2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Steering Problems

VEHICLE DISPLAYED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DUE TO A NON SEALING GAS CAP. THIS CONDITION ALSO DISABLES THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM. VEHICLE LOST CONTROL ON WET CONDITIONS AND WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER DUE TO ALL TRACTION AND STABILIZATION SYSTEMS BEING TURNED OFF DUE TO A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (FAULTY GAS CAP). I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 6 YEARS AND HAVE PUT OVER 80,000 MILES ON IT WITHOUT INCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT ON A RAINY ROAD.*DT *TR

WHENEVER I ACCELERATE ON THE UPHILL OR HIGH ACCELERATE THEN ODOR BECAME REALLY HORRIBLE, HARSH SMELL, SMELL LIKE TNT FIREWORK, EITHER MATCHES THEN EGG ROTTEN. I SUSPECT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM SEEM FAULTY. I WENT MULTIPLE AUTO SHOP THEY MENTION IT COULD BE RELATED TO EXHAUST MANIFOLD BUT WHEN I DESCRIBED THAT THE ODOR CAME OUT FROM OUTSIDE NOT INTERIOR AIR VENT THEN THEY STARTED TO RE-CHECK MY EXHAUST AND SAID I AM ALL GOOD TO DRIVE AS WELL, ITS "OK". THE ODOR IS FRUSTRATING, ANNOYING. AND THE STEERING, I DON'T KNOW HOW DID MY CV AXLE IS LEAKING, I HOPEFULLY IT WILL NOT BREAK OUT WHEN I'M DRIVING TO OTHER STATE.

A STEERING VIBRATION OCCURS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BETWEEN 65 MPH TO 80 MPH. A NEW SET OF TIRES WHERE INSTALLED AND BALANCED PROPERLY AT DISCOUNT TIRE BUT THE STEERING VIBRATION WOULD NOT GO AWAY. THEN I HAD THE STORE CHANGE THE TIRES AND INSTALL ANOTHER SET OF FOUR THINKING BAD TIRES WHERE INSTALLED. THE TIRES ARE DUNLOP GRANDTREK AT 20 WHAT TOYOTA ORIGINALLY PUTS ON THE CAR. HOWEVER, THE STEERING VIBRATION IS STILL THERE. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES BALANCED A MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. I EVEN TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO BALANCE THEM AND THEY ALSO CHECKED THE STEERING AND SUSPENSIONS AND TIRES AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL VIBRATIONS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

MY FIANCE HAD PURCHASED A 2008 4 RUNNER FROM A LOCAL DEALER ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 YEARS AGO . WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ALIGNMENT ON THIS VEHICLE, WHICH HAVWE3 BEEN LOOKED AT, AND SUPPOSIDLY "FIXED" BEFORE. THE LAST TIME IT WAS "FIXED" WAS ABOUTN 6 MONTHS AGO. TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE RIDDEN , FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, IN IT. WE TOOK ABOUT A 3 6 HOUR TRIP IN IT AND WITHIN ABOUT AN HOUR OR TWO I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH OUR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TRYING TO GET IT FIXED FOR HER. ME BEING AN ALFRED STATE GRADUATE AND AROUND CARS ALL OF MY LIFE KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. FEELS LIKE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CASTER IN THE VEHICLE. IT DARTS LANES . I WAS NONE THE LESS AGGRIVATED WHEN SHE CALLED ME CRYING TELLING ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH...

EVERY TIME I TAKE A TIGHT LEFT U TURN, WITH MY 2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, A METAL TO METAL THUMPING SOUND OCCURS. MY TOYOTA SERVICE MAN SAID THAT THIS IS NORMAL. THAT TOYOTA NO LONGER PROVIDES A RUBBER PIECE BETWEEN THE TWO OFFENDING METAL PARTS LIKE IT DID IN THE PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF 4 RUNNERS. *TR