Just need to vent - 11 te

F

Falls

Super Moderator
I waited a couple days to post this so would not be irritated ......lol.

My 11 TE has 2500 miles on it and it's 2 months old.

1st. This is a noisy vehicle . The engine and drivetrain noise when stepping hard on the the gas and getting the RPM's up is just horrible !!

2nd. The rear defrosted was horrible on my 06 4R , but this one takes the cake ! it can't even melt a dusting of snow off the back window. It really stinks.

3rd. Heater/blower motor is a total joke too. Not much power/CFM there in my opinion.

4. The button for the windshield wiper/heater thing ??? does not seem to have any purpose what so ever . what is it supposed to do ??? I have read the manual .

5. The ride quality / handling is fair at best. Rides very rough in the winter months and with all the potholes and heaving pavement we have here it is literally bone jarring. Granted on nice roads/hi ways it rides nice and smooth and handles ok.

6. Interior lighting is not good . I may replace with white LED's.

7. I do miss having a full time 4x4 mode with center locking diff like my 06 had . I drove on friday nite on the freeway for about an hour to get home. Road had about inch of snow dust in them . After the traction control was doing its job I decided to put it in 4wd/Hi the rest of the way home . The truck was all over the place on the road .

8. Engine : I miss my V8 with a passion !!!! This current 11TE truck is a dog from the get go , even though it is supposed to have a whopping 5 more hp than the V8. The 4.7L V8 power and torque were excellent , engine ran totally smooth and quiet. Gas milage is so far the same as my V8. Although though I don't buy these kind of vehicles for gas milage at ALL. Im sure in time of break in it will go up a mile or so per gallon. As long as I'm not getting 12mpg ....lol Im ok with it . I think im at 15.5 average (mostly city stop and go) running winter blend fuel (which takes away a couple miles per gallon and makes it run crappier too). so who knows with milage . it may get better but not overly concerned . I just thought with the new 4L it would be better power and milage & quieter.

All in all its a good truck but these things really are bothersome to ME , but thats just the way it is I guess so I'll adapt . I love the body styling , the interior layout , the tune system and most everything else about it.

OK my rant is over >>>>> I feel a little better now .... LOL.
 
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Falls said:
I waited a couple days to post this so would not be irritated ......lol.
Click to expand...

Ok, not to be rude but did you do ANY research before buying the 4R? Did you even go on ONE test drive with the 4R?

1) - any issue you have with the engine/noise/drivetrain should have been heard LOUD and CLEAR with a proper test drive - not sure why you are complaining about it now though? Did you move next to an airport then complain about the noise of the jets overhead?

2) - Sorry to hear about a possibly faulty rear defroster. It was 4 degrees out this morning, ice and snow covered the rear window, it cleared VERY fast for me this morning. You might want to test your further or take it in for testing.

3) I will give you that one, it is louder than expected and does not push as much air as the noise would lead one to think

4) You might need to read it again, seriously, I don't have one but I still know what it does

5) Again, proper research and a proper test drive would have exposed this for you. It has been noted on a number of forums and car reviews about the ride of the 4R, plus you should have felt it on the test drive

6) Yep, it is not the best, but it is not the worst, it could use improving

7) Not sure what you are getting at here. If the 4R was all over the road with you in 4Hi you were simply driving TOO fast for the conditions! 4wd does not put Jesus in your front seat, you still have to drive for the conditions. If you wanted the 'better' 4WD system why are you driving a TE? Research would have provided you with the LE for the 4wd system you were looking for.

8) Seriously? Research shows that while there was an increase in HP the torque was still not that of the V8, what would make you think it would be? Again, beating a dead horse here, did you not test drive this thing? You should have felt that (along with the noise) right at the dealership. This v6 does get up and go if you get on it, and seem to get more power as the miles increase (as have been noted on here multiple times).

I see you have a TON of post on here, so obviously you have been around a long time. Please tell me though how you can buy an SUV with such obvious 'flaw' that should have been standing out like a sore thumb with any research or a test drive???

I have complaints, but minor ones that most people miss in the test drive (weak horn, lack of read dome light, etc).

I know you like the outside and a few other features but if I ever got in a car for a test drive and had your opinion of the main features I would run fast and far, I would not make the sales man a offer!
 
Take it back... it sounds like your 4Runner sucks compared to most of ours on here!

Just kidding man, I'm sure you'll feel much better about it after driving it a few months. :driving:

If not... then really, sell it. Not worth owning something this expensive if you don't love to drive it every day.
 
Falls, if you lived closer I'd have you take mine for a drive and see if it felt the same, because I don't experience any of those problems.

1) At idle I hear the diesel-like chatter, but when I punch the gas all I hear is the roar of the exhaust.

2) Mine works in seconds, and keeps the slush from sticking when driving in snowy conditions.

3) The heater takes some time to get the air warm, but the blowers push the air nicely on both fresh and recirc. No complaints about the AC.

4) I have watched it melt the ice that had built up while the car was parked outside overnight. It was the coolest thing I had seen.

5) I'm riding on stock suspension and I've driven some forest road that looked like a "Chinese Checkers" board, but I wouldn't call the ride "rough" and "jarring". It eats up the potholes and cracks like they aren't even there.

6) Agree it could be brighter in some areas.

7) I've driven in some varied snow conditions, in both 2W and 4H, and I've had the traction control go off twice. Both time were turning out of a parking lot and accelerating a tad too fast.

8) I don't have a frame of reference for the V8 noise and power, but I am getting 17.6 MPG in the city over the last two tanks of regular 87 octane from Shell.

If the lack of a Torsen and a V8 make that much of a difference, have you thought about selling the TE and buying a used '09 with the options you want?
 
Oh boy, now ya did it....you vented on a 4Runner forum about the 4Runner.. :police:

J/k, seriously. :peace:

There are plenty of things about this truck that I don't think are ideal, but none of them are a deal breaker for me. It does a lot right, and I couldn't see owning anything else. My test drive didn't reveal every minute characteristic either, its certainly possible to miss things and only a few hundred miles in the seat can reveal IMHO.

Hopefully you'll be able to adjust to some of its faults, learn to love 'em, and enjoy the truck.
 
Its not uncommon...

Sorry you're having trouble with your 4R... for me the test drive I took was nirvana... I'm in a '07 Wrangler 4dr w/ a 6 cyl... it beats you to death, is underpowered, loud on the road, it does have a good heater though and 4 wheels something fierce.

I've been researching good off-road vehicles, and no matter the cost or maker there are complaints. I almost bought a Range Rover and after that a Sport. Imagine paying 90k for something that goes through brakes every 18k, tires every 20k, and is notorious for breaking down. I almost did, and man its a nice truck... but owners forums for them too are full of complaints.

Look at it this way, you have some complaints but saved about 50k, and it will 4 wheel as good or better. Shoot the depreciation on the RR will amount to a 4Runner in about 4 years!

LOL

Dave Bane
soon to have a TE if I can find a red one.
 
Good idea!

I'm in Indiana... I hadn't tried Cars.com... just aolautos and autotrader... I'll give it a shot!

Thanks!

Dave Bane
maybe found a TE
 
I love my V8 2004 and am looking at a 5th Gen over the next 12-18 mths. The research I have done already both here and elsewhere warns me:

The LE probably has the better ride on-road in terms of comfort with the TE with KDSS being more agile but stiffer.

The LE is the only model with insulation under the hood so may be a little quieter but this V6 is not going to be as quiet as my V8 (perhaps you could retrofit some insulation to the TE?)

I had a windshield wiper deicer on a Highlander before the 4Runner and loved it - great addition unless you like peeling wipers off the windshield at -20c.

I will admit the one worrying comment here is the heater motor - essential in Canada! That said, I believe the LE has a pre-heater so you don't have to wait for the engine to warm up which would probably balance things out.

In summary - I think you should have bought the LE.
 
Don't take anything below personally.

1st. This is a noisy vehicle . The engine and drivetrain noise when stepping hard on the the gas and getting the RPM's up is just horrible !!

You probably should have payed a little more attention on the test drive. If you wanted to waft along without hearing the engine at all, maybe the GX460 would have suited you better.

I don't find the sound of mine at full throttle offensive at all. Its not a Ferrari scream, or a Hemi growl, but it gets the job done.

2nd. The rear defrosted was horrible on my 06 4R , but this one takes the cake ! it can't even melt a dusting of snow off the back window. It really stinks.

Is your rear window all the way up? If it's not fully closed the rear wiper and defroster won't work. I live in southwest Virginia, and we've had a very cold and snowy winter so far and the defroster works just fine for me. Maybe yours is defective.

3rd. Heater/blower motor is a total joke too. Not much power/CFM there in my opinion.

It doesn't pump the most volume, but I have been very impressed with its ability to warm the car up quickly from a cold start after sitting at 0 degrees for 8 hours.

5. The ride quality / handling is fair at best. Rides very rough in the winter months and with all the potholes and heaving pavement we have here it is literally bone jarring. Granted on nice roads/hi ways it rides nice and smooth and handles ok.

I think overall the handling is more than acceptable. It is not as nimble as it could be, but bilstein 5100s up front or higher spring rates all around seem to be the solution there. Maybe you should have noticed this on the test drive too.

6. Interior lighting is not good . I may replace with white LED's.

I see nothing wrong with the interior lighting, barring the missing cargo area dome light. Like you mentioned, brighter LEDs may help you here.

7. I do miss having a full time 4x4 mode with center locking diff like my 06 had . I drove on friday nite on the freeway for about an hour to get home. Road had about inch of snow dust in them . After the traction control was doing its job I decided to put it in 4wd/Hi the rest of the way home . The truck was all over the place on the road .

4H on a TE is functionally identical to an AWD Limited with center diff locked. This in no way would cause the truck to be "all over the place". I would suggest you slow down on roads covered in 1" of fresh unplowed snow. Maybe invest in some snow tires if you drive a great deal in those conditions.

8. Engine : I miss my V8 with a passion !!!! This current 11TE truck is a dog from the get go , even though it is supposed to have a whopping 5 more hp than the V8. The 4.7L V8 power and torque were excellent , engine ran totally smooth and quiet. ..... I just thought with the new 4L it would be better power and milage & quieter.

There have been numerous threads about this. The engine IS more powerful, but there are three key facts to consider. 1. The 5th gen is heavier than the 4th gen by about 300lbs (I believe). 2. The V8 in the 4th gen provides more torque at a lower rpm. Thats simply because of its greater displacement. 3. The throttle response on the 5th gen is not as sharp as it could be. Most agree, that the power is there, it's just takes a bit more pedal pressure. Maybe you should have discovered this on the test drive.

Considering your thousands of posts and "super moderator" status I would have thought you would have read some of the posts here in the 5th gen forum. That probably would have helped.
 
Last edited:
Falls said:
I waited a couple days to post this so would not be irritated ......lol.

My 11 TE has 2500 miles on it and it's 2 months old.

1st. This is a noisy vehicle . The engine and drivetrain noise when stepping hard on the the gas and getting the RPM's up is just horrible !!

2nd. The rear defrosted was horrible on my 06 4R , but this one takes the cake ! it can't even melt a dusting of snow off the back window. It really stinks.

3rd. Heater/blower motor is a total joke too. Not much power/CFM there in my opinion.

4. The button for the windshield wiper/heater thing ??? does not seem to have any purpose what so ever . what is it supposed to do ??? I have read the manual .

5. The ride quality / handling is fair at best. Rides very rough in the winter months and with all the potholes and heaving pavement we have here it is literally bone jarring. Granted on nice roads/hi ways it rides nice and smooth and handles ok.

6. Interior lighting is not good . I may replace with white LED's.

7. I do miss having a full time 4x4 mode with center locking diff like my 06 had . I drove on friday nite on the freeway for about an hour to get home. Road had about inch of snow dust in them . After the traction control was doing its job I decided to put it in 4wd/Hi the rest of the way home . The truck was all over the place on the road .

8. Engine : I miss my V8 with a passion !!!! This current 11TE truck is a dog from the get go , even though it is supposed to have a whopping 5 more hp than the V8. The 4.7L V8 power and torque were excellent , engine ran totally smooth and quiet. Gas milage is so far the same as my V8. Although though I don't buy these kind of vehicles for gas milage at ALL. Im sure in time of break in it will go up a mile or so per gallon. As long as I'm not getting 12mpg ....lol Im ok with it . I think im at 15.5 average (mostly city stop and go) running winter blend fuel (which takes away a couple miles per gallon and makes it run crappier too). so who knows with milage . it may get better but not overly concerned . I just thought with the new 4L it would be better power and milage & quieter.

All in all its a good truck but these things really are bothersome to ME , but thats just the way it is I guess so I'll adapt . I love the body styling , the interior layout , the tune system and most everything else about it.

OK my rant is over >>>>> I feel a little better now .... LOL.
Click to expand...
This pretty much sums up why I have not bought a new one. I test drove a Trail and Limited. Love my V8 low end torque, torsen diff and sr5 auto climate control.
 
Falls

Sorry to hear you are not so happy with your TE, we live right next door in Lisbon WI, have a 2011 Mag Gray TE, and absolutely love it.

I will agree on the heaters, they are very under performing to say the least, lighting is a bit dim and it does ride like a truck, but that is the ride I kind of like.

Snow on the road and I put in 4wd/hi, took it up in the Baraboo bluffs on the back roads where there is a bit of sand on the roads but those boys never heard of road salt, handled very well.

When we first got it we had not yet been blessed with “winter” gas here in SE WI, started at 22mpg, winter gas come on the market and it dropped to 16/17.

Not having the issues with the defroster or vehicle noise, overall very happy with our first Toyota.

Hope your experience improves; it was a lot of reading on this forum that convinced us to try Toyota for the first time, no regrets.
 
Falls,

How bad is it not having the fulltime 4wd? What I mean is how much do you miss it? In my opinion, that was the biggest thing Toyota screwed up on with the 5th gen. I realize it's available on the Limited, but then you have to pay and lot more money and you get those jumbo wheels with the skinny tires, neither of which I like.

I keep my 4th gen in 4HI just about all winter long. I like that I can drive through any conditions without even thinking about the traction. I don't think I would buy another SUV unless it had a center differential. That's why I'm asking how bad it is to go from having the ability to run fulltime 4wd to not being able to anymore.
 
Holy Cow, this is getting ridiculous. Did you do any research or even test drive the truck? With someone posting 5000 plus posts I would expect not such a sally post. OMG my heater isn't that strong, omg the rear defroster isn't perfect. This is not a f*cking german saloon. My DD is an 2009 audi A6, and that is where I go for all my creature comforts. I bought my TE 4runner because it is a very comfortable weekend wheeler. If the TE t-case is so bad why the hell did you not buy the limited with the full-time diff. This is the 400th post of people complaining about stupid crap they should have known before they dropped near 40k on a car. If you want to complain this much about a 4runner go to a jeep forum. If you want to post about how you are excited about the new 4runner you bought (obviously being a smart buyer knowing what your bought) then post here.

All the 4th gen owners that want to ***** about how the 5th gen is so terrible do it in your own forum. We are tired about hearing there is no v8, no full time in the TE, no auto climate, etc... we get it...


frustrated 5th gen owner signing off...
 
We're lucky...

Frankly with all the crap the US makes manufacturers go through, with CAFE, EPA, Safety, Recall protocalls, product liability, warranty requirements, plus having to listen to the Walmart generation spout off about every little issue in their lives, we're lucky to have a 4runner.

Look at the poor Cherokee guys... the Durango the same fate. Toyota still makes the Landcruiser, the Sequoia (for now), and the 4runner. You also have some Lexus in there if we want to be inclusive. That's what six frame SUVs. Not even Land Rover can claim that many (I may be wrong there...) and they are planning the change too.

Dave Bane
Augdog1964
 
03_4x4Runner said:
I will keep complaining until someone at Toyota reads this forum and fixes the problems.
Click to expand...

And your very good at it....keep up the good work!:jump: Toyota is listening....

And with evolution,in 50 years we'll probably all be chicks anyways!:crybaby:
 
harper7 said:
And your very good at it....keep up the good work!:jump: Toyota is listening....
Click to expand...

Serious question: Do you s'pose that Toyota has some intern in the Product Planning Group, whose job includes reading these forums and compiling a report?
 
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