2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

MY FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS CONTINUE TO FREEZE OR SEIZE AND CAUSES THE BRAKE PADS TO STICK TO THE ROTORS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I OWNED THE TRUCK. RECENTLY, UPON REPLACING THE BOTH FRONT CALIPERS, BRAKE PADS, AND ROTORS, AFTER BLEEDING THE BRAKES THE BRAKE SYSTEM NOW ONLY WORKED IN THE FRONT BRAKES AND NOT THE REAR BRAKES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING, THE ABS, PARKING BRAKE, VSC AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT LOST ALL BRAKING CONTROL IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER THAT CONTROLS THE ABS AND BOOSTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DECLINED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

2003 4RUNNER WAS IN FOR SERVICE AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST DAMAGE ON THE FRONT FRAME CROSS MEMBER AND THERE IS A DANGER THAT THE RADIATOR, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY THE CROSS MEMBER, COULD SHIFT OR WORK LOOSE. THE RUST DAMAGE IS MOST EVIDENT NEAR THE FRONT RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) FRAME MEMBER WHERE THE TOW HOOK IS MOUNTED. DUE TO WEAKNESS IN THIS AREA, THE TOW HOOK PULLED OUT WHEN THE TRUCK WAS BEING WINCHED ONTO A FLATBED FOR TOWING. *TR

MY PRIVATE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT MY VEHICLE'S FRAME WAS RUSTING AND WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. HE NOTIFIED TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE WHO STATED THAT TOYOTA WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE. TOYOTA HAS TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY IN THE PAST FOR OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CASE # WITH TOYOTA IS [XXX]. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ADVISE. THANK YOU! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TOYOTA INSTALLED A SUNROOF THAT HAD KNOWN DESIGN DEFECTS IN THE 2003 4RUNNER, THE FIRST MODEL YEAR OF THE 4TH GENERATION 4RUNNER. THE SUNROOF WOULD EVENTUALLY STOP WORKING, AND THE DRAINAGE TUBES IN THE SUNROOF WOULD CLOG AND BACK UP. THIS WOULD CAUSE WATER TO RAIN DOWN ON THE HEAD OF THE DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS DURING ACCELERATION OR A SUDDEN STOP. TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE SUNROOF ISSUE SINCE AT LEAST 2006, AND HAD ISSUED MULTIPLE TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE ASSEMBLY WITHOUT INITIATING A RECALL. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS 4RUNNER IN MARCH, 2015. I BEGAN TO NOTICE A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT 63MPH. I THOUGHT IT WAS BRAKES, I HAD BRAKES AND ROTORS SURFACED ON 3/12/15. STILL VIBRATING! SO I FIGURED IT WAS A SIMPLE BALANCING ISSUE, I TOOK IT ON THE SAME DAY TO HAVE IT BALANCED. IT STARTED VIBRATING AND SHAKING WORSE! I HAD THE SAME MECHANIC RE-BALANCE AND ROTATE THE WHEELS/TIRES. IT ROAD THE SAME. THEY TURNED ME TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ROAD ENFORCE BALANCER. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA TO HAVE THEM TEST DRIVE FIRST, THEY CLAIMED IT WAS INDEED OUT OF BALANCE. TOYOTA BALANCED. I DROVE IT AND IT WAS SHAKING LIKE A LEAF AT 32-70MPH. I HAD TOYOTA RE-BALANCE AGAIN! I DROVE IT AGAIN AND IT REMAINED WORSE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I LEFT THINKING THAT IT WAS MY WHEELS AND OR MY TIRES BECAUSE IN MY MIND TOYOTA KNOWS BEST! I WENT TO WHERE THE TIRES WERE BOUGHT, TIRES ARE 3 MONTHS NEW. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS SAME 4RUNNER HAD BEEN BROUGHT IN BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THEY PULLED THE WHEELS OFF AND PULLED ME ASIDE TO SHOW ME HOW EXCESSIVE THE BALANCING WEIGHTS WERE ON EACH RIM AND SOME ALL THE WAY AROUND RIM (TOYOTA'S DOING). THEY BALANCED USING THE HAWEKA, IT DROVE BETTER BUT STILL VIBRATING AT 32-70MPH. THEY RE-BALANCED AGAIN, STILL SAME ISSUE. THEY USED A DIFFERENT SET OF WHEELS AND BALANCED AGAIN, SAME ISSUE. THEY INSTALLED MY ORIGINAL WHEELS BACK ON AND RE-BALANCED AGAIN, SAME ISSUE! THEY CHECKED HUBS, BEARINGS, ALIGNMENT, BRAKES, ROTORS, BOOTS, AXLE AND EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT. I HAVE INVESTED NEARLY 4 DAYS AND $300 IN LOCATING THE ISSUE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND SO MANY TOYOTA 4RUNNER OWNERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. I AM CLUELESS AND DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I AM RUNNING OUT OF PATIENCE AND MONEY! PLEASE HELP! *TR

EXACT SAME ISSUE IDENTIFIED IN: DATE COMPLAINT FILED: 01/07/2015 COMPONENT(S): SERVICE BRAKES DATE OF INCIDENT: 01/05/2015 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10670783 DROVE CAR TO SHOP WITHOUT LOSING BRAKE POWER. QUOTED $3,000 AND TOLD THE ABS ACTUATOR REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. I'VE REPLACED TRANSMISSIONS AND ENGINE PARTS OVER CAR LIFETIMES, BUT NEVER RUN INTO THIS PART FAILING BEFORE, NOT EVEN IN A FORD. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LESS THAN A YEAR AGO FROM AN AUTO GROUP (TOYOTA, HONDA, ECT) AND HAD THEM PERFORM A SAFETY INSPECTION. SINCE IT WAS USED I KNEW THERE WOULD BE SOME ISSUES, THE ONLY PROBLEM IT HAD WAS THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE WASN'T COMPLETED AT 90K MILES (TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP, ECT). I WORKED THAT INTO THE DEAL AN WAS ON MY WAY. AFTER DEPARTING THE U.S. AND SHIPPING MY CAR TO HAWAII, THE INSPECTORS HERE FOUND A LOT OF RUST ON THE FRAME AND SAID IT COULD BE AN ISSUE GETTING AN APPROVED SAFETY INSPECTION (REQUIRED FOR REGISTERING THE CAR IN HAWAII). THEY SAID IT ISN'T SEVERE NOW, BUT CAN BE LIVING IN THIS STATE AS IT IS VERY RUSTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN SUCH A HUMID ENVIRONMENT. THEY ALSO SAID THAT TACOMAS FOR THAT YEAR HAD A RECALL DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST (SIMILAR IF NOT THE SAME FRAMES) BUT 4RUNNERS DO NOT, SO THEY RECOMMENDED I TALK TO TOYOTA ABOUT IT. I CALLED THE TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER HERE AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL AND IF I WANTED THE FRAME FIXED OR REPLACED, IT'D HAVE TO BE AT MY EXPENSE. TOYOTA'S ARE FANTASTIC VEHICLES, I JUST HOPE THIS COMMENT AIDS IN THEIR DECISION TO APPROVE A RECALL ON 4RUNNER'S FRAMES DUE TO RUST LIKE THE OTHER MAKES FOR THE SAME YEAR. *TR

TOOK MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER IN FOR SERVICE AND TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. THE SERVICE GUYS SAY THEY CANNOT INSPECT MY TRUCK BECAUSE IT HAS A HOLE IN THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK. THE FRONT OF MY FRAME IS SEVERELY CORRODED AFTER ONLY 160K MILES AND COMPLETELY UNSAFE FOR THE ROAD. THIS TRUCK HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND KEPT CLEAN IN THE WINTER MONTHS. THIS IS ENTIRELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE OF THIS ERA AND HIGHLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY OTHERS OUT THERE DRIVING AROUND NOT KNOWING THEIR TRUCKS ARE RUSTING AWAY TO THE POINT THE FRAME THEY ARE RIDING ON IS FALLING APART UNDER THEM. *JS

EXPOSED PARTS OF TOYOTA STEERING COMPONENTS ALL RUSTED TIGHT. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT FINALLY LOCKS. I AM SURE THERE WAS A RECALL NOTICE ON THIS WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE. THEY SEEM TO HAVE WANTED TO HIDE THIS ISSUE. REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION THE STEERING RACK AND STEERING KNUCKLE. HOSE ENDS CORRODED SO BAD HAD TO REPLACE IT ALSO. *TR