06 SR5 Electrical Problems

[-06T4R-]

I purchased a 2006 Certified 6cyl SR5 (53,000 miles) from a well respected local dealer about 10 days ago, and little problems have been popping up with elctrical.

About 5 days after the purchase the problems started (i will bullet point them for easy reading):

* The back passanger side tail light is dimmer than the drivers side, and the passanger side break light does not work.

* The parking lights come on on their own and their is no way to turn them off. When I switch the light selector from "OFF" to "-" the parking lights switch from the ones on the sides of the headlamps, to the amber light on the bottom. However, only the passanger side lights up.

* Just today, about an hour ago, the "VSC OFF" "VSC TRAC" and the light with the squiggle lines behind a vehicle come on (pretty sure this is the light that comes on when VSC is activated). I turned the 4R off for a few minutes and started it back up to see if the dash lights cleared. They were cleared off, but after a few seconds I heard a click from the far left side of the dash and then the same indicators came back on.

I have an appointment with the dealer on Tuesday, but I am already pissed off because they hid the fact that a few of the tinted windows have acid rain damage.

Does anyone have experience with electrical problems like the ones I described above?

Depending on how this turns out, I may become an unbearble prick for Toyota to deal with. Not only did I pay a premium to have the peace of mind of buying a Certified used Toyota, but this is my 4th purchase from the same dealer and financed through Toyota (always made more than the minimum payment, and paid a week early on every loan). Honestly, how can the dealer certify a vehicle that has obvious problems?

Ill give them the chance to make it right, but I am kind of freaked about having electrical problems pop up since I have never seen an electrical problem completely fixed.

Thanks for any help, it's appreciated.

 

[rando]

* The back passanger side tail light is dimmer than the drivers side, and the passanger side break light does not work.

Check/replace passenger side break light bulb and running light bulbs.

* The parking lights come on on their own and their is no way to turn them off. When I switch the light selector from "OFF" to "-" the parking lights switch from the ones on the sides of the headlamps, to the amber light on the bottom. However, only the passanger side lights up.

This sounds like you have daytime running lights. Daytime running lights are on any time your headlights are off. Check/replace driver side turn signal and running light bulbs.

* Just today, about an hour ago, the "VSC OFF" "VSC TRAC" and the light with the squiggle lines behind a vehicle come on (pretty sure this is the light that comes on when VSC is activated). I turned the 4R off for a few minutes and started it back up to see if the dash lights cleared. They were cleared off, but after a few seconds I heard a click from the far left side of the dash and then the same indicators came back on.

I'm not sure about this one -- maybe check VSC switch and fuses

Since you only purchased 10 days ago, presumably you have some warranty to cover anything major. Things like bulbs burning and such could just be coincidence and there's really no way for an inspection to detect that they are near the end of their life. Likewise with faulty or intermittent switches.


Good luck!

 

[-06T4R-]

Thanks for the response.

Even if the vehicle has DRL, the problem is that they turn on when they feel like it. No rhyme or reason to their function.

The vehicle is certified used, so I have a 12/12k comp. warranty. I sold Toyotas for a couple of years (2006-2008) and know that their standards for the certified badge is pretty strict (we had tech's from Toyota show up without notice, pull a certified vehicle off the lot and give the thing a full physical to make sure it was certified correctly). Should a dealer abuse the trust Toyota has built with consumers by allowing problematic certified used vehicles to be sold, the dealer can be stripped of their ability to sell certified used vehicles.