Picked up '14 TEP last night, dropped it back off this morning

[Keemonrunnin]

A little update on my lean....

Toyota sent a Field Service Tech out who also stated that it's leaning within spec.

I put up with the lean until last Saturday when two passengers made it feel like I was about to drag my right fender on the ground. Called the dealer and they're willing to take it back on trade for a Limited at nearly a key swap price. I think I'm going to do it.

Make sure it's 4x4 LE. Dealer may try to push you in a 2wd LE. A TE is 4x4. Why don't you try to test drive another TE to see if its the same with yours. If not the same,then proceed with the LE or see if they can swap the TE.

 

[Vizwar]

Not trying to start anything but no way it's that bad on turns. I've had mine loaded with gear for wheeling and took some tight turns on back roads and the Runner stayed nice and level through out. The lean sucks but it has never been an issue while driving and have not really seen anyone else have an issue with cornering. Think your just letting it get to you to much. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with the deal if you swap for the limited.

I appreciate the feedback and I agree, actually. I really feel there's something wrong with mine specifically but it's inconsistent so the dealer hasn't been able to experience it.

I should add that after the passengers got in, the KDSS was fighting to level itself within 100yds. It eventually got back to it's normal degree of lean and what I found extremely interesting was after the passengers got out it was perfectly level for about 100mi before it returned to it's normal lean.

 

[Vizwar]

Make sure it's 4x4 LE. Dealer may try to push you in a 2wd LE. A TE is 4x4. Why don't you try to test drive another TE to see if its the same with yours. If not the same,then proceed with the LE or see if they can swap the TE.

Ya, thank you for the suggestion!

I haven't driven another TE but the dealer stated that all the TE's on the lot with KDSS "lean the same way" so I sorta conceded defeat at that point.

The LE I'm looking at is on the lot and I've driven it several times, because I'm leery now. It is 4x4 (FT4x4, H4L and L4L). It certainly rides much more firm with the thin tires but it really feels like it accelerates much better.

There are other weird things about my TEP that just make me think it was born on a Friday afternoon.

 

[1engineer]

I appreciate the feedback and I agree, actually. I really feel there's something wrong with mine specifically but it's inconsistent so the dealer hasn't been able to experience it.

I should add that after the passengers got in, the KDSS was fighting to level itself within 100yds. It eventually got back to it's normal degree of lean and what I found extremely interesting was after the passengers got out it was perfectly level for about 100mi before it returned to it's normal lean.

That is normal I think. my TE is never level and even if I am in a perfectly level place it is not perfectly level. I have noticed, from the outside mind you, that sometimes it appears to have a slightly increased lean than other times, especially after coming off a trial. From the inside everything is normal. Now I live in a place where level ground is scarce so to me it is no big deal. You could blame it on KDSS but that's not true because the SR5's do it and the LE's can do it too. Good luck.

 

[USMCRUNNER]

I appreciate the feedback and I agree, actually. I really feel there's something wrong with mine specifically but it's inconsistent so the dealer hasn't been able to experience it.

I should add that after the passengers got in, the KDSS was fighting to level itself within 100yds. It eventually got back to it's normal degree of lean and what I found extremely interesting was after the passengers got out it was perfectly level for about 100mi before it returned to it's normal lean.

Yeah I've never had that much of an issue. Hate that your having the issue and hope you can get it resolved soon. Figures the dealership doesn't want to deal with it. Like stated before Id talk to a Lexus dealer or maybe swap for the limited. I usually have my 40 plus pound 2yr old on the passenger side so maybe he levels out the rig haha!

 

[Vizwar]

Traded the Trail last night, picked up an LE.

In the end, after the service manager took over my case, the dealership has been amazing. Now that I'm out of the leaning Trail and looking back, I WAS A PAIN IN THE ASS for that dealer, and they still treated me with respect and never hesitated to take questions he couldn't answer directly to Toyota Field Support.

So while it was a rough start, they're pretty amazing people there and they took care of me. The lean was no fault of the dealer of course, if there's blame anywhere it's on Toyota corporate for not marketing the KDSS for what it really is: an amazing off-road technology that allows fantastic articulation and smoothes even roughest trail down to a mild vibration, but probably won't make the casual off roader happy during his commute to work because of the tendency to lean. There's also some blame on me for not doing more research on KDSS before buying it, BUT I maintain that there's a reasonable expectation for a new car to sit level unless I'm told otherwise that there's actually a spec for an allowable degree of lean.