I'm starting to really not like my '14...

[Jaan]

I'm not trolling, I'm looking for a support group and words of encouragement....

Before you suggest $1000 fixes, I'm just not in a position to drop that much on things that aren't broken. I paid this much for a truck to avoid those big repair bills.

I bought my 2014 Nautical Blue Trail edition on the 4th of July. I loved it. I wanted an FJ Cruiser and actually did a lot of research on the truck and liked that one a lot, but the wimminz in my life hated the rear doors. I figured, the 4Runner is almost the same but with 4 real doors, I'll go with that one.

I admit, I also based a lot of my decision on my experience with my 1999 Corolla that I bought new, which has been outstanding. Such a nicely built car.

This truck though...it reminds me of that hot girl you had a crush on and was in love with, for a month. Then, 3 months later her voice was like fingernails on a blackboard.

This truck just seems to want to annoy me every day. The Nav system sucks. It crashes all the time and it's generally not very good anyway. I have an 8 year old nav system that's better than this one. The radio sucks too, you can barely hear it and it's just not clear. Just like that hot girl the voice command either doesn't understand me, or ignores me. I'm not exaggerating when I say I had a Sony Ericsson cell phone from 2002 that had perfect voice recognition, because it matched your voice to your voice. I would love it if this voice recognition was half that good.

The TPMS comes on constantly after 15 minutes of driving. It's been into the dealer a bunch of times for the nav and that...no fix yet.

The stupid fake hood scoop has tried to blind me a few times. Of course, it happens when the sun is low in the sky.

The engine is schizophrenic. I thought the variable valve timing would be good...but it's not. It acts like a Renault Dauphine when I want to pass someone, and when I want to cruise all of the sudden it's a race car. I hate having to stand on the gas to find it's power. In all fairness though, I drove a simple 454 V8 for 18 years, I was used to only having to move the gas pedal 2 inches for 99% of my driving. This engine is capable of delivering a lot of power...I don't need it to baby me.

The display in the middle of the dash is worse than my old Palm IIIc. It's just useless and redundant. There's no reason for it to exist.

The stock tires are awful in the snow. I knew they weren't going to be great, but they cross a line. I'm glad I learned to drive in the snow in a 1970 Delta 88....

Sorry for the rant guys, but I just had to vent. Maybe I'll learn to fall in love with her all over again?

 

[Oeconomia]

Maybe I'll learn to fall in love with her all over again?

Take her off-road, and maybe, just maybe, you will.

I agree with some of the annoyances you list here. The hood scoop one especially. I am actually thinking about putting some matte colored vinyl wrap on the scoop facing the windshield. The NAV I can live with, but that is because I live rural anyway, and don't need the NAV 99% of the time. The power thing... I think mine is learning, cause mine acted like that for a month, until I realized where the sweet spot was.

I hope that you start liking her again. It's not for everyone. Sometime you have to go with your gut though, and just like that old girlfriend, you might have to break up in the long run.

 

[Ammomac]

if you are unhappy with the 4runner, be glad as hell you didn't get the FJC!!!! ;-)

 

[Oeconomia]

if you are unhappy with the 4runner, be glad as hell you didn't get the FJC!!!! ;-)

I agree with this too! I had a 2011 FJ and owned it right up till I bought the 4Runner. I think the 4Runner is twice the vehicle on the road. Off road, I loved the FJ. Fit and finish isn't as good on the FJ, blind spots sucked, power was the same (same engine, only a little less weight). Windshield ate rocks like no tomorrow (replaced 5 windshields in 3 years)...

Again I wish you the best! Get it out! Sometimes you just have to vent!

 

[Oeconomia]

Also another note...

Just look that this thread filling up with pages:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/178802-2017-wish-list.html

We aren't "fan boys" over here. There are alot of things that we think can be improved or changed.

 

[Oeconomia]

The TPMS comes on constantly after 15 minutes of driving. It's been into the dealer a bunch of times for the nav and that...no fix yet.

This happened to me on my FJ all the time. Almost every time it was the pressure in the spare. I live in ND, and when we would change seasons (fall to deep winter cold), the spare would lose pressure. Once it was a broken TPMS on a drivers tire. TPMS acts wonky on all vehicles I have had it on. I don't think it is isolated to you. If you insist they replace them, and check pressure, and it's still doing it, I would insist they look deeper.

 

[Oeconomia]

Hopefully all my posts were "supportive"! I will stop my rant now. At least you know there is one other person out there that has been through something similar. Sorry to hijack your post with all my comments.

Good luck!

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

I'm not trolling, I'm looking for a support group and words of encouragement....

I feel for you but if this is how you really feel, no words posted on an Internet forum are going to help you or change your mind. Sorry for your troubles.

 

[Headhunter14]

You haven't completely experienced frustration until you own a German car. I had a BMW before this and that definitely felt like having a hot girlfriend. It's a fun ride until shit goes south. I've been happy with my 4Runner even though it doesn't have the luxury amenities like my previous ride.

 

[sandcrawler]

man, you're definitely having some issues there for sure. the only way to fix the stock tire issues is to swap them out. they are truly rubbish. you obviously can't go back and take them off when brand-new at this point, but if you don't have too many miles on them you can probably still get a few bucks for them on Craigslist to help defray the cost of some decent replacements. shouldn't cost you anywhere near $1k in the end.

the TPMS errors and Nav restarts are certainly odd. have you tried disconnecting your battery for a bit? after doing so the ECU will hopefully better learn your driving style to address your issues with the engine performance.

also: helpful to post the specifics of your vehicle and included options so people know exactly what you're talking about.

 

[bimrunner]

Not much I can say to help you out. Every single one of your complaints is valid. Could you have known this ahead of time? Sure, but so much of it can be subjective. Could they all be fixed? Sure, but it might cost some coin. Some good advice above. Going offroad does help find the love of this thing. It is a bunch of compromises to try to be all things to some people. This is why I normally tell people that never want to offroad to look at a different offering if they are interested in this rig. It's not going to be the best roadable rig. It's not going to be the best offroad rig. It can be very good at both though. That's this rigs sweet spot. "Very good" is again, subjective and implys compromises.

 

[Canon_Bob]

I have to admit that I'm posting to this thread more for the entertainment value than anything. I suspect it's going to bring out the *ahem* "coddling crew" quite soon.

That said, let my at least TRY to help:

1. Your post sounds more like you're trying to find reasons to complain and get others to side with you. Not gonna happen here. This forum doesn't play like that.

2. Factory Nav System - Let's take a reality pill here. All factory installed Nav systems that I've ever seen are overpriced and typically under-deliver (compared to aftermarket options). You have two choices: Live with it and operate within it's functionality.....or replace it with a significantly better aftermarket add on. Period. Those are your options. Complaining about what it can't do isn't going to help. Comparing it to a "better" aftermarket solution isn't going to help. I personally miss the days where I could "opt-out" of a factory radio altogether and just have my vehicle delivered with a $500.00+ additional discount that I could then apply toward a superior aftermarket unit. Unfortunately, there are NO car manufacturers that I know of who are doing that anymore. In reading countless posts on the factory system here on this forum, I've noticed that most of the functionality issues tend to be in many cases related to the device being paired with the Nav system. You might consider searching and reading to see if anything jumps out as a possible match for your issues. I have the factory (non nav) system in mine, and I find that it functions just fine as a radio and simple head unit for an ipod or usb drive with some music. It also works perfectly for me as a hands free interface to my android phone.....so I have no need to change it out.

3. Your TPMS issue - This should be solvable by your dealer. Tip: If your dealer hasn't been able to solve it in multiple visits, you might consider bringing it to another dealer with better techs. At the end of the day there are a finite number of components involved that could be the issue. Either you're driving on low tires (doubtful), or you have a sensor or part or the computer interface infrastructure that is faulty and needs to be replaced.

4. You talked about appreciating the reliability of you old Corolla. All you need to do is look through the depths of this forum and you'll see that the track record of the 4Runner is unsurpassed in it's class. These vehicles are time proven and tough. There are many 10+ year old 4Runners on this forum that have had the living crap beat out of them and are still going strong.

5. I had an FJC for 6 years before I got my 4Runner. I loved them both, but the 4Runner is definitely a "step up" in my opinion. From the sense I got from your post, it seemed like you really wanted an FJ, but "settled for" a 4Runner. Now you're looking for reasons not to like it, and came to the wrong place looking for "supporters" of your whining. I don't think you'll find much support here, but I'm betting it'll be fun to watch. Good luck.

 

[Jayhawk5G]

1. Affordable
2. Fancy
3. Reliable

You can only pick two...

You can probably find another SUV that has more of the features you want in terms of sound system and nav, etc. BMW/RR/Mercedes etc. are pretty good about fancy flashy tech, and all offer V8 engines. They will be pricey and you wont have the same reliability.

I hit a wall shortly after purchasing my 4Runner, where the nose dive annoyed me and it felt gutless compared to my V8 suv prior... it eventually passed and I learned to love my 4Runner for what it is and what it does.

 

[phillyd2]

The actual mechanical issues need to be fixed by your dealer. The rest you really should have known about before buying the truck and most would have been obvious during the test drive.

A few guys here have exchanged their hoods with other members - some like the scoop some don't, so maybe there is a member who has the same color that is willing to do an exchange.

 

[Mooney]

Time to move on to the next girl. If your looking for us to tell you she's got a great voice it won't help each morning you wake up to realize it's still annoying.

I love my 4Runner, so the little things are character and really don't rub me wrong. However many of us have owned vehicles that just didn't sit right, and we start looking for reasons to move on to another vehicle.

Enjoy what you drive, life's too short to make excuses.

 

[9mmMike]

Wow. That seems like a very legitimate list of complaints. Can't see anyone calling that trolling.
Not sure if you can take the financial hit but you might consider trading that T4R in for an older/less tricked-out model.
My 2010 TE has non of those issues (maybe the hood scoop but I've not had the pleasure) since it has none of those features. Well, it does have a radio but yours is no doubt an upgraded version.
Also, as with all things mechanical, sometimes you find a lemon.
Maybe your dealer could get you a '14 loaner for awhile and you can see if it is just your truck.
I hope you can find a solution. You should not be aggravated and angry at the end of every drive! That would be a real drag.
Good luck.

 

[Dexter Morgan]

You haven't completely experienced frustration until you own a German car. I had a BMW before this and that definitely felt like having a hot girlfriend. It's a fun ride until shit goes south. I've been happy with my 4Runner even though it doesn't have the luxury amenities like my previous ride.

Please add in British cars too. I have an '07 Land Rover full size and I am about ready to put a rock on the gas pedal and let it find its way into the ocean. I am nearing a deal on a '15 Trail because honestly, the overall package of the 4runner IS better than a Range Rover.

I feel like I'm coming home...to a brand that's never, ever let me down. My fun car will be a '97 Cobra when I can locate a nice Rio Red or Black one. Both simple vehicles...the former a brand new Toyota product as a reliable DD, the latter a nice 300 hp muscle car with minimal issues.

 

[gm350reratliff]

OP- your post sounds a lot like how it was for me with my 2012 F150 ecoboost. I loved that truck the first 8 months I owned it, then more and more stuff kept going wrong. I will admit that the Sync system it had never worked right. I had to un-pair our phones because it would decide to randomly call my contacts, all without a ringtone or shutting off the music. All of a sudden you would here someone say "hello, hello". Definitely had to be careful who and what you talked about, you never knew who was listening. At the end, it would constantly restart. I would've just replaced the stereo except I had already made up my mind to trade it. It did had amazing power and mpg in the begining but by the time I traded it on my 5th gen, it could barely hold speed on hills and mpg was down to 11.

I would suggest you ask your dealer if there is an update available for the nav system.

As for the TPMS, what is your tire pressure set at? You may want to try bumping it up a few pounds all around. I usually set the spare at the max psi. If I need it, I just adjust the air pressure to the conditions. There is no sense having a spare tire if it has low tire pressure.

I could see where the hood may have some additional glare off of it but if the sun is up, I have my sunglasses on due to my light sensitivity (mild case of LS after I had Lasik, but it is worth it just being able to see good) and it really doesn't bug me ( polarized sunglasses are awesome).

4runners are as reliable as they come. I don't think you have to worry. However, that doesn't mean stuff will never break or go wrong. Ultimately, it's up to you to keep it maintained which will keep it running good.

I agree on the stock tires, they do suck from an off-road standpoint. However, they are smooth, quiet, and will net you decent mpg on the freeway. I ditched the OEM tires pretty quick for a good AT tire. You may not want to hear it but switching to a good AT tire will make a huge difference on everything from handling to snow performance.

 

[Socalrugger]

You haven't completely experienced frustration until you own a German car. I had a BMW before this and that definitely felt like having a hot girlfriend. It's a fun ride until shit goes south. I've been happy with my 4Runner even though it doesn't have the luxury amenities like my previous ride.

2nd that......my first Audi was the "best"....one time had to Fred Flintstone my way out of the parking lot because the gear would not engage. One of many issues unfortunately....2nd Audi was a bit better....

Yabba Dabba Doo

 

[The Waco Kid]

I have an '07 Land Rover full size and I am about ready to put a rock on the gas pedal and let it find its way into the ocean.

It would never make it... Electrics would go, just out of spite.