NHTSA Complaint #10058140 — 2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER

2003 TOYOTA LIMITED 4-RUNNER V8- AWDFRONT-END VIBRATION PROBLEM FIRST PRESENTED THE VIBRATION PROBLEM AT 5048 MILES TO MY DEALER THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST! IT IS MOSTLY FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE ACCELERATOR AND OCCURS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THERE IS ALSO A DRONING NOISE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIBRATION AND IS MOST NOTABLE UNDER LOAD. THEY TRIED BALANCING THE WHEELS WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. THEY AGREED THE PROBLEM WAS THERE AND NOTIFIED CORPORATE. THEIR TECHNICAL STAFF HAD THEM REMOVE THE FRONT AXELS AND RETEST. THE VIBRATION, WHICH STARTED AT 22 MPH, WENT TO 32MPH 42, 55, AND 62MPH NOW DISAPPEARED! THE DEALER WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS AN ANGLE PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT. A WEEK LATER A TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE MET WITH ME AND MENTIONED THAT SEVERAL SIMILAR VEHICLES IN PHOENIX HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. HE SUGGESTED IT PROBABLY WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO GET A FIX. HE FELT THAT TOYOTA WOULD PROBABLY JUST REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT RATHER THAN PUTTING IN DIFFERENT PARTS. TWO MONTHS LATER I TALKED TO THE TECH. REP. AGAIN AND HE MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINEERING GROUP HAD DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE INTERFERENCES IN THE SPIDER GEAR ASSEMBLY IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL, THEY WERE TRYING TO CORRECT THE CONDITION WITH THRUST WASHER SHIMS AND OTHER THINGS. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT A SAFETY FACTOR; I WONDER THOUGH WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE FRONT END WERE TO FREEZE-UP SINCE ITS IN 4WD ALL THE TIME! I HAVE PRESENTED MY CLAIM TO THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SUPPORT GROUP. I HAVE CALLED THEM REGULARLY ONCE A MONTH AND HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS AT FINDING WHAT THEIR SCHEDULE IS FOR THE FIX, --ONLY TO SAY WE ARE WORKING ON IT AND YOUR DEALER WILL NOTIFY YOU. IVE SINCE HEARD FROM MY DEALER STAFF THAT THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF LEXUS GX470'S AS WELL AS 2004S 4-RUNNERS INVOLVED. IM BEGINNING TO FEEL THAT THEY HAVE SO MANY VEHICLES INVOLVED IT MIGHT BE A LONG TIME BEFORE WE SEE A FIX! I HAUL A POP-UP TRAILER AND DOES IT MAGNIFY THE PROBLEM! *AK