Toyota 4Runner Complaints (1990)

78 consumer complaints on file.

#8016975August 22, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
WHILE STARTING ENGINE REVVED A LITTLE AND COOLING FAN EXPLODED, PIECE OF FAN FLEW AS FAR AS 30 FEET AWAY, ALMOST INJURING A BYSTANDER. FAN PIERCED A HOLE IN BATTERY, ALLOWING ACID TO SPILL ONTO THE FLOOR. MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS WAS A POOR DESIGN IN COOLING FAN. AND A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#6900593December 7, 2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE BLEW AT 13000 MILES AND VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING AND CUTTING OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#755199December 3, 2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE WAS IN FOR OIL CHANGE 4 WEEKS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD BANGING NOISE. STOPPED AT A JIFFYLUBE, AND FOUND OIL VERY LOW. FILLED WITH OIL AND WAS TOLD THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE I THREW A ROD, BUT IT SHOULD BE OKAY TO GET ME WHERE I WAS GOING (ABOUT 5 MILES UP THE ROAD). APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES LATER, WHITE SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE BANGING STOPPED. THE SMOKE BECAME VERY BAD, AND I WAS ABOUT TO PULL INTO A GAS STATION WHEN SOMEONE PULLING OUT YELLED TO ME THAT IT WAS ON FIRE (IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT). I GOT ME AND MY 2 SMALL BOYS OUT, AND CAME HOME THAT SAME NIGHT TO THE HEAD GASKET RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TOYOTA, WHO SENT SOMEONE OUT TO INVESTIGATE, BUT THEY SAID THAT THE INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT THE CAUSE WAS NOT KNOWN, AND IT WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. I WAS READING MORE HORROR STORIES ABOUT THIS ON YOUR SITE. WHAT CAN BE DONE? MY VEHICLE WAS PAID FOR AND MY INSURANCE DID NOT COVER FIRE. WHY DID IT TAKE THEM SO LONG TO GET THE HEAD GASKET RECALL NOTICE TO ME? IT APPEARS THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I BASICALLY DROPPED THE ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS FIGURING I WAS FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE, UNTIL I DISCOVERED THIS SITE. THANKS.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#898138October 24, 2001
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE WAS PARKED BUT TURNED ON, HAD JUST SHIFTED INTO REVERSE WITH FOOT ON BRAKES WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS. HIT 2 PARKED VEHICLES. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. HAVE NOT CONTACTED DEALERSHIP.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#897204October 2, 2001
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
PASSENGER'S SIDE EXTERIOR MIRROR WOULD SEVERELY VIBRATE WHEN TRAVELING AT 30MPH OR MORE. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WAS UNWILLING TO ASSIST ON THIS MATTER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#891796July 2, 2001
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE), VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
VEHICLE WAS AT A LIGHT AND CONSUMER STEPPED ON CLUTCH AND HEARD A SNAP. VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD, AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN PARK POSITION, AND GOT UNDER THE DASHBOARD. NOTICED BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS BROKEN. DEALER DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THE VEHICLE UNLESS CONSUMER WAS PAYING TO REPAIR IT.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#882812March 12, 2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR A RECALL ISSUED BY MANUFAC. ON THE HEAD GASKET, BUT THAN IT BLEWUP AGAIN. CONSUMER ALSO FOUND PAPER IN OIL PAN. DEALER WILL REPAIR BUT ON CONSUMER'S COSTS.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#559932February 27, 2001
TIRES:TREAD/BELT, TIRES:SIDEWALL
FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE (P235 75 R15) EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT BETWEEN THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL, CONSUMER HAD TAKEN TIRES TO SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD STATED TIRE HAD HAIR LINE CRACKS, HOWEVER CENTER STATED CRACKS WERE NORMAL. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#739281January 12, 2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MY TOYOTA 4-RUNNER BLEW A HEAD GASKET 10 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. I CONTACTED BOTH RENO TOYOTA AND CARSON TOYOTA. NIETHER DEALER WERE HELPFULL IN RECALL INFORMATION. AFTER REPLACING THE MOTOR, MY MECHANIC ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS A COMMON ACCURANCE IN THE 4-RUNNER TO HAVE FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. I THEN CONTACTED CARSON TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM BUT NOT PAY FOR ANYONE ELSE TO DO SO. BY THE TIME THEY CONTACTED ME THE WORK WAS COMPLETE AND A BILL OF OVER $6500 WAS INCURED. I DONT BELIEVE THEY WOULD HAVE OFFERED TO FIX THE PROBLEM IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW IT EXISTED. I CAN'T SEEM TO GET ANY RECALL INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA, AND I WAS HOPING YOU COULD HELP. THANKYOU , RON COLLINS. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#876837December 20, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WATER IS BEING SUCKED INTO ENGINE, AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. THERE IS A DEFECT IN HEAD ENGINE GASKET. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#785096December 6, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE (COOLANT LEAKAGE INTO THE CYLINDER) IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE 3VZ-E ENGINE, TOYOTA INITIATED A SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN (V06) TO REPAIR MOST, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE DOES NOT QUALIFY DUE TO THE VIN # RANGE. *MJS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#737041November 29, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
STARTED AND LOW SPEED STRANGE NOISE AND ANTIFREZE SPEWING, HEAD GASKET BLOWN (REPLACED IN 1998) ONLY 42 K MILES INTO NEW GASKET. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#736616November 20, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THREW A ROD, RESULTING IN TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. COMPLETE OIL LOSS BLAMED - CAUSE UNKNOWN. HEAD GASKET REPLACED IN APRIL OF 1996. THIS OCCURRED IN MAY OF 1997.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#729942September 1, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON INTERSTATE 10 IN TEMPE, ARIZONA AT APPROXIMATELY 12 NOON. AT THE TIME I WAS A RESIDENT OF TEMPE, ARIZONA FOR 12 YEARS. THE FAILURE WAS A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER. THE AGE OF THE TIRE AND TREAD WEAR IS UNKNOWN. I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. I MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND BROUGHT IT TO A STOP WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. NO OTHER REPORT IS AVAILABLE. I PAID TO REPLACE THE TIRE AT A FIRESTONE DEALER. OTHER INFORMATION: I HAVE OBSERVED OTHER QUALITY PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL TIRE INCLUDING TIRES GETTING OUT OF BALANCE SOON AFTER PURCHASE AND PARTIAL TREAD SEPARATION ON TIRES WITH HEAVY WEAR.( DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#868724August 25, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER STARTED UP THE CAR AND SAW A BIG PUFF OF SMOKE. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY SAID IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET.*AK *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#867108August 8, 2000
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ABS FAILED TO ACTIVATE DURING SNOW CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPEED UP RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH A FENCE. *YH
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#861919May 15, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE AFTER IT HAS BEEN RUNNING ROUGHLY, WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF ENGINE. A TECHNICIAN HAD INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#721731April 20, 2000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THIS VEHICLE BEHAVES IN A VERY "LEMON" LIKE WAY. NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL FAILURES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. MAIN PROBLEM IS VEHICLE JUMPING IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT HIGHWAY CRUISING SPEEDS. (A CONSTANT PROBLEM.) TOYOTA SEEMS TO NOT WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH I KNOW OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER OWNER LOCALLY WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. AT ONE TIME, A WIRING HARNESS WAS BLAMED AND A FIX WAS MADE THAT CURED THE PROBLEM FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. VEHICLE CONSTANTLY LEAKS OIL, EVEN THOUGH THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP "FIXED" THESE PROBLEMS AS PART OF A RECALL IN LATE 1997. (PROBLEM NEVER STAYED FIXED.) ELECTRICAL SHORTS IN WIRING ALSO CAUSED SEVERAL INSTANCES OF BATTERY LOSS OF POWER SO BADLY THAT BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. TRANSMISSION HAS ALWAYS BEHAVED POORLY, ENGINE ALWAYS LEAKS OIL, AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE ABUNDANT. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#721670April 19, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TOYOTA SENT EXT. NOTICE 03/98. GOOD FOR 12 MONTHS, UP TO 100K MILES. ENGINE HEAD GASKETS DID NOT FAIL IN THAT TIME, BUT 24 MOS LATER AT ONLY 62K MILES, WELL UNDER 100K. STILL, TOYOTA WON'T EXTEND HONORING THE 1998 EXTENSION THOUGH RECORDS ON YOUR NHT
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#721273April 10, 2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VALVES .LOW COMPRESSION IN ONE CYLINDER AFTER ONLY 25,000 MILES ON NEW VALVE JOB. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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