNDER THE VEHICLE BROKE DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME. AS FAR AS I KNOW TOYOTA HAS A LARGE RECALL NOW ON RAV 4S AND LEXUS VEHICLES DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST BUT THERE IS NO CURRENT RECALL ON 4 RUNNERS. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MY CONCERN IN HOPES OF LEADING TO A RECALL ON 4 RUNNERS BUILT DURING SIMILAR TIME PERIOD. ACCORDING TO TOYOTA THEY SAY THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THEY ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS. BUT THEY HAVE FAILED TO RECALL THE PRODUCTS THAT ARE DANGEROUS. WHEN THE FRAME BREAKS, THIS IS A DEADLY SITUATION WHILE DRIVING. TOYOTA OFFERED ME NO FORM OF REIMBURSEMENT WHEN I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE(TOYOTA CASE #[XXX]) FILED WITH TOYOTA OVER PHONE ON 9-25-14. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK FAILED TO REMAIN CLOSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LATCH MECHANISM WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST UNDER THE HOOD, WHICH PREVENTED THE INSTALLATION OF THE TWO BOLTS TO SECURE THE BUG VISOR ON THE HOOD. THE FRONT CALIPERS WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

THE SECONDARY AIR INDUCTION PUMP (AIP) AND SWITCHING VALVES FAILED ON MY 2006 4RUNNER LIMITED WITH V8. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS SEEN ON TOYOTA SEQUOIAS AND TUNDRAS. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A SPECIAL EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS SYSTEM ON THOSE VEHICLES, BUT NOT ON THE 4 RUNNERS, EVEN THOUGH THE DEFECTIVE SYSTEMS / PARTS ARE THE SAME. TOYOTA CUSTOMER CASE # 1409160408. THIS IS A > $2000 REPAIR TO BASICALLY CLEAR THE CHECK ENGINE CODE AND ALLOW ME TO PASS STATE INSPECTION. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS SYSTEM OR AT LEAST HAVE TOYOTA COVER ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS DEFECTIVE SYSTEM, NOT JUST CERTAIN HIGHER-VOLUME MODEL YEARS. *TR

HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA WITH 94000 MILES ON IT. TOOK IT IN FOR A RECENT RECALL AND TOLD THE ENTIRE FRAME IS RUSTED AND BACK OF VEHICLE COULD JUST FALL APART WHILE DRIVING. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT TOYOTA HAS SEVERAL ISSUES WITH FRAMES RUSTING ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ONLY RECALLED A FEW OF THEIR MODELS. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT FOR SERVICE AND NO ONE HAS EVER MENTIONED ANY RUST PROBLEM UNTIL NOW WHEN IT IS APPARENTLY TO LATE AND THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE OR DRIVABLE. I AM EXTREMELY UPSET THAT MY CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN IN THIS VEHICLE WHEN THE FRAME GAVE OUT. TOYOTA REALLY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I AM TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL OR WARRANTY TO ASSIST US. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENSIVE LEAK OF AN UNKNOWN FLUID UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPINION WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

IN 2011, I NOTICED MY 2006 4RUNNER WAS RUSTING SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO LOOKED AT IN AND SAID NORMAL WEAR. NOW IN 2014, PARTS OF MY 4RUNNER ARE FALLING OFF, ONE HEAT SHIELD FELL OFF AND THE OTHER ONE IS RATTLING LIKE CRAZY, THE SCREWS HAVE RUSTED THROUGH. THERE IS SEVERE RUSTING, THE ENTIRE UNDER CARRIAGE, THE LATCH TO CLOSE THE REAR DOOR, THE BRAKES,THE GAS TANK, THE BODY HAS BROWN SPOTS, THE TIRE RIMS, THE ONLY PARTS NOT RUSTED ARE THE PLASTIC PARTS. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY 4RUNNER. I HAVE HAD TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON REPAIRS SO FAR ON A VEHICLE BOUGHT BRAND NEW. *TR