CarComplaints.com Notes: Although it has a stellar record in terms of vehicle problems, initially the 4th generation (2003 - 2009) 4Runner didn't earn our top "Seal of Awesome" rating because it received poor crash test ratings for rear impacts. However it's proven to have one of the lowest driver death rates out of all vehicles (not just SUVs), so we've bumped it back up to our top award.
8.0
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
20,000 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
complain to Toyota that they should fix this (1 reports)
I have a 2004 Limited 4runner Toyota, all wheel drive, with v8. After about 20 thousand miles, my vehicle began making a very loud noise when coming to a stop, while simultaneously surging forward like I was rear ended. This noise also has a distinct metallic sound and jarring vibration each and every time. If the brake is not pressed firmly, the car will lunge forward. This noise and "clanking" also occurs when lifting my foot off of the brake when the car was stopped and not in neutral.
I first reported this problem to Toyota about a year ago and they said that it was a lubrication and maintenance issue. They tried to charge me $500 dollars for a four-wheel drive service. When I protested that this was not in the manual, they admitted that they lubricated the propeller shaft and that they wouldn't charge me this time. Well, that eliminated about 90 percent of the problem, but the "clank" came back in about a month.
I have recently read that all Limited Edition 4Runners from 03-06 have this clanking problem, in addition to the Lexus GX-470, that shares the same driveshaft. However, Lexus is fixing the problem while Toyota is playing stupid and saying that it is normal. Please see this Internet link to understand that this is a serious problem: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/4runner/53302-4runner-v8-klunk-in-drivetrain/
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I have a 2004 Limited 4runner Toyota, all wheel drive, with v8. After about 20 thousand miles, my vehicle began making a very loud noise when coming to a stop, while simultaneously surging forward like I was rear ended. This noise also has a distinct metallic sound and jarring vibration each and every time. If the brake is not pressed firmly, the car will lunge forward. This noise and "clanking" also occurs when lifting my foot off of the brake when the car was stopped and not in neutral.
I first reported this problem to Toyota about a year ago and they said that it was a lubrication and maintenance issue. They tried to charge me $500 dollars for a four-wheel drive service. When I protested that this was not in the manual, they admitted that they lubricated the propeller shaft and that they wouldn't charge me this time. Well, that eliminated about 90 percent of the problem, but the "clank" came back in about a month.
I have recently read that all Limited Edition 4Runners from 03-06 have this clanking problem, in addition to the Lexus GX-470, that shares the same driveshaft. However, Lexus is fixing the problem while Toyota is playing stupid and saying that it is normal. Please see this Internet link to understand that this is a serious problem: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/4runner/53302-4runner-v8-klunk-in-drivetrain/
- 4runnerwithclunk, Mclean, VA, US