03 4Runner seat rattle
- Thread starter vin
- Start date
Thai
Elite Member
Here is what i post on another thread....
As for the safety concerns of these seats, it has ALREADY been proven to be safe thru crash testing. Please see this link to IIHS:
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0309.htm#
Notice that in this picture of the test vehicle, it has manually adjusted seats:
Therefore, so far, there is no documented safety hazard of 4runner seats.
As for the safety concerns of these seats, it has ALREADY been proven to be safe thru crash testing. Please see this link to IIHS:
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0309.htm#
Notice that in this picture of the test vehicle, it has manually adjusted seats:
Therefore, so far, there is no documented safety hazard of 4runner seats.
ssmumich00
New member
THanks for the link THai!!
the big question is will the seat still be crash worthy on a car with a DOCUMENTED problem, because if they take a 4Runner with the rattle and movement, I wonder if it'll still have the same "good" rating as that one did. . .
luckily, my rattle problem is fixed. . .the dealer replaced the entire frame again, and I have to keep the thigh height adjustment setting on the lowest setting. . .which is fine for me but not so much for my wife. . .
the big question is will the seat still be crash worthy on a car with a DOCUMENTED problem, because if they take a 4Runner with the rattle and movement, I wonder if it'll still have the same "good" rating as that one did. . .
luckily, my rattle problem is fixed. . .the dealer replaced the entire frame again, and I have to keep the thigh height adjustment setting on the lowest setting. . .which is fine for me but not so much for my wife. . .
msanta
New member
I don't know if this is going to work for you, but I adjusted the seat height with the first handle, and the rattling went away, also the seat doesn't move. In other words, the higher the seat position the less noise and the more stable the seat is. So by adjusting the height and bringing the backrest back a little I found a comfortable position where the seat is stable and rattle free for now. Hope this can help!
My 04 SE is developing a seat noise.
If I rock back and forth in the seat, I can hear a clunk. The entire seat does NOT appear to move. Seems to be something within the seat.
The lower back adjustment doesn't seem to affect it. I see above that the thigh adjustment might have something to do with it, but I would swear that is is pressure on the back of the seat that causes the sound.
I hear it when accelerating or stopping or if I shift weight in the seat. If this is the only problem I have to live with I would say I am still very happy with this truck.
However, I will give the dealer some grief when I hit 5K miles and see what they come up with.
If I rock back and forth in the seat, I can hear a clunk. The entire seat does NOT appear to move. Seems to be something within the seat.
The lower back adjustment doesn't seem to affect it. I see above that the thigh adjustment might have something to do with it, but I would swear that is is pressure on the back of the seat that causes the sound.
I hear it when accelerating or stopping or if I shift weight in the seat. If this is the only problem I have to live with I would say I am still very happy with this truck.
However, I will give the dealer some grief when I hit 5K miles and see what they come up with.
fflan513
New member
rabeet, You have described exactly what my driver's seat is doing on my 2004 4Runner; I plan to bring this to the dealers attention on my next oil change. I am hopeful that this problem can be resolved easily since Toyota had this same problem with the 2003. Let me know what happens if you get your's fixed before me. I'll post the result after my dealer next visit.
fflan513 said:
Mine also has popped, but less often now that I have the seat cranked to the lowest position. From what I've read it is a design problem and all your dealer will do is give you another eventually defective seat bottom. I guess the new one might be a little tighter to start with and if you keep it cranked tight in the lowest position it might stay tight for a long time. I figure I will complain when I get close to the end of my 3 year 36K mile bumper to bumper warranty, that way I will have the latest fix and it might last until I trade vehicles at 90K miles. Please let us all know if you find a fix.
coleb10
New member
Seat movement
I have been reading this thread for a while and it doesnt surprise me about the seat problem. I have been considering the 4 runner for a while and I went and drove a V8 SE last night. Two things were wrong with it.
1. The seat seemed like it was missing a notch to click into. Moved backwards and forward with each acceleration and braking motion.
2. Overwhelming smell of burning oil when I finished the test drive.
Drove a V-6 right afterwards and it had no issues. When I returned from the test drive I pulled up near the V8 I had just driven. You could smell the oil from the V8 before I even opened the door on the V6.
Very dissappointing although I still like the vehicle and will be making a decision soon about what to buy.
Both the V6 and V8 had less than 20 miles on them.
I have been reading this thread for a while and it doesnt surprise me about the seat problem. I have been considering the 4 runner for a while and I went and drove a V8 SE last night. Two things were wrong with it.
1. The seat seemed like it was missing a notch to click into. Moved backwards and forward with each acceleration and braking motion.
2. Overwhelming smell of burning oil when I finished the test drive.
Drove a V-6 right afterwards and it had no issues. When I returned from the test drive I pulled up near the V8 I had just driven. You could smell the oil from the V8 before I even opened the door on the V6.
Very dissappointing although I still like the vehicle and will be making a decision soon about what to buy.
Both the V6 and V8 had less than 20 miles on them.
msanta
New member
This seems to be a specific problem with that V8. Mine has no smell whatsoever , even when I drive it for hours. Thee rotten egg smell has gone away, using premium from EXXON and my only two complaints are the seat rattle and the noise that's coming from the drive shaft at times. I love my 4Runner!!!!
pdoel
New member
I had my '03 SE in the shop this week for the fuel damper recall, and had them check out my seat. Been just living with the rattle for the last 6 months, waiting for a reason to take it to the dealership.
So, they ordered the seat frame. Just got a card in the mail yesterday saying it's in, so I'll be making an appointment soon to get it replaced. Although, after reading the whole thread, I now have no faith that this will fix it.
Now, I do think Toyota makes EXCELLENT cars. Compared to other manufacturers, you just can't beat the reliability. However, when there are problems such as these, it seems like it takes them forever to address it.
My '99 Highlander Edition was an awesome truck. The ONLY problem I had, was with the clutch pedal assembly. Within 6 months of buying it, it squeeked. It actually sounded like the whole thing had rusted out, and was about to fall apart. Took it in the first time, and they said they'd been having problems with these, and once they replaced it, the problem went away. Great.
They ordered one, replaced it a few days later, and 6 months later, it was back. This time, they just greased it. One month later, it was back.
I kept arguing with them, that THEY told me this was a common problem (they now denied that, and tried telling me it was normal). The pedal was so loud, that I could hear it on the highway, with the windows down, and the radio on.
They finally replaced it a second time, after MUCH fighting. 6 months later, it was back. Again, they fought me on it. Finally ordered a new master and slave cylinder. Picked it up after those were installed, to find out there was NO difference. "Oops!" The tech only installed the master cylnder, and not the slave cylinder. God forbid they actually check their work.
After that, I gave up, and just lived with it.
So, they ordered the seat frame. Just got a card in the mail yesterday saying it's in, so I'll be making an appointment soon to get it replaced. Although, after reading the whole thread, I now have no faith that this will fix it.
Now, I do think Toyota makes EXCELLENT cars. Compared to other manufacturers, you just can't beat the reliability. However, when there are problems such as these, it seems like it takes them forever to address it.
My '99 Highlander Edition was an awesome truck. The ONLY problem I had, was with the clutch pedal assembly. Within 6 months of buying it, it squeeked. It actually sounded like the whole thing had rusted out, and was about to fall apart. Took it in the first time, and they said they'd been having problems with these, and once they replaced it, the problem went away. Great.
They ordered one, replaced it a few days later, and 6 months later, it was back. This time, they just greased it. One month later, it was back.
I kept arguing with them, that THEY told me this was a common problem (they now denied that, and tried telling me it was normal). The pedal was so loud, that I could hear it on the highway, with the windows down, and the radio on.
They finally replaced it a second time, after MUCH fighting. 6 months later, it was back. Again, they fought me on it. Finally ordered a new master and slave cylinder. Picked it up after those were installed, to find out there was NO difference. "Oops!" The tech only installed the master cylnder, and not the slave cylinder. God forbid they actually check their work.
After that, I gave up, and just lived with it.
I am beginning to think this will be one of those just-live-with-it issues for me too.
But who knows, maybe they will actually improve the design of the frame by the time they replace mine. Or maybe I will come up with a fix myself. I can weld, and machine my own parts if I have to.
I have to admit that part of me is irked. First time I spend over 30K (total) for a vehicle and gee but they can't come up with a reliable seat for it?
But it is a great truck. And worth putting up with the rattle if I have to. Ugh.
But who knows, maybe they will actually improve the design of the frame by the time they replace mine. Or maybe I will come up with a fix myself. I can weld, and machine my own parts if I have to.
I have to admit that part of me is irked. First time I spend over 30K (total) for a vehicle and gee but they can't come up with a reliable seat for it?
But it is a great truck. And worth putting up with the rattle if I have to. Ugh.
pdoel
New member
Ok, picked up my 4Runner last night. They wanted me to leave it for the day. So dropped it off Monday night, picked it up last night.
Now, going into this, I realized that even the seat replacements had problems, but, for some reason, I just kinda hoped that it was something where the seat starts off ok, but just over a few months time, would develop the rattle.
I wasn't too happy to pick it up last night, and find it EXACTLY the way I left it.
Why go to the hassle of making me drop it off, leave it a day, pick it up, tear my seat apart, rebuild it on a new frame, etc., and then just call me and say it's fixed, when it really isn't?
Now, if there's no real fix yet by Toyota, I can live with that. But why make me waste all this time, for nothing?
Now, going into this, I realized that even the seat replacements had problems, but, for some reason, I just kinda hoped that it was something where the seat starts off ok, but just over a few months time, would develop the rattle.
I wasn't too happy to pick it up last night, and find it EXACTLY the way I left it.
Why go to the hassle of making me drop it off, leave it a day, pick it up, tear my seat apart, rebuild it on a new frame, etc., and then just call me and say it's fixed, when it really isn't?
Now, if there's no real fix yet by Toyota, I can live with that. But why make me waste all this time, for nothing?
ssmumich00
New member
Have you guys tried turning the knob that adjusts seat ANGLE all the way up or down? That has gotten rid of the rattle all together for me, well that, and the fact Toyota has replaced my "seat frame" 2 times already. . .
I did the same thing, just screwed everything down to the lowest tightest setting and went on a low carb diet (lost 20 lbs so far) the two things together seem to have gotten rid of the creak 
I am monitoring this thread in hopes that some day Toyota comes up with a real fix. Doubt it will ever happen.
I am monitoring this thread in hopes that some day Toyota comes up with a real fix. Doubt it will ever happen.Hm, now I can feel the play in the thigh thing at the front of the seat bottom, but that is not the problem that is bugging me while driving.
If I grab the seat while standing at the door, anywhere solid, such as the back, I can wiggle the entire seat about a quarter of an inch. I have never had a seat get loose like this. Not in 30 years of driving and countless vehicles.
But as I said if they can't fix it, I'll take the thing apart and figure out a fix myself. So far as I can tell, it is NOT where the frame slides in the rails. It is higher up in the frame. I would bet that it can be fixed with some creative fasteners and/or making a part or two.
Amazing that they couldn't spec a decent seat in a 30K+ $$ vehicle. Toyota reminds me of Mitsubishi or GM more and more as time goes by.
If I grab the seat while standing at the door, anywhere solid, such as the back, I can wiggle the entire seat about a quarter of an inch. I have never had a seat get loose like this. Not in 30 years of driving and countless vehicles.
But as I said if they can't fix it, I'll take the thing apart and figure out a fix myself. So far as I can tell, it is NOT where the frame slides in the rails. It is higher up in the frame. I would bet that it can be fixed with some creative fasteners and/or making a part or two.
Amazing that they couldn't spec a decent seat in a 30K+ $$ vehicle. Toyota reminds me of Mitsubishi or GM more and more as time goes by.
MAC4Runner
New member
I've tried everything mentioned in this 6+ page post and my T4R driver's seat still creaks, pops, and shifts. 
Any new insight??
Any new insight??
I just headed over to Edmund's forums and noticed several posts about this issue.
Sounds like dealers are simply stating that the problem is inherent in the seat and cannot be fixed.
I haven't dug into it myself as yet as I want to hear what the local dealers have to say first.
Seems to me enough people need to complain to Toyota about this in order for them to come up with a solution. I won't waste a heck of a lot of time on it, but I will make sure Toyota hears about it.
Sounds like dealers are simply stating that the problem is inherent in the seat and cannot be fixed.
I haven't dug into it myself as yet as I want to hear what the local dealers have to say first.
Seems to me enough people need to complain to Toyota about this in order for them to come up with a solution. I won't waste a heck of a lot of time on it, but I will make sure Toyota hears about it.
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