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.
1.9
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
85,720 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The steering system of the car is not behaving properly. It is much harder to turn than normal. Furthermore, when driven through curve, the steering does not align back to a straight line as it has done in the past. So, in other words if you drive through a curve and let the steering wheel go free, the car will not straighten out but continue to follow the curve. The steering has to be pulled hard to straighten the vehicle out and drive a straight line. No warning lights are coming up in the instrument cluster to advise of any malfunction.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota 4 runner. While driving 70 mph, the vehicle became difficult to steer. The steering was very tight traveling around curves. The steering failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering column U joint was severely corroded. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 169,066.
Vehicle is vibrating when braking, unstable at speed of 50mph, Toyota dealer diagnosed the problem as bad left & right ball joint/lower control arm, and needs to be replaced at a cost of $2300 vehicle only have 55000 miles no accidents..I searched online and found out that almost every 4runner owners are having this problem.
- Piscataway, NJ, USA
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2005 Toyota 4runners have a very frequently reported vibration issue. This issue is reported all over the web and acknowledged by dealers nationwide. From my understanding, 2004 to 2007 4runners are all impacted. Customer spend 1000S of dollars replacing tires, balancing wheels, replacing steering wheels, etc and the car still vibrates and is suspect to be unsafe. This is a well known issue and Toyota claims that this is the design of the call. Steering wheel can shake badly. I have had my 4runner in many times for this issue to multiple dealers. All say it is a problem, but all 4runners of same vintage have same issue, so nothing that Toyota will do about it.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota 4 runner. While driving approximately 55 mph, the driver noticed that the steering wheel always turned to the left. He then heard a clunking noise near the front end of the vehicle when the transmission was placed into drive. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop and the mechanic discovered that the rear passenger side stabilizer bar snapped and the metal appeared to be crystallized. The mechanic replaced the stabilizer bar and the rack and pinion. The manufacturer stated that they would not provide reimbursement since the vehicle was out of warranty and was not serviced at a dealer. The contact believes a recall should be issued. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 53,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Rochester, MI, USA