Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 132500 | 1 | |
| After i my mechanic replaced the catalytic converter for $1500.00, this problem began. the vehicle began to buck (jerk violently) as i was accelerating to 45 mph. it always happens at about 20 mph as i try to accelerate to 30, 35 or 40 mph. the engine revs up to 3 of 4k before the transmissions engages forcefully. this has been going on for now 3 months. *tr | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 132500 | ||
| After i my mechanic replaced the catalytic converter for $1500.00, this problem began. the vehicle began to buck (jerk violently) as i was accelerating to 45 mph. it always happens at about 20 mph as i try to accelerate to 30, 35 or 40 mph. the engine revs up to 3 of 4k before the transmissions engages forcefully. this has been going on for now 3 months. | |||
| 09/15/2011 | 141460 | 1 | |
| Toyota 2001 4-runner, the vehicle has an excessive amount of underbody,frame,drive train rust specifically the rear differential housing unit. the problem first encountered was the rr. differential housing rusted through and is leaking oil from it.so i called toyota executive office and spoke with an executive analyst, i explained in detail what the problem was , she arranged for the vehicle to be taken to a toyota dealer and inspected by their mechanics and the report reads as follows. inspected rear differential , inspected housing -found fluid leaking from housing at yoke through rear cover ;metal porous and thin. recommended replacement of housing and associated hardware repair estimate $1491.28 plus tax. they also noted several other issues that i cannot be sure if it was caused by excessive rust or normal wear. then under miscellaneous a general inspection, by technician reads as follows vehicle undercarriage has heavy corrosion - - found perforation at front shackle on right rear of frame. second problem, at the end of the inspection report under the comments section the technician, hand written said frame is bad,rust perforation (sloppy writing ) i believe it said, right rear rail . so after the executive analyst read the report she called me and said there is nothing toyota can do because the vehicle is out of warranty and there are no recalls. i researched on line for excessive rust and rr. diff. leaking, and found many other vehicles have a lot of the same problems developing. thank you *tr | |||
| 09/15/2011 | 141460 | ||
| Toyota 2001 4-runner, the vehicle has an excessive amount of underbody,frame,drive train rust specifically the rear differential housing unit. the problem first encountered was the rr. differential housing rusted through and is leaking oil from it.so i called toyota executive office and spoke with an executive analyst, i explained in detail what the problem was , she arrainged for the vehicle to be taken to a toyota dealer and inspected by their mechanics and the report reads as follows. inspected rear differential , inspected housing -found fluid leaking from housing at yoke through rear cover ;metal porus and thin. recommended replacement of housing and associated hardware repair estimate $1491.28 plus tax. they also noted several other issues that i cannot be sure if it was caused by excessive rust or normal wear. then under miscellaneus a general inspection, by technician reads as follows vehicle undercarrage has heavy corrosion - - found perforation at front shackle on right rear of frame. second problem, at the end of the inspection report under the comments section the technician, hand written said frame is bad,rust perforation (sloppy writing ) i beleave it said, right rear rail . so after the executive analyst read the report she called me and said there is nothing toyota can do because the vehicle is out of warranty and there are no recalls. i researched on line for excessive rust and rr. diff. leaking, and found many other vehicles have a lot of the same problems developing. thank you | |||
| 06/03/2009 | 120000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that the vehicle differential was corroded and developed a leak. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear differential assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 180,000. | |||
| 06/03/2009 | 120000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that the vehicle differential was corroded and developed a leak. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear differential assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 180,000. kmj | |||
| 03/03/2009 | 22650 | ||
| Rear differential cover rusted through with only 22650 miles on vehicle. dealer had to replace the whole rear axle assembly at a cost of $1800 because the cover is welded on and cannot be replaced separately. my concern is for the frame rusting out and subsequent safety issue as indicated by the number of other complaints listed here. i understand the tacoma's have similar problems and similar frames. the warranty for corrosion has been extended by toyota for the tacoma. when are you going to do something about this? | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 150000 | ||
| The rear differential on my toyota 4runner rusted so badly in 9 years of ownership that the structural steel frame that supports the differential gears (the housing) cracked and oil spilled out on the road. i discovered the rust during the yearly state inspection and consequently had the differential inspected by my toyota dealer (berlin city portland, me) a few months back and they said it was structurally sound but rusty. i am an engineer and clearly it was not structurally sound or it would not have failed in short order as it did.... this failure could have caused the rear wheels to lock up resulting in a severe accident. this rust problem is common on most toyota truck frames and drive trains owned in the north east. toyota has elected to repair the trucks at no cost but not the 4runners with the same frame and differentials. this is dangerous as hell... they put me and my family at grave risk.... | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 104000 | ||
| Rear differential housing rusted through. the housing cover is a thinner metal than the differntial axle and is not replaceable. oil leaks out through the rusted cover until oil is depleted and could cause drivetrain failure while operating the vehicle. dealer said they will do nothing to help. this is an item that should never fail on a vehicle. my vehicle has absolutely no body rust, yet this part fails due to rust! this is unacceptable and toyota should step up and take care of the issue. obviously there are numerous complaints on this site and many more on the internet forums. toyota loses much respect if they do not address this issue. | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 1500 | 1 | |
| Vsc, stability/traction control system limits power to normally accelerate from a stop while 4wd engaged. happens 99% of time when in 4wd rarely in 2wd mode. direction doesn't affect(can be going straight or turning either left or right) may result in rear end or side impact collision because following or oncoming vehicle not expecting my vehicle to be an obstruction. no help from dealer. *tr | |||
| 01/23/2010 | 76450 | 1 | |
| I have a toyota 2001 4runner with 77563 miles. the rear differential has rusted thru and leaks. toyota is unwilling to help. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 03/12/2010 | 175000 | ||
| Less than 20000 miles after i had a remanufactured transmission installed, by toyota, in my 2001 toyota 4runner the vehicle became unresponsive to throttle input. the engine was running but the vehicle would not move in any gear. i put the vehicle in park and let off of the brake and the vehicle began rolling backwards down the hill. i applied the foot brake to keep the car from rolling further and shut off the vehicle. after a few minutes i started the vehicle back up low and behold, the vehicle operated normally. today, i had a surge in the transmission while driving and the check engine light came on. contacted toyota for service. i have had numerous electrical problems with this vehicle but feel that this one posed a safety hazard worthy of reporting. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 06/07/2008 | 122000 | 1 | |
| When on a long highway trip on the weekend of june 7, 2008, my husband noticed black spots on the rear window of our 2001 toyota 4runner (121,000 miles). he cleaned it off to see if it returned as we resumed our journey. when we next stopped several hundred miles later, the black spots were on the entire rear of the vehicle. my husband checked beneath the rear of the vehicle and saw transmission fluid dripping out of the differential. we then took the vehicle to a mechanic who reported that the rear axle housing was completely corroded to the point of failure, and that it was beyond repair, and that he hadn't ever seen this on a car of this age and mileage. he informed us that toyota has recently recalled tacoma vehicles from the same year for similar corrosion problems. we contacted toyota and they said there was nothing they could do for us. we are left with a vehicle that is beyond repair that we are unable to sell, and we have maintained it in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines. please help. *tr the consumer was informed the entire rear axle including the axle, differential, brakes, and exhaust system were corroded beyond repair. updated 08/27/08. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 120000 | ||
| 2001 toyota 4runner rear axle housing rot/leak, no signs of abuse | |||
| 09/20/2009 | 120000 | 1 | |
| My 4runner's rear differential has pinhole leaks due to rust. the rest of the vehicle is in excellent condition and has been very well taken care of including chassis washes at least twice a week in the winter. *tr | |||
| 07/20/2009 | 122000 | 1 | |
| The rear differential is rusting through to the point of leaking oil. i suspect the differential is corroded to the point where is mechanically unsound and could cause a catastrophic failure if hit by a rigid obstacle in the roadway. *tr | |||
| 04/15/2009 | 125125 | 1 | |
| My 2001 4 runner with only 125,000miles has a rusted out rear differential. this was shocking to me because my truck is in otherwise excellent condition and has absolutely no rust on the body. i took it to toyota who said they can replace it for $2200 plus tax. i took it to my husband's mechanic to repair/patch it if possible. he said he has seen many vehicles with more miles than mine in much worse condition that have no rusted out rear differentials. he found it very unusual. he said the metal housing is very thin (from the factory that way) which is the root of the problem. the mechanic welded a patch over the hole; however this is not a good permanent fix for the problem. it also makes my 4 runner have next to nothing for trade in value for a truck that otherwise would have a nice trade in value. this makes it a double insult. after talking to many people and visiting the www.4runnerforum.com web site it seems to be a common problem in 4runners years 1999 to 2002. i would imagine more people have the problem than have reported it to the website. i would like to know if there is anything toyota can/will do to rectify the problem as it seems to be caused by a manufacturing defect. other than this problem, my 4 runner has been a great vehicle. toyota has a history of great vehicles. i know they recalled the tacoma trucks from the late ' 90's for frame rustout and gave the owners 2 x the trade in value towards a new toyota. because of this recall, i know toyota is willing to stand behind their vehicles. toyota offering a replacement of the defective part or trade in value towards a new toyota would be a great customer service and would go a long way towards keeping loyal customers. if they do nothing, it makes me hesitant to purchase another toyota not knowing if the metal housings on the rear differentials are manufactured any better in 2010.. *tr | |||
| 04/05/2009 | 149830 | 1 | |
| Rear differential housing rusted through. this caused loss of lubrication oil, required the replacement of the entire differential housing. thin metal and lack of rust prevention are the cause. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 08/20/2012 | 145000 | 1 | |
| My vehicle has very little rust except for the rear differential. large flakes of rust have formed. the differential recently began leaking. after searching online i see this is a common problem with 4runners. *tr | |||