2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

THE ENGINE, VSC TRAC AND VSC WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE ENGINE 02 SENSORS WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURE WILL NOT REPLACE OR REPLACE SINCE THERE ARE NO ADVISORIES ON THE PART. THERE IS A HIGH RISK THE ENGINE MAY UNDER PERFORM WHICH MAY CAUSE LACK OF CONTROL AND A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING. LEADING TO INJURY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING NORMALLY WITH NO ISSUES ON LOCAL STREETS. SUDDENLY THE VSC,TRAC, AND E-BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD WITH A VERY LOUD AUDIBLE ALARM. NO PRIOR ISSUES WITH THIS SYSTEM. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SLOWLY HOME ON SIDE ROADS (1.5 MILES AWAY). I MADE IT TO MY DRIVEWAY, PULLED IN ON MY UPSLOPING DRIVEWAY AND THEN I HAD NO BRAKES. PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO THE STREET AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP. I FEEL LUCKY TO HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AT LOW SPEED AND IN TOWN. THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO WARNING FOR A CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. DIAGNOSIS BY MECHANIC IS BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER/TRACTION CONTROL MODULE, AT APPROXIMATELY $3000 TO REPLACE. I HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF THIS FAILURE ACROSS MULTIPLE VEHICLE TYPES. THE LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS UPON FAILURE (INCLUDING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE) AND THE SHORT WINDOW TO REACT MAKES ME FEEL LUCKY THAT I DID NOT HIT OR HARM MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE WITH THIS FAILURE. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG NORMALLY, THE VSC, TRAC, ABS AND E-BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD, ALONG WITH AN AUDIBLE ALARM. THEN WE HAD NO BRAKES. I HAD TO PUSH WITH ALL MY STRENGTH JUST TO SLOW DOWN AT ALL. WE WERE LUCKY WE DID NOT CRASH, WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I AM FINDING OUT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL, AS WELL AS OTHER TOYOTA MODELS THAT USE THE SAME BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER/TRACTION CONTROL MODULE. *TR

MY MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT MY 4RUNNER HAS SEVERE FRAME RUST. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC IS WARNING THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS IT'S NEXT SAFETY INSPECTION. THE 4RUNNER WAS PURCHASED AND KEPT IN VIRGINIA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS DEVELOPING A CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AND BOTH STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS LEAKING CAUSING THE DASHBOARD TO CRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT THERE WAS A HOLE ON THE SUBFRAME NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THE TECHNICIAN ADDED THAT THE FRAME HAD CORRODED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AS A RESULT, THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO ASSIST WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRAME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,380.

2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS VERY EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST AND CORROSION ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE A RATTLING SOUND CHECKED OUT. TURNS OUT, THE HEAT SHIELD BROKE LOOSE AND WAS RESTING ON THE EXHAUST ASSEMBLY. ALSO, A MUFFLER HANGAR WAS READY TO COME LOOSE. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THE GAS TANK SUPPORTS WERE ALSO ROTTED AWAY. I'VE BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH ON ONLINE FORUMS AND FOUND THAT OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES, SUCH AS THE TACOMA, HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, I THINK THESE ISSUES MERIT FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *TR

MY 2003 4RUNNER HAS A BIG RUST PROBLEM... THE FRAME IS ROTTING AT AN EXPONENTIAL RATE... RECENTLY TOOK IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, AND MY MECHANIC SAID THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED OUT, AND WAS STARTING TO HAVE PERFORATIONS...I HAUL MY CHILDREN AROUND IN THE VEHICLE AND IT IS STARTING TO WORRY ME THAT IT IS GOING TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE... I CALLED TOYOTA TO TRY AND REMEDY THE SITUATION, BUT THEY PRETENDED LIKE THERE WAS NO PROBLEM... I HAVE DONE LOTS OF RESEARCH AND FOUND THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS WITH 4RUNNER OWNERS IN THE SAME YEARS AND BODY STYLES AS MINE WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM- THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BY TOYOTA BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED... *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LTD. I ALWAYS SEEN RUST ON THE FRAME SINCE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK AND HAD IT SERVICED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY NEVER TOLD ME THE RUST WAS BAD OR HAD THROUGH HOLES IN THE FRAME BECAUSE THEY NEVER LOOKED. RECENTLY I DECIDED TO REQUEST THE DEALERSHIP TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THE FRAME FOR HOLES. THEY FOUND MAY HOLES NEAR THE GAS TANK CROSSMEMBERS AND PASSENGER SIDE UNDER BUMPER AND DRIVER SIDE BUMPER. THERE ARE NO CAMPAIGNS OR PROGRAMS TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY FOR CORROSION ISSUES. HOWEVER WE KNOW THAT TOYOTA HAD A RECALL FOR 110,000 TUNDRAS AND ARE PERFORMING UNDERCOATING FOR TACOMAS. (MY BROTHER IS HAVING THIS DONE ON HIS 2006) I TOW A BOAT WITH MY 4RUNNER AND I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS SAFE TO TOW ANYMORE. I FEEL TOYOTA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FRAME RUSTING SO BAD AND SHOULD FIX THE RUSTED PARTS LIKE THEY DID FOR THE TUNDRAS OR TACOMAS. *TR

DASHBOARD IS MELTING BECOMING STICKY AND CRACKING DUE TO HEAT EXPOSURE. DASHBOARD IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEIR IS A HIGH RISK THE DASHBOARD COULD FALL APART AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR