My new 13 4Runner Limited--former GM driver

[Tracker12]

I have had the opposite experience with my GM product. I purchased a 2013 GMC Sierra last year and it is a great vehicle. No identified problems and the ride and performance has been great. Averaging 19.1 MPG on my mostly highway use. Went to Georgia last month and spend 6 days in the mud on Ft Stewart and it went thru the muck with ease and I never felt like I was going to get stuck. I still think it is the luck of the draw when you buy a new vehicle depending on how it was assembled.

I did test ride the new 2015 GMC Yukon and while it looked nice I sure did not like the design changes they did to the inside. 3rd row seating design was hideous.

 

[Whiplash Willy]

If these plastics don't have any spacing between at all, I would think they would expand and buckle on those hot summer days. Most materials need some kind of spacing to allow for expansion and then contraction. :thumb3:

I think that gap is more likely of an example of cost cutting, cheap design, and just plain lazyness, rather then a functional design to allow for thermal expansion.

Whats it like living with OCD?

It sucks! I am constantly tortured by other people's lack of attention to any detail, and am always fixing other people's mistakes. Whether it be re-fitting or modifying interior panels to fit correctly, replacing the used crush washer on a leaky front diff that the tech forgot to replace, or polishing out the scratches and swirls that a body shop installed on my car, while attempting to fix the damage from a rear-end collision by some lady that was too busy text messaging to notice the cars in front of her have stopped.

I will agree that I am a bit anal, but I don't think it is wrong to have some expectations of quality in a $37k vehicle. Im ok with them using cheap materials, but atleast take the time to design them to fit together properly. Is that really so much to ask?

I just don't understand how so many people don't care, and have just come to accept sub-par quality. I guess Toyota cuts these corners because they know they can get away with it because most people are completely out of it and are oblivious of most everything around them.

 

[gwcpa]

The black plugs for the missing heated seats would bother me more than the small gaps. How many manufactures still do this? I had a Jetta back in the '90s that had almost a whole row of switch blanks.

But I agree with OP, the assembly quality of the T4R is quite good overall. The sound of the door slam bothers me more than any interior trim fitment.

 

[Whiplash Willy]

The black plugs for the missing heated seats would bother me more than the small gaps. How many manufactures still do this? I had a Jetta back in the '90s that had almost a whole row of switch blanks.

But I agree with OP, the assembly quality of the T4R is quite good overall. The sound of the door slam bothers me more than any interior trim fitment.

VW still does that:

2012 TDI Golf:

I doubt that any configuration of the Golf utilizes all of those buttons. Atleast they still offer manual transmissions throughout most of their lineup.

 

[Daily-runner]

Yall do know the 4R is still made in Japan right? Thus not much recall compared to say Prius, Venza, Camry, etc. Just saying.

 

[grey_ghost]

I have to fully agree with the OP, the union issue and their entitlement mentality went a bit too far with GM & Chrysler, and likely played a big role in the bankruptcy of Detroit. I know some people that say "Why don't you buy American cars and support our country?". To that I say I will as soon as they start matching Japanese auto quality. Sorry but i work too hard to not get the best quality i can for my money.

 

[dclark2171]

dclark2171 So what is the "Union" problem in the Japan plant? Seems there is a quality issue with Toyota on some level. Just read the posts.
Does it make them junk? Not at all , they are still a good value.
People love to blame the union. Is that a union plant over there? I think not.
Just stop it! Quality issues are everywhere and in every walk of life.
End of rant ,thank you.

Where are you coming from? I did not say anything about Unions or let alone blame them

 

[mtvp]

Sorry dclark2171 it read that way to me. I must have picked up on the Union wages and multi steps of chances.
Now back to quality issues. Many times the parts supplier is at fault . As assembly plants receive fully assembled parts. Trying to make them fit may be the parts fault or the line worker.
I agree that all vehicles are costing big money and we don't want to find early rust, parts that wear out too soon, or poor fits from any manufacturer.

 

[dclark2171]

Sorry dclark2171 it read that way to me. I must have picked up on the Union wages and multi steps of chances.
Now back to quality issues. Many times the parts supplier is at fault . As assembly plants receive fully assembled parts. Trying to make them fit may be the parts fault or the line worker.
I agree that all vehicles are costing big money and we don't want to find early rust, parts that wear out too soon, or poor fits from any manufacturer.

I was just pointing out the wages to demonstrate that the workers were not missing work due to low pay, unsafe work conditions, etc. You are right every make has their issues. I just think Toyota, Honda, etc do a better job addressing those issues early on. Also, what I think hurts GM (I give them credit...they tried to eliminate this issue--but Govt would not allow) is the legacy dealers. I believe Toyotas general dealership experience, from the many dealers i shopped with, is miles ahead of the old legacy GM dealers.

 

[Jeremy556]

I believe Toyotas general dealership experience, from the many dealers i shopped with, is miles ahead of the old legacy GM dealers.

That's a scary thought. I've always thought the worst aspect of Toyota were the dealerships.

On a totally unrelated note, I really hate communists and thugs.

 

[dclark2171]

That's a scary thought. I've always thought the worst aspect of Toyota were the dealerships.

On a totally unrelated note, I really hate communists and thugs.

My limited experiences with the Toyota dealers were quite good. I guess I don't have enough experience with their dealers yet. At the end of the day they are all Car dealers...so that says enough already.

 

[KS4RUNNER]

Quality is a huge issue with me . It is how I was raised and how my father was raised before me! That's also why I have found myself converted over to Toyota and to some degree Honda. My experience with both of those dealers and products has been light years ahead of all domestic options. And I am as Red, White, and Blue as you get. (I still have one domestic car, my 2009 dodge challenger, I love it for what it is. Takes me back to the old days, but Chrysler sucks ass and dealership and service is a joke. Like stepping into the 70's. Also the car is assembled in Canada and the engine is made in Mexico, no issues with that! Just cracks me up when I see the made in Detroit BS commercials)
Anyone no matter what industry you are in and who you work for, or what you personally stamp your name on everyday, if you make a sub par product or cut corners and half ass anything, should be embarrassed! The world is becoming incredibly competitive. That type of big business, lazy, fat attitude towards work drives me crazy. This is not a union slam, Just a pride issue, of which it seems like fewer folks seem to have anymore.
Enough *****ing sorry, love the 4runner and all the good folks on T4R.
Peace,
KS

 

[mtvp]

I have to say, that the only time my vehicle has been serviced at a Toyota dealer. It turned out to be less than it should have been.
I took my 4 Runner in to have the timing belt replaced at 60K. When I picked it up the AC belt was so lose that the AC didn't work. Some time later my radiator started to leak. Well come to find out it had been plugged on the inside face. My repair guy said it looked like the fan fell into it from the markings.
Needless to say I never went back there. I now have all repairs done by an independent .

 

[dclark2171]

Quality is a huge issue with me . It is how I was raised and how my father was raised before me! That's also why I have found myself converted over to Toyota and to some degree Honda. My experience with both of those dealers and products has been light years ahead of all domestic options. And I am as Red, White, and Blue as you get. (I still have one domestic car, my 2009 dodge challenger, I love it for what it is. Takes me back to the old days, but Chrysler sucks ass and dealership and service is a joke. Like stepping into the 70's. Also the car is assembled in Canada and the engine is made in Mexico, no issues with that! Just cracks me up when I see the made in Detroit BS commercials)
Anyone no matter what industry you are in and who you work for, or what you personally stamp your name on everyday, if you make a sub par product or cut corners and half ass anything, should be embarrassed! The world is becoming incredibly competitive. That type of big business, lazy, fat attitude towards work drives me crazy. This is not a union slam, Just a pride issue, of which it seems like fewer folks seem to have anymore.
Enough *****ing sorry, love the 4runner and all the good folks on T4R.
Peace,
KS

You hit the nail on the head. I've purchased over 20 new vehicles (all GM) thru the years and the dealers were terrible except for the Saab dealer I dealt with. The Saab dealer was present long before GM got a hold of them. The Saab dealer was the first that actually made me feel important with both sales and service. That is why I purchased twice. Even the cadillac dealers (I owned two) were bad. 4 or 5 salesman out front smoking cigarettes. Very old school and clueless.