1997 Toyota 4Runner complaints

THE VEHICLE HAS SPUN OUT ON THREE OCCASIONS. NLM

VEHICLE LOCKED UP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. IT HAS BEEN TO DEALER THREE TIMES AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED. ALSO, REAR AXLE SEAL WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED. BRAKE PADS WERE CLEANED. IF PROBLEM REOCCURRED DEALER WAS SUPPOSE TO REPLACE PADS. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY WERE JUST CLEANED. CONSUMER WAS VERY FUSTRATED AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THERE SEEMED TO BE NO REMEDY. *AK

REAR AXLE SEALS LEAKING REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF SEALS & REAR BRAKE PADS. DEFOGGER IS INOPERABLE DUE TO LINKAGE DISENGAGED. *AK

DRIVING VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND HOOD ON VEHICLE FLEW UP WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING DAMAGE. CONTACTED MINOT CHRYSLER & TOYOTA CENTER, MINOT, ND PHONE 1-800-735-4483 WHARE THE VEHICLE IS AT RIGHT NOW. A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE WAS THERE AT TIME. DEALER AND TOYOTA REP STATED THAT THESE THINGS JUST HAPPEN. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY ETC. AND A HIGHER SPEED SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILLED. *AK

NO SUMMARY

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE (P225 75 R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC

WHENEVER VEHICLE HAS SAT A LONG TIME WOULD FAIL TO START UP. IGNITION WOULD LOCK UP. THE BATTERY IS FINE. BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE DEALER AT LEAST 20 TIMES. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER NO PROBLEM WITH IGNITION OR STARTER. WAS INFORMED WHAT TO DO BUT SOLUTION DO NOT WORK . *AK THE CAUSE FOR THE VEHICLE FAILING TO START UP IS INDICATED TO BE DUE TO THE BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM. *YH

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES P225 75 R15 EXPERIENCED CUPPING AND VIBRATION, CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

FRONT END OF VEHICLE SHAKES EXCESSIVELY AT SPEEDS OVER 65. AT 80 MILES PER HOUR VEHICLE IS CLOSE TO BEING UNCONTROLLABLE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF TRUCK SHAKES VIOLENTLY. REPORTED TO DEALER DURING FIRST MONTH OF OWNERSHIP (PENSKE TOYOTA, DOWNEY). DEALER TESTED VEHICLE AND STATED THAT ALL HIGH VEHICLES SHAKE AT HIGH SPEEDS. VEHICLE STILL SHAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO LONGO TOYOTA FOR 15,000 MILE CHECKUP. NEEDED TWO NEW FRONT TIRES AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT. LONGO REPLACED TIRES FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE I HAD PROOF OF MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT AND PROOF THAT PENSKE DID NOTHING TO CORRECT PROBLEM. PROBLEM CORRECTED FOR A FEW MILES THEN STARTED AGAIN. RETURNED TO LONGO TOYOTA IN EL MONTE AND REPORTED PROBLEM AGAIN AND WAS TOLD TIRES NEEDED AIR PRESSURE CHANGED. PROBLEM CONTINUED AND ON NEXT VISIT WAS TOLD TIRES NEEDED ROTATING THAT THEY ARE WEARING UNEVENLY. PROBLEM CONTINUED AND REPORTED AGAIN TO LONGO TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE ALIGNMENT CHECKED EVERY THOUSAND MILES. THIS ANSWER ANGERED ME AND I GAVE UP ON TRYING TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. AT PRESENT, THE TIRES ARE WORN EXCESSIVELY ON ONE SIDE AND DEALER TELLS ME THAT I NEED NEW TIRES. I KNOW I NEED NEW TIRES BUT WHAT I NEED FIRST IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE ALIGNMENT CORRECTED TO PREVENT THE SHAKING AND UNEVEN WEAR.

2/4 ORIGINAL TIRES HAVE FAILED SEVERAL TIMES TO MAINTAIN AIR PRESSURE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. OF THOSE TWO TIRES, 1 HAS BEEN REPLACED AFTER SHOWING SIGNS OF SEPERATION, AND THE OTHER IS NEEDING MORE AIR 2-3X/WK, AND IS SHOWING SIGNS OF SEPERATION( DOT NUMBER: W2HH TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )

NO SUMMARY( DOT NUMBER: EX BM06247 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

TOYOTA, 4 RUNNER EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS/AT TIRES, SIZE P225R7515. HAS EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH. FIRESTONE HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

THE SIDEWALLS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. NO WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES PRIOR TO THE EVENT. NO PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE TIRE. THE TIRE CAME APART INSTANTLY.( DOT NUMBER: W2HH TIRE SIZE: P225 75R15 )

SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HER. AIRBAG DEPLOYED TO SOON. SHE WENT FACE FIRST INTO THE DASH & WINDSHIELD WAS KNOCKED UNCONSIOUS. SHE HAS NECK & BACK INJURIES STILL TODAY. THE SEATBELT IS STILL LAYING ON THE SEAT. LAP PART HELD HER NOT THE SHOULDER STRAPE HER HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD & BROKE WINDSHIELD. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF YOU NEED MORE INFOMATION. *AK

TRIED TO MAKE A U TURN FROM A PAVED ROADWAY INTO SOMEONE'S PACKED GRAVEL DRIVEWAY. SLOWED TO 25 MPH AND STARTED THE TURN AT LESS THAN 20 MPH. APPLIED BRAKES LIGHTLY TO CONTINUE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN TO LESS THAN 12MPH. SUDDENLY THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO NO FURTHER (FELT A HARD STOP), BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT MOVING. COULDN'T TURN PROPERLY ANYMORE AND VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING. THERE NO SKIDDING SOUNDS OR SLIDING SOUNDS. VEHICLE MOVED AS IF BRAKES WERE NOT ENGAGED. FINALLY AT ABOUT 10MPH HIT A POST THAT ULTIMATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. FELT A HARD BANG ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SOME VIBRATING JUST AS THE VEHICLE CRASHED AND ALSO AFTER IT STOPPED. ONCE IT STOPPED THERE WAS A LOUD KLANG AND A SPRING RECOIL NOISE (VERY LOUD). FRONT PLASTIC SKIRT BROKEN, BUMPER CRUSHED AND BUMPER RE-INFORCEMENT BAR BENT. DEALER CONTACTED. NO PROBLEM FOUND WITH ABS AND THEY CLAIM THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD FUNCTION (ALL THE NOISE). HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH PRIOR VEHICLES (WITHOUT ABS) IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. THIS VEHICLE HAS OFF AND ON DISPLAYED SOME PECULIAR ABS BEHAVIOUR. BROUGHT TO THE DEALER ONCE BEFORE AND WAS TOLD THE KLANGING CAME FROM THE SKID PLATES RATTLING. THIS TIME THE NOISE WAS THE ABS ITSELF ... WHAT NEXT? *AK

WHILE PULLING VEHICLE INTO A PARKING SPACE AND SHIFTING GEAR INTO PARK, VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. RAN INTO NEXT PARKED VEHICLE. NO INJURIES REPORTED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CAR ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, POWER STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY AND SLOW, AND POWER BRAKES NO LONGER WORKED. *AK

THE SEALS ON THE REAR AXLE BLEW OUT, SATURATING THE REAR BRAKES WITH DIFFERENTIAL, RENDERING THEM USELESS. THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WOULD NOT HOLD EITHER. *AK

UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL BRAKES ARE NOT EFFECTIVE, AND CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO, REAR AXLE SEALS LEAK FLUID. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS MADE FOUR DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

LOSS OF AUTO TRANSMISSION FLUID RESULTING IN FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION, POSSIBLY DUE TO LACK OF CARE IN VERIFYING SUFFICIENT FLUID SUPPLIED AT POINT OF SALE. OWNER POINTS OUT THAT FILLER NECK VERY SMALL AND NEXT TO IMPOSIBLE TO RE-INSERT DIPSTICK, MAKING RE-FILLING A SEVERE CHORE AND ENCOURAGING WHOEVER RESPONSIBLE TO AVOID CHECKING THAT SUFFICIENT FLUID HAS NBEEN PROVIDED.

VEHICLE DISPLAYS CONTINUOUS BRAKE PROBLEMS SINCE DELIVERY DATE. TAKEN BACK TO SELLING DEALER IN MIAMI AND HENDRICKSON TOYOTA IN POMPANO, FLORIDA, NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO REPAIRS MADE. FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCE HARD BRAKE PEDAL, THEN SOFT BRAKE PEDAL ON SUBSE

AFTER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS SHUT AND AFTER LOCKING THE POWER LOCKS, THEY WILL BECOME UNLOCKED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

DRIVER WENT TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE WITH FACTORY JACK WHICH DID NOT GO HIGH ENOUGH. ALSO, IT BENT AND BROKE, CAUSING IT TO FALL ,LANDING AND DAMAGING ROTOR AND AXLE OF THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. *AK

MY TOYOTA VIBRATES AS THOUGH IT HAS A WHEEL BALANCE PROBLEM WHEN IT'S DRIVEN BETWEEN 58 AND 65 MPH. MULTIPLE "REBALANCES" AND 3 SETS OF NEW TIRES HAVE NOT FIXED IT. I'VE READ ACCOUNTS OF "DRIVELINE RUNOUT" CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. DEALER HAS ALIGNED THE VEHICLE AND I'VE HAD TIRES BALANCED MANY TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW.

SKID PLATE--BOLT.

BRAKES.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE REAR AXLE SEAL LEAKED OIL, CONTAMINATING REAR BRAKES, AND CAUSING REAR BRAKES TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. ALSO AND PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. *AK

MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON I-395, EXITING OFF AT D STREET WHEN THE RIGHT REAR AXLE BROKE AND THE WHEEL CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. THE 4-RUNNER BOUNCED OFF THE MEDIAN GUARD RAIL, FLIPPED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE THEN RIGHTED ITSELF THEN CAME TO A STOP. MY WIFE SUSTAINED TISSUE DAMAGE, BUT NO BROKEN BONES. THIS VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN TAKEN OFF ROAD IN ANY CAPACITY. *AK

THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE IS INADEQUATE FOR THE WEIGHT PLUS THE ANTI LOCK SYSTEM DOESNT HELP EITHER IT ONLY CAUSES MORE LOST OF BRAKING POWER ESPECIALLY ON DOWN HILL STOPS.TOYOTA MADE THESE VEHICLES WITH TWO DIFFERENT SIZE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS.UNFORTUNATLY I HAVE THE SMALLEST ONE WHICH JUST DOES DO A GOOD JOB STOPPING SUCH A LOAD.( DOT NUMBER: )

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50-55 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE RIM ON THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL SPLIT IN HALF. THE TIRE REMAINED INTACT. DRIVER ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. A NOISE WAS HEARD WHENEVER MAKING RIGHT TURNS ABOUT 3 MONTHS OR MORE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. THE TRUCK IS BEING INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

FRONT STRUTS FAILED.

THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEW WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. ( GOODYEAR WRANGLER P265/70R16 ) *YC

RADIO FAILED CAUSING NOISE. MJS

RADIO IS NOT WORKING. YH

TAILGATE LIGHT BULB FAILED. YH

WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN RED LIGHT & WAS HIT BROADSIDE. UPON IMPACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS HOSPITALIZED. *AK *SLC

WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL RESISTS, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE . ALSO WHEN TRAVELING DOWN AN INCLINE THE VEHICLE SLID ABOUT 50 FEET BEFORE STOPPING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE REAR SEAT BELTS ON THE 1997 4RUNNER ARE TOO SHORT. THE ALR ENGAGES ONCE THEY ARE FULLY RETRACTED. ONCE THE ALR IS ENGAGED THE SEAT BELT WILL ONLY RETRACT AND NO LONGER PERMIT FORWARD TRAVEL. THE BELT MUST BE REMOVED AND FULLY RETRACTED BEFORE THE ALR DISENGAGED. REAR OCCUPANTS MUST NOW BELT AND UNBELT SEVERAL TIMES DURING A TRIP. I FEEL THIS IS POTENTIALLY DANAGEROUS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND HE DISPLAYED THAT THE 1998 MODELS ALSO HAVE VERY SHORT REAR BELTS. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT ALSO HAS ALR, BUT IT HAS TWICE AS MUCH SEATBELT LENGTH BEFORE THE ALR ENGAGES.

WHILE DRIVING AT 60-65 MPH, USING CRUISE CONTROL, WHEN TAKING CRUISE CONTROL OFF, IT WOULDN'T GO OFF. USED BRAKES, BRAKES DIDN'T WORK, VEHICLE WOULDN'T SLOW DOWN. VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY VIBRATED AND ROLLED OVER DOWN A 25 FOOT EMBANKMENT. DEALER NOT AWARE. *AK

JACK THAT IS SUPPLIED WITH VEHICLE IS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE SIZE OF TIRES.

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 45 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK THIS IS THE SECOND OCCASION IN WHICH THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *SLC

SLOWED VEHICLE DOWN TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND VEHICLE STALLED.

VEHICLE WAS IN AN INSIDE PARKING LOT. OWNER WAS PARKING AND HAD FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE TRUCK JUMPED BACK AND ACCELERATED FORWARD, THEN HIT A CONCRETE WALL. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE ENGINE STALLED AFTER OWNER APPLIED THE BRAKES. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

INTERMITTENT STALLING. *AK

WHILE SLOWING DOWN AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 40MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. OWNER STATES THAT ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON PRIOR TO STALLING. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURERWERE NOTIFIED. OWNER HAS FILED A CLAIM WITH THE BBB (BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU). *AK

BLOWN ENGINE GASKET CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK AND ENGINE TO OVERHEAT.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER.

WIRING WITHIN THE VEHICLE ATTRACKS MICE, WHICH HAVE BEEN CREATING PROBLEMS WITH COMPONENTS.