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.
This vehicle transmission is demonstrating transmission shuddering problems, We have returned this car three time for the same repair. The highly reputable transmission has cited direct purchases of this part from Toyota has constantly have quality issues with the torque converter, This problem was inspected and confirmed by dealer and independent service center. They both concluded the same diagnose, There were no warning messages. We fear travelling on interstate roads is hazardous.
The vehicle has had a multitude of issues. I am on my 3rd different set of tires this year (including the original tires). No matter how many times the tires are balanced, the steering wheel shakes rather violently at certain speeds. The tires have been balanced and re-balanced (including road-force balanced, etc.). on-line forums indicate that many other Toyota owners are experiencing the same issue. Also this week I have lost the ability to steer the vehicle (the steering wheel is locking and binding up). Approximately 2 weeks ago the right front caliper froze up and the vehicle nearly went off the road. Also the rear differential was noisy from the day the vehicle was new. Toyota eventually replaced the rear differential (I believe a bad pinion gear). Shortly after the rear differential was replaced the vehicle started to go in and out of 4-wheel drive on its own, and warning lights and chimes started going off. The dealer then made repairs but this has happened at least once or twice since then and the dealer has repaired it each time. Also in the last year the transmission stopped working leaving me stranded in the middle of a 4-lane road. I eventually was able to get the vehicle to move but then it started to go in and out of 4-wheel drive on it's own again with warnings and chimes going off. Whenever the vehicle starts to go in and out of 4-wheel drive on its own the shifter lever usually starts to freeze up as well (and you may need to use both hands to force the vehicle into gear). The vehicle has also had a strong odor of antifreeze since new coming from the right front corner. The dealer has advised they cannot locate the cause. Also various heat shields have either broken or fallen off since the vehicle was new. Please note that I do not go 4-wheeling with the vehicle and it's meticulously maintained including all service records and receipts.
Vehicle was parked in my driveway which has a moderate slope. Engine was not running. Despite being in park, the vehicle rolled down the driveway and only stopped when it hit my mailbox at the curb. I complained about the matter to Toyota. They inspected the vehicle and concluded "we did not find evidence of a defect with the transmission or shift selector [sic] caused this incident." The vehicle had been sitting there for at least 10 minutes. The parking brake was not set. I did not bump the shift lever or do anything else that could have caused the vehicle to come out of park. I spoke with the Toyota engineer who inspected the vehicle and he told me he could not explain what happened. I am concerned there is a safety defect with this vehicle. Obviously, I will always use the parking brake in the future. Attached is Toyota's letter to me saying they did not find a defect and my letter in response. Thank you for your assistance.
The day after we purchased this 4runner in October 2015 the 4 wheel drive stopped working and when we took it back to the dealer they said that rodents had chewed through the wire housing connected to the drive train. Initially they were not going to warranty the issue but after further aggressive discussion by me it was covered. Apparently Toyota uses a soy based spray or coating on the wiring that attracts rodents. The vehicle was operable but the 4WD warning light was flashing and 4WD did not engage. We have also heard from a neighbor with a 2015 4runner that a similar situation happened to them but it affected their whole electrical system and that the vehicle was not operable and had to be towed to the dealer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Mobile, AL, USA