Cons on my 2004 4Runner Sport V6

[gknapper]

Just bought my 1st new vehicle in November 03, 2004 4Runner Sport V6 4x4. I love the vehicle but some poor designs that I just can'f figure out why someone thought it was a good idea.


1. Cup holders in front are poorly designed. It will not hold a cup with a handle properly so my cup tips every time I hit the breaks or take a turn and I spill coffee all over. ( I guess I will need to find another 20 oz. cup to hold my coffee that will fit the holder)

2. The back doors do not automaticly unlock like they do in the front. This is a real pain when you have friend in the back that cant seem to figure out how to get out of the vehicle. Wish they would have put alittle more thought into allowing the back passengers out of the vehicle instead of maken them feel they are trapped inside.

3. Climate control does not allow you to adjust were the air flows from. I hate having hot air bllowing on my feet and then when it finally reaches the temp to keep it changes the air path and blows cool air in my face. In order to use the front defrost to clear the windows you have to turn off the auto air. Why not just let me decide were to let the air blow while it maintains the temp.

Those are really the only cons I can say I have with the vehicle. I am very glad I purchased the vehicle and traded in my 94 4Runner but do wish I could have gotten a stick shift again!!!

 

[HuntRunner]

I have an 03' Sport and all my doors unlock automatically......I wonder if that is a setting you can adjust?? Not sure if I understand the climate control comment. Can you not set what temperature you want while in Auto mode and have it maintain that temp while still adjusting where the airflow comes from?

 

[gknapper]

I can set the temp to whatever I like(say 70 degrees) for the auto air but if I try and change were the air flows from it turns the auto air off leaving the a/c on. I have looked for a setting that could unlock the back doors but could not find anything.

 

[toybox]

You think this generation has poorly designed cupholders?......you should have seen the ones on my '97. The absolute worst cup holder design ever!

I too wish I could change where the air blows in the auto mode but it doesn't bother me too much. Actually I kind of like it in general (never had this feature. I haven't touched my climate controls in weeks! I get in, it gets comfortable and stays comfortable without ever touching anything.

 

[ChuckyD]

2. The back doors do not automaticly unlock like they do in the front. This is a real pain when you have friend in the back that cant seem to figure out how to get out of the vehicle. Wish they would have put alittle more thought into allowing the back passengers out of the vehicle instead of maken them feel they are trapped inside.

Safety Feature? So you dont have someone opening the door when ur parked in a ... not so good area?

 

[ChuckyD]

You think this generation has poorly designed cupholders?......you should have seen the ones on my '97. The absolute worst cup holder design ever!

I too wish I could change where the air blows in the auto mode but it doesn't bother me too much. Actually I kind of like it in general (never had this feature. I haven't touched my climate controls in weeks! I get in, it gets comfortable and stays comfortable without ever touching anything.

I second that one... it stays on 68

 

[gknapper]

Re: Re: Cons on my 2004 4Runner Sport V6

Safety Feature? So you dont have someone opening the door when ur parked in a ... not so good area?

As I said let them out not in...............

 

[ChuckyD]

Re: Re: Re: Cons on my 2004 4Runner Sport V6

As I said let them out not in...............

HUH? .. lol

u asked why its not the same as the front... ur losing me...lol

 

[toybox]

Do you have the child lock switch on the actual door in the lock position? I always engage this so that my kids can't open the door until I let them out from the outside. It keeps them from opening the door when we are moving and when I'm in a parking lot they can't just jump out.

 

[4Runner4UGA]

I did an experiment with the auto air the other day and this is what I found. I did a run with the auto light off where I selected the fan speed and then I did a run where I selected the location of the air. On both occasions the vehicle still was in auto mode, meaning when I selected the location for the air the fan speed changed to meet the temperature demands, high temp had a high fan speed and as I lowered the temp the fan speed decreased. When I set the temp to low with a low temp the air blew out the vents in front of you, as I increased the temp it moved to bi-level and then to floor. This leads me to believe that even though the auto light goes off, the system is still in automatic mode, it just is not "full automatic"(controlling temperature, location, and speed) instead it is just controlling the temperature, and the setting that you did not override.

 

[gknapper]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Cons on my 2004 4Runner Sport V6

HUH? .. lol

u asked why its not the same as the front... ur losing me...lol

When I turn the vehicle off I can just pull on the door handle up front and get out of the vehicle........ not so in the back you have to unlock the doors manually.



I did check the child safety lock feature and that is not set.

 

[HuntRunner]

Not sure how to help you on the locks, I will check my manual and see if maybe it is just something different on the 03'. As for the climate controls, I usually have mine set on Auto with the A/C button turned off (manually); if I change the air flow direction (say from feet to windshield) the Auto button light will go off, but the fan speed for the air flow will still adjust according to what temperature I have it set at.

 

[HuntRunner]

My vehicle is set so that when I turn the vehicle off, and open the driver door within 10 seconds, all the doors unlock automatically.

 

[ChuckyD]

My vehicle is set so that when I turn the vehicle off, and open the driver door within 10 seconds, all the doors unlock automatically.

Interesting... i think that would be great if i could get all my doors to unlock like that!

 

[toybox]

That's cool that the auto mode still works when the positioned is changed. I just assumed that when the auto light went out the auto mode is off. I would call that a slight quirk in the design. But I'm gald to know I can now make those adjustments in auto mode.

 

[tkr128]

Check your owner's manual for instructions on how to set your lock/unlocking of the doors. You can set it to unlock when you put the shift lever to "P" or unlock after you turn off the engine and open the driver's door within 10 seconds. You can always hit the unlock button to let your passengers out. I personally don't like how you can open the front doors when they're locked, seems a bit dangerous if someone accidentally pulls the handle.

I think you can still have the climate control maintain the temperature when you change the air flow. I'm not too sure, I'll check it out later, but it's supposed to change the fan speed accordingly. It's like my sister's Accord, when you push auto, "FULL AUTO" shows up. But once you change a setting, the "FULL" goes out and leaves "AUTO" on the screen.

 

[HuntRunner]

Unlocking linked with opening the driver's door:
Page 17 option (d) in my manual. I don't know if it is the same with all manuals but I hope this helps.
I kind of though the climate control was goofy too, I use to think it was broke or something???

 

[gknapper]

Thanks for all the replies....... I will test tonight on way home with the auto air button off and see if it holds the temp. Since it is bitter cold here it will be the perfect test. Also will try and see if the doors will unlock after a certain time period after opening the drivers door.


Like I said these are very minor things that would not stop me from buying another Toyota since this is my 4th Toyota and all have done the job. Just one of those things you wonder what the design team was thinking!

84 Celica- 109,000 miles before engine died after an accident
89 4x4- 140,000 miles sold it to buy 94 4Runner
94 4Runner- 127,000 miles traded-in for 04 4Runner.
04 4Runner- 2,800 miles in almost 2 months.

 

[prlundberg]

I personally don't like how you can open the front doors when they're locked, seems a bit dangerous if someone accidentally pulls the handle.

I have never heard of any problems with accidental openings. I suppose I could accidently open the front door to my house and fall down the steps, since it's not always locked :bonk:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Most domestics have been like this for years, Ford probably the longest. I was surprised when I discovered I had to unlock before I could open the doors on my 4Runner. Seemed old-fashioned.

I would guess that's the main reason they came up with child locks for the rear of most modern vehicles.

 

[toybox]

In my '97 the door lock was right were my elbow would sit on the window ledge. Without realizing it, I would always lock the door. When I went to get out of the truck I would practically rip the handle off thinking it was unlocked and the door would open....I hated that!

I am very glad that when I pull that handle, locked or not, the door is going to open.