2020 model issues/observations

[david05111]

Since this has nothing to do with warranty or repair, your dealer is likely going to want to charge for this. You can buy the Carista unit with one month of the app for $29. Then you can try out whatever changes you want. I did windows down, seat belt beep delete, etc.

Yeah I figured they might, but I also figured I could get the guy I bought the car from (one of the managers) to get the service department to waive it. The car is barely 3 months old.

Still, I'll ask around and see if anyone has the program.

 

[00Sebby]

Absolutely positively incorrect. If you change to a different type/wattage of bulb and you have an electrical problem (any electrical problem), then the dealer may (correctly) deny warranty service for that failure.

There is, unfortunately, no legal way to upgrade the headlights.

Also incorrect. Unless a different wattage bulb melts a harness and shorts in such a way to make it past the fuse, thus shorting major portions of the whole vehicle wire harness, AND said short can be traced back to that specific cause... whew... changing to a different bulb will make no difference to a dealer if there is another electrical defect not related to the lights. And if a dealer tries to abdicate their responsibility by blaming something they don't like, then there are other dealers.

I'm not sure what you mean by "no legal way to upgrade the headlights", but a warranty is not a law. So, while the upgraded component may no longer be warrantied, it does not "legally" void the vehicle warranty per Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Now if you meant "illegal" relating to the use of non-DOT approved lighting as an upgrade, then you are correct. However, this is unfortunately a law that no one enforces so people can basically put ridiculously bright LED light bars in place of head and fog lights and law enforcement turns a blind eye (pun intended). Illegal but kind of like jay walking... no one in position to do anything about it cares to do so.

 

[Thebeastlives]

Up until December, I still had my '10 Trail. Other than the built in navigation, CarPlay, and the adaptive cruise control, not much has changed. The Jeep tech is way advanced regardless of the questionable reliability. It even had blind spot monitoring that for some reason didn't find it's way onto the 2020 4Runner. Again, I still like the 4Runner better but Toyota could've done better with the tech.

yes they could that is why they have a highlander. If you want tech and all the crossover features that is what you should get. Toyota likes to keep the features in the 4 runner simple because the vehicle historically has lasted for generations due to having the highest reliability rating in the category. The more unnecessary "tech" features they add to this brand the chances that their overall reliability becomes more like your Jeep increases. People who want a 8 speed transmissions like the "Consumer Report do not buy Jeep" can purchase a crossover. Most 4 runner owners like having a very capable offroad vehicle (not crossover) that will have an extremely high resale value and has legendary reliable. Not having all the latest tech or what is "hot" automobile features is why the 4 runner will still be on the road long after a Jeep Wrangler has been crushed.

 

[00Sebby]

yes they could that is why they have a highlander. If you want tech and all the crossover features that is what you should get. Toyota likes to keep the features in the 4 runner simple because the vehicle historically has lasted for generations due to having the highest reliability rating in the category. The more unnecessary "tech" features they add to this brand the chances that their overall reliability becomes more like your Jeep increases. People who want a 8 speed transmissions like the "Consumer Report do not buy Jeep" can purchase a crossover. Most 4 runner owners like having a very capable offroad vehicle (not crossover) that will have an extremely high resale value and has legendary reliable. Not having all the latest tech or what is "hot" automobile features is why the 4 runner will still be on the road long after a Jeep Wrangler has been crushed.

Thanks for explaining all that and why I should buy a crossover.:lmao: I've never owned a crossover but I have owned 8 Jeeps, a couple of 4WD Suburbans, and now on my 2nd 4Runner, after about 170000 miles of experience on the first one. My first 4R was a '10 TE, very simple as expected for the time. Yet, remember all of the electronic off-road modes? That was kind of advanced for the time. Now it's a new decade and for most of us that buy and drive lots of vehicles, the tech-expectations have increased.

Well-designed tech is not only a "crossover feature"... it is a feature of modern vehicles. Toyota has another body-on-frame SUV called a Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser is not a crossover, is definitely off-road capable and historically very reliable. The Land Cruiser has most of the tech things I mentioned that the Jeep has, including an 8sp AT, and more. Despite all that, a Land Cruiser will typically outlast the cheaper-built 4Runner. And almost everyone on this forum would love to have its 5.7L/8AT in our 4Runner.

The 4Runner for Toyota is becoming what the old Jeep Cherokee XJ became for Chrysler at the end of its run. The XJ was a great, rugged and reliable Jeep with a venerable 4.0 inline 6 cyl. I had 3 of them (200k, 190k and 102k miles). But the platform and engine was becoming obsolete after about 18 years of production. With safety and fuel economy requirements increasing, Chrysler had no choice but to let it die. However, up until the end in 2001 they sold the crap out of them at MSRPs in the mid-$20k for the high end models. It was a cash cow because all of the design, tooling, assembly lines, etc. had long since been paid for. That is where the 4R is now. People in the know are buying them because they are good. No argument about that at all. And Toyota is making a killing on them. Hence the delay after delay for a new gen. Whenever it does happen, the 6th gen 4R will have all of the above mentioned tech things Toyota doesn't want to invest in for the almost-done 5th gen. Well, I'm sure the EnTune and stereo system will still be a POS but we will get the other stuff.

 

[umidkusername]

Also incorrect. Unless a different wattage bulb melts a harness and shorts in such a way to make it past the fuse, thus shorting major portions of the whole vehicle wire harness, AND said short can be traced back to that specific cause... whew... changing to a different bulb will make no difference to a dealer if there is another electrical defect not related to the lights. And if a dealer tries to abdicate their responsibility by blaming something they don't like, then there are other dealers.

I'm not sure what you mean by "no legal way to upgrade the headlights", but a warranty is not a law. So, while the upgraded component may no longer be warrantied, it does not "legally" void the vehicle warranty per Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Now if you meant "illegal" relating to the use of non-DOT approved lighting as an upgrade, then you are correct. However, this is unfortunately a law that no one enforces so people can basically put ridiculously bright LED light bars in place of head and fog lights and law enforcement turns a blind eye (pun intended). Illegal but kind of like jay walking... no one in position to do anything about it cares to do so.

I wonder if people forget there’s a fuse box? Like... lol.


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[Thebeastlives]

Thanks for explaining all that and why I should buy a crossover.:lmao: I've never owned a crossover but I have owned 8 Jeeps, a couple of 4WD Suburbans, and now on my 2nd 4Runner, after about 170000 miles of experience on the first one. My first 4R was a '10 TE, very simple as expected for the time. Yet, remember all of the electronic off-road modes? That was kind of advanced for the time. Now it's a new decade and for most of us that buy and drive lots of vehicles, the tech-expectations have increased.

Well-designed tech is not only a "crossover feature"... it is a feature of modern vehicles. Toyota has another body-on-frame SUV called a Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser is not a crossover, is definitely off-road capable and historically very reliable. The Land Cruiser has most of the tech things I mentioned that the Jeep has, including an 8sp AT, and more. Despite all that, a Land Cruiser will typically outlast the cheaper-built 4Runner. And almost everyone on this forum would love to have its 5.7L/8AT in our 4Runner.

The 4Runner for Toyota is becoming what the old Jeep Cherokee XJ became for Chrysler at the end of its run. The XJ was a great, rugged and reliable Jeep with a venerable 4.0 inline 6 cyl. I had 3 of them (200k, 190k and 102k miles). But the platform and engine was becoming obsolete after about 18 years of production. With safety and fuel economy requirements increasing, Chrysler had no choice but to let it die. However, up until the end in 2001 they sold the crap out of them at MSRPs in the mid-$20k for the high end models. It was a cash cow because all of the design, tooling, assembly lines, etc. had long since been paid for. That is where the 4R is now. People in the know are buying them because they are good. No argument about that at all. And Toyota is making a killing on them. Hence the delay after delay for a new gen. Whenever it does happen, the 6th gen 4R will have all of the above mentioned tech things Toyota doesn't want to invest in for the almost-done 5th gen. Well, I'm sure the EnTune and stereo system will still be a POS but we will get the other stuff.

I can guarantee your comparison between Chrysler and Toyota will NOT end the same for Toyota as It did for Chrysler (Fiat). Btw I had 2 of those Cherokees with those super reliable 4.0 motors. I left Jeep because they put out crap products not because of minor amenities they didn't have...lol That Land Cruiser is twice the money of my 2018 Trd Pro so I like most 4 runner owners like them simple without that tech bs, obviously they are making a killing selling them this way. The Tech heavy Lexus line might be where you need to go if you want "tech". The gx460 has a great motor and 4 wheel drive system, cost much more but hey the tech is there. The 6th gen will be on an updated proven platform (tech they would have vetted for years in other vehicles) and like Toyota always does it will stay that way for years, no matter what "new tech" comes out. The 4 runner brand has never got the early updates or changes quickly. Toyota sells too many units to make quick changes in this line. I like how they get it right with the 4 runner and they will get it right with the 6th gen. I love how my 4th and 3rd gen 4 runners have 270k, 321k miles and still run like new with no bs crappie tech to break and cost me 1000s to fix. BTW I updated their radio head units and speakers to give them the exact tech I wanted, better than my 2018. If all people like you can complain about on this thread is tech or the lights on their 5th gen 4 runners, Toyota must have hit another homerun....no grandslam.

 

[00Sebby]

I can guarantee your comparison between Chrysler and Toyota will NOT end the same for Toyota as It did for Chrysler (Fiat). Btw I had 2 of those Cherokees with those super reliable 4.0 motors. I left Jeep because they put out crap products not because of minor amenities they didn't have...lol That Land Cruiser is twice the money of my 2018 Trd Pro so I like most 4 runner owners like them simple without that tech bs, obviously they are making a killing selling them this way. The Tech heavy Lexus line might be where you need to go if you want "tech". The gx460 has a great motor and 4 wheel drive system, cost much more but hey the tech is there. The 6th gen will be on an updated proven platform (tech they would have vetted for years in other vehicles) and like Toyota always does it will stay that way for years, no matter what "new tech" comes out. The 4 runner brand has never got the early updates or changes quickly. Toyota sells too many units to make quick changes in this line. I like how they get it right with the 4 runner and they will get it right with the 6th gen. I love how my 4th and 3rd gen 4 runners have 270k, 321k miles and still run like new with no bs crappie tech to break and cost me 1000s to fix. BTW I updated their radio head units and speakers to give them the exact tech I wanted, better than my 2018. If all people like you can complain about on this thread is tech or the lights on their 5th gen 4 runners, Toyota must have hit another homerun....no grandslam.

ok thanks

 

[cb1111]

Also incorrect. Unless a different wattage bulb melts a harness and shorts in such a way to make it past the fuse, thus shorting major portions of the whole vehicle wire harness, AND said short can be traced back to that specific cause... whew... changing to a different bulb will make no difference to a dealer if there is another electrical defect not related to the lights. And if a dealer tries to abdicate their responsibility by blaming something they don't like, then there are other dealers.

We used to play "Six degrees of Kevin Bacon" linking virtually any failure to virtually any mod. My point was that changing the headlight bulb could have other implications and the dealer saying "go for it" was wrong. Modern cars (including the 4R) have many systems that are inter-related. the problem is that if you have an issue, and the manufacturer sides with the dealer, then you are SOL unless you want to sue the dealer/manufacturer.

I'm not sure what you mean by "no legal way to upgrade the headlights", but a warranty is not a law. So, while the upgraded component may no longer be warrantied, it does not "legally" void the vehicle warranty per Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

No, the legal had nothing to do with warranty and the MM Act doesn't apply if the component is a "performance" part or changes the performance in any way. The MM Act precludes a manufacturer from denying warranty service based solely on the presence of an aftermarket "substantially similar" part - so swapping an Osram bulb with the identical Bosch bulb.

Now if you meant "illegal" relating to the use of non-DOT approved lighting as an upgrade, then you are correct. However, this is unfortunately a law that no one enforces so people can basically put ridiculously bright LED light bars in place of head and fog lights and law enforcement turns a blind eye (pun intended). Illegal but kind of like jay walking... no one in position to do anything about it cares to do so.

Note comments in bold above. Yes, it is a violation of FMVSS 108 and, while many jurisdictions don't check for headlight compliance, some do - and a cop with a quota might just be interested enough to pull you over and ticket you. DC does that periodically - especially because they can then impound your car (unsafe equipment) and an impound means an inventory. Accordingly, the illegal lights are a legitimate reason to pull you over.

In general, you can go 5 to 10 miles over the speed limit in VA without any issues. There is a stretch on VA-7 between the two Purcellville exits where I've had two of my guys get a ticket for 1 mile over the 55 limit.

If you change out your headlight bulbs, then you need to know that you are technically in violation. Nobody, unless they are driving the same road at the same time in the same car at the same speed, can say "you'll be fine".

All that said, you are generally correct that many jurisdictions don't bother.

 

[adrummingdude]

Note comments in bold above. Yes, it is a violation of FMVSS 108 and, while many jurisdictions don't check for headlight compliance, some do - and a cop with a quota might just be interested enough to pull you over and ticket you. DC does that periodically - especially because they can then impound your car (unsafe equipment) and an impound means an inventory. Accordingly, the illegal lights are a legitimate reason to pull you over.

In general, you can go 5 to 10 miles over the speed limit in VA without any issues. There is a stretch on VA-7 between the two Purcellville exits where I've had two of my guys get a ticket for 1 mile over the 55 limit.

If you change out your headlight bulbs, then you need to know that you are technically in violation. Nobody, unless they are driving the same road at the same time in the same car at the same speed, can say "you'll be fine".

All that said, you are generally correct that many jurisdictions don't bother.

Nice to know there are still some parts of this country where cops have nothing better to do than pull people over for non factory but still "white" headlight bulbs. Hope you're not paying taxes for that.

 

[00Sebby]

The MM Act precludes a manufacturer from denying warranty service based solely on the presence of an aftermarket "substantially similar" part - so swapping an Osram bulb with the identical Bosch bulb.

We're mostly in agreement. But regarding the above statement, the MM act is more protective than you describe. We can install a lift kit, much larger tires and wheels that are way beyond factory intentions or specs. We know these things can stress other systems such as additional load imposed on the engine, transmission, cooling system, etc. However, if the transmission failed under warranty a dealer would not be supported in blaming the non-factory suspension setup. If u-joint failed due to extreme driveshaft angle, then it could be rejected as a warranty repair. On a lesser scale, running a HID retro or LED bulb would not cause your A/C electrical issue to not be covered under warranty.

 

[cb1111]

We're mostly in agreement. But regarding the above statement, the MM act is more protective than you describe. We can install a lift kit, much larger tires and wheels that are way beyond factory intentions or specs. We know these things can stress other systems such as additional load imposed on the engine, transmission, cooling system, etc. However, if the transmission failed under warranty a dealer would not be supported in blaming the non-factory suspension setup. If u-joint failed due to extreme driveshaft angle, then it could be rejected as a warranty repair. On a lesser scale, running a HID retro or LED bulb would not cause your A/C electrical issue to not be covered under warranty.

As I said, the MM act was written to preclude a manufacturer from refusing warranty service based on the mere use of a non-OE part. IIRC, it was prompted by Eureka refusing warranty service because a customer used a non-Eureka vacuum bag - even though the failure was not caused by the bag.

In order for a manufacturer to prevail, they have to show that the "substantially similar" aftermarket part (see my previous comment about identical bulbs from different manufacturers) caused or contributed to the failure.

However, aftermarket parts (for example that bulb that draws more power) are not "substantially similar" by definition, and the bar for the manufacturer is now much lower - all they must show is that a part that was intended to modify the performance, could have contributed to the failure.

Since many of today's systems are connected (CAN-BUS for example), a "simple" failure in one system can affect another system, so it isn't that simple as saying "it only affects the headlight" - there are lots of reports on this board about overheating bulbs damaging housings and then there is the guy who changed his horn and killed his car.

The bottom line is that ALL mods come with some sort of risks - and many may not be obvious at first blush, so one needs to do due diligence on even those mods that seem pretty simple - and one needs to mentally and financially prepared to fix what the mod may break.

Some dealers are usually pretty reasonable when it comes to mods and won't blame everything on mods, but there are others that are experts at trying to get out of doing warranty work - usually because they've had lots of chargebacks from the manufacturer.

 

[J-Roc]

So you Bought the Carista OBD2 adapter and did you buy the 1 week or 1 year plan? If you got the 1 week for 14$ and wanted to change your 4runner custom settings after the week has expired would you have to re purchase the 1 week again to access the customization?

I have the Carista OBD2 and what you said is correct.
Make sure you get everything how you like it the first or second time, or you will have to purchase another 7 days.

 

[zasdds]

Safe to drill?

Wanted to install a front camera in this location. You think it is safe to drill through this plastic, or would it mess with the TSS?

Apologize if dumb question, stock image attached

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[RunTheJoules]

Safe to drill?

Wanted to install a front camera in this location. You think it is safe to drill through this plastic, or would it mess with the TSS?

Apologize if dumb question, stock image attached

Fair question. I'm curious also... thought about maybe putting a light bar there in the future, then saw that.

 

[Gamma Ray]

I got an over the air update for my 2020 a few weeks ago, and now I can adjust the volume on the radio while the warning screen is showing when starting the truck. It's a nice little improvement.

 

[LCFj40]

Fair question. I'm curious also... thought about maybe putting a light bar there in the future, then saw that.

There is nothing behind the solid piece of plastic. My guess is its made that way so the grill is stiffer for the TSS sensor.

 

[kelseyjn]

I’ve had my 2020 trd pro since October2019 and have had two issues.

1. The vehicle would shake and rattle during acceleration This was fixed at my 10k

2. The cruise control has issues at 65+mph. It switches between gears, not resting on one. It’s frustrating when you’re passing a vehicle on cruise, adjusting back to 70 and the vehicle starts switching between 3rd and 4th. This doesn’t happen often but enough to be a problem.
I have an evaluation this week to fix this.


All of the off road features work better than I expected. I enjoy testing the vehicle in different conditions. It really shows off on the trails.


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[peekaboo]

The only thing that really annoys me is the brightness of the screen at night. I always find myself navigating to the main menu to adjust it - it can get blinding. Can this be controlled in a more intelligent way?

 

[offroadarcade]

The only thing that really annoys me is the brightness of the screen at night. I always find myself navigating to the main menu to adjust it - it can get blinding. Can this be controlled in a more intelligent way?

Yeah use the small vertical dial to the left of the steering wheel. It'll easily dim your main screen as well as your cluster to your liking.

 

[RunTheJoules]

The only thing that really annoys me is the brightness of the screen at night. I always find myself navigating to the main menu to adjust it - it can get blinding. Can this be controlled in a more intelligent way?

Aside from adjusting with the dimmer switch, you can also change the theme/color scheme of the screen. I forget exactly how to get there, but you can find them in the settings somewhere. There are two light themes and two dark themes. I have mine permanently set on the black/blue theme, even for daytime use.