Drive Shaft/ Prop joint recall coming soon!

previously being a Honda/BMW guy...all i ever heard about Toyota was that they were really reliable and well designed. My 03 has so many little issues (that could cost $$$$) that I am thinking that was all bunk.
the clunk, the piston slap, front calipers sticking and freezing, the rear window regulators that COMPLETELY rotted out so much so that it took 5 + hrs to replace. I've had 15 yr old hondas that didn't have this many issues, and they were no where near as expensive a rig as this 4runner
just my 2 cents
 
im a honda guy myself and i completely agree with you...i found this forum shortly after purchasing my 4runner and as i browse all of these different topics, im amazed at all of the similar problems that i can relate to. it almost seems like everytime i read about someone having an issue with something, that same issue pops up for me. (fortunately nothing major) i'm still happy with the 4runner though.
 
Eastcoastrunner said:
previously being a Honda/BMW guy...all i ever heard about Toyota was that they were really reliable and well designed. My 03 has so many little issues (that could cost $$$$) that I am thinking that was all bunk.
the clunk, the piston slap, front calipers sticking and freezing, the rear window regulators that COMPLETELY rotted out so much so that it took 5 + hrs to replace. I've had 15 yr old hondas that didn't have this many issues, and they were no where near as expensive a rig as this 4runner
just my 2 cents
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I was kind of thinking the same thing and started to have second thoughts about getting a 4Runner. However, I have experienced this same thing on another type of forum. You have to remember that what sounds like a lot of problems may really not be because the number of of actual problems is likely very small compared to the large number of 4Runners on the road not having problems. The forums tend to concentrate people looking for help or advice giving actual numbers a false feeling of being higher than actual. Hope you understand what I just said because I think I confused myself :lmao:. I still think they are one of the best built SUV's and just pulled the plug on one today. . . . . .an '04 Sport V8.:guitar3:
 
Apples to apples. Compare a 15-year-old Civic to a 15-year-old Corolla. Compare an eight-year-old 4Runner to an eight-year-old Pilot/Ridgeline (when they get that old).
 
truckmike26 said:
Apples to apples. Compare a 15-year-old Civic to a 15-year-old Corolla. Compare an eight-year-old 4Runner to an eight-year-old Pilot/Ridgeline (when they get that old).
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um, isn't that a worse comparo? I would expect more outta a 35-40k suv versus a 18k econobox. Pilot would be more a highlander class btw.
 
I have a question for those who have the thump after lubing. did you lube it yourself or was it done at a oil change someplace. My freind had his 4runner serviced at our toyota dealership. when he got home I crawled under it and looked at the driveshafts. They never lubed them at all. He went back and complained but they gave him some runaround about them doing the gas pedal recall and forgot to do it. They greased them for him at this time. I have never had the thump on my 03 but I always greased them myself. I just wanted everyone to know that when someone else does the work you may not be getting the driveshafts lubed. Make sure to look yourself.
 
I dont really see how the thump is a safety issue and I cant see Toyota issuing a recall for it. Annoying, yes, preventable, yes...possibility of death? Not so much. I think the bottom line is, yeah, it makes noises...if you don't like the noises, lube them away as is recommended in the regular service items. After all, Toyota designed the drive shaft to slide in and out so in my experience, metal sliding on metal makes noise...lube it. Or, replace it with a Lexus drive shaft, some have had luck with that.
 
truckmike26 said:
Y'know, you're right. Comparing the cost of owning/operating a 2003 4Runner to a 1996 Honda Civic IS a better comparson.
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perhaps we have different philosophies when it comes to car ownership. I don't mean maintenance, that is a moot point.
If i spend 18k on a new econobox, i don't act surprised when parts are cheap and flimsy. I don't act surprised when the design teams made it to last 4-5 yrs before it rusts right out.
I expect more from a 35k TOYOTA, since TOYOTA is so damn reliable and fail safe. Our points were that no, the 4th gen has lots of problems (and this is coming from a service manager at Toyota). There is no reason this thing should have a clunk in th drivetrain, nor should it tick like a diesel. There are people on here with low mileage 4th gen that have this tick, and Toyota tells us it is 'nothing' to worry about, just some piston slap?
I wonder if those people who tell us to forget about it would have the same reaction if it was their hard earned cash paying for this vehicle?
 
Synister said:
I dont really see how the thump is a safety issue and I cant see Toyota issuing a recall for it. Annoying, yes, preventable, yes...possibility of death? Not so much. I think the bottom line is, yeah, it makes noises...if you don't like the noises, lube them away as is recommended in the regular service items. After all, Toyota designed the drive shaft to slide in and out so in my experience, metal sliding on metal makes noise...lube it. Or, replace it with a Lexus drive shaft, some have had luck with that.
Click to expand...

it's been lubed, and still does it. As in pulling away from the shop where it was lubed. i've driven lots of 4wd vehicles that don't clunk.
 
Eastcoastrunner said:
previously being a Honda/BMW guy...all i ever heard about Toyota was that they were really reliable and well designed. My 03 has so many little issues (that could cost $$$$) that I am thinking that was all bunk.
just my 2 cents
Click to expand...

I have to say I've had MANY German cars and they all would rob you dry. Even my Jetta never came out of the shop with less than a $500 bill, and I won't even talk about the Porsche...

Best most reliable cars I have are tied between the 88 MR2 and the 4runner. Even the wife's altima 3.5 had so many little issues we traded it in for a Camry! We thought about Honda's but after having to drop an axle to change and alternator (who designed that crap?!?) the thought went out the window!
 
galactic_04 said:
I have to say I've had MANY German cars and they all would rob you dry. Even my Jetta never came out of the shop with less than a $500 bill, and I won't even talk about the Porsche...

Best most reliable cars I have are tied between the 88 MR2 and the 4runner. Even the wife's altima 3.5 had so many little issues we traded it in for a Camry! We thought about Honda's but after having to drop an axle to change and alternator (who designed that crap?!?) the thought went out the window!
Click to expand...

my bimmer got great customer service from the dealership. I have not, however, been given the same from the Toyota dealership. They wanted $120 to run a 5 min diagnostic computer check on the runner a few weeks ago. Do they have a plastic surgeon doing the work, or???
the runner is most likely above average for reliability, but it's not as good as I expected/heard/media gave toyota is all.
 
^let me add that i wouldn't go near a VW/audi with a 10 foot pole. Those things are ticking time bombs. Pretty sure my next car will be an acura. i've got friends with rdx/mdx's and they have nothing but good things to say about them. One of my first cars ever was a 90 integra, and besides being automatic, it served me well and was a nice car.
 
03_4x4Runner said:
I have a question for those who have the thump after lubing. did you lube it yourself or was it done at a oil change someplace. My freind had his 4runner serviced at our toyota dealership. when he got home I crawled under it and looked at the driveshafts. They never lubed them at all. He went back and complained but they gave him some runaround about them doing the gas pedal recall and forgot to do it. They greased them for him at this time. I have never had the thump on my 03 but I always greased them myself. I just wanted everyone to know that when someone else does the work you may not be getting the driveshafts lubed. Make sure to look yourself.
Click to expand...

All 10 grease jobs have been done by me. At an average interval rate of 8400 miles per lube, a case could be made that I haven't lubed frequently enough since I fall under severe service. A case could also be made that I wasn't greasing properly until <a href="http://www.toyota-4runner.org/698052-post17.html" target="_blank">this</a> last time (the risk of hanging one's hat on forum information) but, even allowing for those points, the clunk has never gone away for any appreciable period of time.

Personally, the clunk doesn't bother me all that much since mostly what I care about is whether it's a long term wear issue, which it apparently isn't. I'd be all over a tsb fix, though.
 
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JB. said:
All 10 grease jobs have been done by me. At an average interval rate of 8400 miles per lube, a case could be made that I haven't lubed frequently enough since I fall under severe service. A case could also be made that I wasn't greasing properly until <a href="http://www.toyota-4runner.org/698052-post17.html" target="_blank">this</a> last time (the risk of hanging one's hat on forum information) but, even allowing for those points, the clunk has never gone away for any appreciable period of time.

Personally, the clunk doesn't bother me all that much since mostly what I care about is whether it's a long term wear issue, which it apparently isn't. I'd be all over a tsb fix, though.
Click to expand...

I see you are in Nevada. I am in Lake Havasu City, Arizona and off road a lot in the desert. As you know it gets extremely dusty off roading. I grease mine usually every 4k or so and have around 63k miles on the 4runner. Maybe I am just lucky to have never had the thump. I use Valvoline multipurpose grease which says for Toyota use. I just looked in the factory shop manual. For the u-joints it says to use lithium base chassis grease NLGI no. 2. For the slip joint it says to use Molybdenum disulphide lithium base chassis grease NLGI no. 2. I do not know what this means but apparently we should be using 2 different greases. I have always used this Valvoline for both. This is what I use http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/VLV0/615.oap?ck=Search_N0412_-1_2773&pt=N0412&ppt=C0139 It looks like it does not have the molybdenum in it but it has worked for me.
 
Last edited:
JB. said:
All 10 grease jobs have been done by me. At an average interval rate of 8400 miles per lube, a case could be made that I haven't lubed frequently enough since I fall under severe service. A case could also be made that I wasn't greasing properly until <a href="http://www.toyota-4runner.org/698052-post17.html" target="_blank">this</a> last time (the risk of hanging one's hat on forum information) but, even allowing for those points, the clunk has never gone away for any appreciable period of time.

Personally, the clunk doesn't bother me all that much since mostly what I care about is whether it's a long term wear issue, which it apparently isn't. I'd be all over a tsb fix, though.
Click to expand...

If it's a tsb rather than a recall, it will only be applicable to those in warranty or prepared to pay for the fix. I suspect the only shaft I will get from Toyota will be the one they try to give me on my 04 v8 trade in for a new 4Runner or Tacoma.
 
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