2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

RE: 2003 4- RUNNER I RECENTLY SOLD MY 4-RUNNER BUT WANT TO REPORT AN INCIDENT THAT CAUSED MY CAR TO CRASH INTO THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE CAUSING CONSIDERABLE FRONT-END DAMAGE TO THE CAR. I WAS MANEUVERING THE CAR INTO ITS USUAL PARKING SPACE, AS I HAD DONE SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES BEFORE, WHEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD INTO THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE. I DID NOT REPORT THIS ISSUE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT RECENT EVENTS HAVE RAISED QUESTIONS IN MY MIND AND I NOW BELIEVE THAT AN ACCELERATION ISSUE MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF MY ACCIDENT. THE 4-RUNNER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL INVOLVING FLOOR MATS OR TOYOTA'S MORE RECENT SPATE OF BRAKING RECALLS. PLEASE ADVISE. *TW

SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF 2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER AS MY WIFE WAS PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE. THE VEHICLE JUMPED OVER A FLOWER BED AND STRUCK TWO PARKED CARS. THE FRONT END SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY $2,000 IN DAMAGES. *TR

MY VEHICLE SEEMED TO BECOME LOUDER WHEN IDLING OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED IT. A COUPLE MONTHS AGO I NOTICED IT BEING NOTICEABLY MUCH LOUDER. THE NOISE COULD BE HEARD WHILE IDLING (RED LIGHT, DRIVE THRUS...) AND WOULD BECOME LOUDER WITH ACCELERATION UP TO ABOUT 40MPH. THIS WAS A RATTLING NOISE LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE UNDERBODY, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S AND THE PASSENGER'S SEATS. IT SOUNDED LIKE LOUD HEAVY VIBRATIONS, METAL ON METAL. I ASKED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO CHECK OUT AND THEY FOUND THAT THE HEATSHIELD WAS SERIOUSLY RUSTED. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART IN ORDER TO REPLACE IT BUT SAID IT WAS RUSTED SO BADLY THAT THEY HAD TO REMOVE WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE ORIGINAL HEATSHIELD TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS. ONCE THE NEW PART WAS RECEIVED THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT ON THE NEW HEATSHIELD. *TR

2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER V6 SPORT. ON SATURDAY I FLOORED THE GAS PEDAL AND WHEN I LET UP THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I PUMPED THE BRAKES BUT ACCELERATION CONTINUED. I APPLIED STRONG CONTINUOUS FORCE TO THE BRAKES AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE ACCELERATION DISENGAGED. YESTERDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF OTHER NON-4RUNNER TOYOTA MODELS BEING RECALLED FOR EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM HAS ME VERY CONCERNED. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE 4RUNNER HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED? *TR

MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS THE VSC TRAC/TRAC OFF LIGHT ON. EVER SINCE THESE 2 LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON MY VEHICLE PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN AFFECTED. I HAVE HAD 2 INCIDENTS WHERE MY 4RUNNER FISHTAILS ON MILD WET ROAD, THE 2 TIMES WHEN THIS HAPPENED I WAS ENTERING A RAMP, AND WHILE SLIGHTLY TURNING ONTO THE STREET MY VEHICLE FISHTAILED VIOLENTLY AND TURNING THE VEHICLE FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AGAINST APPROACHING TRAFFIC. IT WAS A VERY SCARY SCENARIO. I WAS GOING VERY SLOW SINCE IT WAS AN EXITING RAMP WITH A STOP LIGHT SO I HIT ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND MAKE THE TURN AT THE LIGHT ONTO THE STREET AND THIS IS WHAT THE VEHICLE DID...THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE ALREADY. I'VE SEEN MANY REPORTS ON THE INTERNET FROM MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. IS THERE A RECALL IN PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEMS (VSC TRAC/TRAC OFF) ON THE 4RUNNERS?? PLEASE ADVICE. *TR

AFTER REPLACING AN OXYGEN SENSOR SEVERAL TIMES, THE DEALERSHIP FINALLY DISCOVERED THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM THAT IS MAKING THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND TRACTION CONTROL CIRCUIT SHORT OUT. THE AIR DIVERTOR FLAP INSIDE THE HVAC BOX UNDER THE DASH HAD GREASE APPLIED TO THE FLAP HINGES IN THE FACTORY. DIRECTLY BELOW THE FLAP IS A WIRING HARNESS WHICH DROPS DOWN FROM THE HVAC BOX AND PLUG INTO THE ECU. OVER TIME THE GREASE HAS TRAVELED DOWN THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION PLUG INTO THE ECU CAUSING VARIOUS CIRCUITS TO SHORT. NO DAMAGE AT PRESENT, HOWEVER VARIOUS SAFETY CIRCUITS SUCH AS TRACTION CONTROL ARE BEING AFFECTED. FURTHERMORE, AS OIL IS COMBUSTIBLE, AN INTERIOR FIRE COULD RESULT FROM THE OIL PENETRATING THE 12 VOLT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION POINT ON THE ECU. THIS ISSUE/ PROBLEM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS AND ECU AS WELL AS CLEAN THE GREASE OUT OF THE HVAC BOX. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VERY BADLY. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE HAD A FLAT TIRE, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HAVE THE TIRE PRESSURE CHECKED AND THEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE SHAKING ONLY OCCURS WHILE DRIVING OVER 30 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER CHECKED THE RECALL DATABASE, BUT FOUND NO RECALLS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2001-2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER REGARDING THE SUSPENSION AND THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE SAME FAILURE IS OCCURRING ON HIS VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC BRAKING CONTROL AND ANTI-SKID CONTROL. SERVICE LIGHT ACTIVATED BUT NO RECALL OR NOTICE TO CONSUMERS. SEE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BR 005-03 (DEC. 4, 2003). TOYOTA REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE SAFETY RISK OR OBLIGATION TO REPLACE OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR

REAR LEFT SAFETY BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN ALTERED OR DAMAGED IN ANY WAY PRIOR TO SAFETY BELT NOT RETRACTING. CAN NOT USE REAR LEFT SAFETY BELT. SAFETY BELT IS FULLY EXTENDED AND WILL NOT RETRACT. *TR

MY 4RUNNER HAS BEEN MAKING AN AWFUL CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LEXUS GX470 AS WELL. THE 03-06 4RUNNERS HAVE THE SAME DRIVELINE AS THE LEXUS AND UNLIKE LEXUS, TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP! *TR