2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Power Train Problems

EXCESSIVE RUST ON FRAME WITH JEOPARDIZED INTEGRITY AT JOINS CONNECTING BRAKES, FUEL LINES AND SUSPENSIONS SYSTEM.

Mileage: 120,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND TURNING, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATING POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. UPDATED 03/21/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED (REVVED TO HIGH RPMS) WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AFTER SLOWING DOWN BELOW 15 MPH (WHILE MAKING TURNS OR SLOWING FOR TRAFFIC). THIS HAS CAUSED DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE SIGNIFICANT LAG TIME BETWEEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND WHEN THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR WHEN A QUICK ACCELERATION WAS NEEDED AFTER SLOWING DOWN. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT IS HIGH. TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS THE SITUATION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INTO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS SEVERAL OTHER REPORTS OF THIS CONDITION HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

Mileage: 24,000

2009 4RUNNER TRANSMISSION SLIPS (REVS TO HIGH RPMS) WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AFTER SLOWING BELOW 15 MPH (WHILE MAKING TURNS OR SLOWING FOR TRAFFIC). THIS HAS CAUSED DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE A SIGNIFICANT LAG TIME BETWEEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND WHEN THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ACROSS ON COMING TRAFFIC OR WHEN A QUICK ACCELERATION IS NEEDED AFTER SLOWING. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT IS HIGH. TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS THIS SITUATION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INTO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS SEVERAL OTHER REPORTS OF THIS CONDITION HAVE BEEN REPORTED. *TR

Mileage: 20,000

I PURCHASED MY 2009 4RUNNER NEW LAST YEAR. FROM THE MINUTE I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ANY TIME THE VEHICLE SLOWS BELOW 15MPH AND THEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE REVS TO A HIGH RPM AS IF SEARCHING FOR A GEAR AND DOES NOT ACCELERATE AS COMMANDED. THIS IS VERY PREVALENT IN SLOW TRAFFIC, SLOWING FOR A YIELD SIGN OR TURNING CORNERS. THE BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERN IS IN SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. WHEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY DOES FIND A GEAR TO SHIFT INTO, IT LURCHES FORWARD. THE SHIFTING INTO GEAR FROM A HIGH RPM ON SLICK SURFACES COULD CAUSE THE WHEELS TO SPIN OUT. I ALMOST EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS. I'VE BROUGHT IT IN TO GET REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. ALL THEY DO IS FLASH THE ECM AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2010 MODEL BY ISSUING A TSB. (TSB-0166-10) FROM READING SEVERAL TOYOTA 4RUNNER FORUMS, THIS TSB FIXES THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PUT PRESSURE ON TOYOTA TO ISSUE A FIX FOR THE 2009 MODEL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

Mileage: 1

I AM FILING THIS, MY SECOND, COMPLAINT ABOUT MY 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. MY FIRST COMPLAINT WAS FILED IN FEBRUARY 2010. I COMPLAINED TO MY DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE RIGHT AFTER PURCHASING THE 4RUNNER WHICH WE BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN MAY 2009. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO TURN CORNERS TO ABOUT 15 MPH, AND THEN STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR TO SPEED UP, THE CAR REVS, SOMETIMES 2500-3000 RPMS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES AND WE LURCH FORWARD. NOW, 17 MONTHS LATER AND MANY TRIPS AND E-MAILS TO MY DEALERSHIP, WHO CAN'T GET A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA THAT MAKES SENSE, AND MY 4RUNNER STILL EXHIBITS THE SAME PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND HAD A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT IN AUGUST 2009, WHICH REQUIRES TRAVEL TO A BIG CITY ABOUT 90 MILES FROM HOME SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH, THAT HAS HEAVY TRAFFIC FLOW. LAST WEEK, I HAD TO MAKE A QUICK ACCELERATION TO MERGE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE 4RUNNER ACTUALLY DID THE SAME THINK IT DOES ON TURNS. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO MERGE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE 4RUNNER JUST REVVED FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN LURCHED FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT RESULTED, BUT WE WERE VERY SCARED. I PARTICIPATE IN FORUMS ON DIFFERENT CAR SITES AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY OF US HAVING THE EXACT PROBLEMS AND YET TOYOTA HAS NO ANSWER OR PUTS US OFF WITH SOME LAME EXPLANATIONS OR WORSE, TELLS US THAT IS JUST THE WAS THE 4RUNNER IS BECAUSE OF THE COMPUTER. MY DEALERSHIP HAS RESET THE COMPUTER AND DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I AM REPORTING THIS NEWEST INCIDENT FOR DOCUMENTATION IN CASE THIS PROBLEM ACTUALLY CAUSES AN ACCIDENT, MY COMPLAINT WILL BE ON FILE. THANK YOU *TR

Mileage: 3,500

2009 4 RUNNER TRANSMISSION: SAME AS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT SLIPPING AND LAG TIME IN ENGAGING INTO GEAR AT LOW SPEEDS (LIKE WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE TURNS OR GO OVER SPEED BUMPS). OBVIOUSLY NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN TURNING ACROSS TRAFFIC AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND PROPERLY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. TOYOTA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS AS IT LOOKS LIKE A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR AND A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

Mileage: 20,000

IN A PARKING LOT, WHILE TRYING TO STOP AND PARK ON REVERSE, THE VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATED ON D (DRIVE). I HAD NOT CHANGE THE STICK YET TO REVERSE. I WAS JUST TRYING TO STOP. I HAD TO STEP ON THE BRAKES VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND CHANGE THE STICK TO P (PARKING). THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL LEFT A MARK ON THE PAVEMENT. *TR

Mileage: 19,500

I HAVE A 2009 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER, PURCHASED NEW IN NOVEMBER '09. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 1800 MILES ON IT, HOWEVER I NOTICED THE PROBLEM AT ABOUT 400 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN SHIFTING UP AT ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR. IT DOES NOT DO THIS FROM A COMPLETE STOP, ONLY AFTER DE-ACCELERATING (EXAMPLE, SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN) AND ACCELERATING BACK UP, THEN IT WILL SLIP. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 4 RUNNER AND TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. *TR

Mileage: 400

I AM FILING THIS CLAIM TO REPORT A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I BOUGHT MY 2009 4RUNNER NEW IN MAY OF 2009 AND FROM THE FIRST WEEK NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, AND IT IS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. IT HAPPENS CONSISTENTLY EACH TIME I SLOW DOWN (BUT DON'T STOP COMPLETELY) TO TURN CORNERS AND THEN CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE,. THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T RESPOND, THE CAR JUST SITS THERE, AND THE ENGINE GOES FROM 1500 RPMS TO UP TO 2500 RPMS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION CATCHES UP WITH THE ENGINE AGAIN AND THE CAR THEN MOVES. I AM CONCERNED EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS TRAFFIC FOLLOWING BEHIND ME IN THE TURN. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK IT OUT RIGHT AFTER WE BOUGHT IT. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND TOLD US THAT EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT OK. I HAD THE TECHNICIAN DRIVE IT, AND I WENT WITH HIM. HE SAID THAT HE COULDN'T FEEL WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, EVEN THOUGH I FELT IT WHEN HE SLOWED TO MAKE A TURN. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE IT TOOK THE NEW ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION A FEW SECONDS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CAR'S COMPUTER. SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS GUESSING AT WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED CUSTOMER CARE AT TOYOTA, AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE IN E-MAIL TELLING ME TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA, AND THAT TOYOTA HAD ALREADY DONE SO ON MY BEHALF. HE SAID IF I DIDN'T HEAR FROM THE MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP BY FEB. 11, 2010, TO CONTACT TOYOTA AGAIN. I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM MY DEALERSHIP AS OF FEB 13. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MODEL, AND THEY EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING, AND THEY HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME RUNAROUND FROM THE COMPANY. *TR

Mileage: 3,500

I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LEAKS OIL THROUGH PIN HOLES, AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, MINE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. THE CAR BARELY HAS 100,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL SHOULD LAST AS LONG AS THE CAR. THE RISK IS THAT IT WILL RUN DRY, SEIZE, AND THE REAR WHEELS WILL LOCK UP CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT BY TOYOTA REDUCING THE COST OF THEIR MATERIAL THE CONSTRUCT THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING WITH. *TR

Mileage: 100,000