My gripe list (long)
OK, here's my list of things I don't like or would change. Sorry it's so long and repeats what others have said, I just want to get all my frustrations out in one place.
We bought a 2003 4WD V8 SR-5 seven months ago and have 8,000 miles on it. I *hate* this vehicle, I find it an ergonomic nightmare of unprecedented magnitude, and an inefficient, heavy, low-capacity pig of a vehicle that is at least 20% overpriced. It's like a dinosaur from the 80's, with some poorly designed and malfunctioning electronics to make it seem modern, and wrapped up in an instantly dated-looking "stylish" package to attract today's buyers. Buying the 4Runner is one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made, and I will never ever buy another Toyota product. Frankly I don't care if it "lasts" a long time, garbage smells a long time too. But considering all the things on our vehicle that have broken, don't work right, or never worked at all, I can't imagine where Toyota got a reputation for "quality". I'll be surprised if we keep the "Plastic Pig" a year.
With that introduction, here are my gripes:
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Our "older" 2003 SR-5 with grey plastic body cladding is hideously ugly.
Resale value of SR-5 with plastic body cladding is apparently very low.
Body cladding is actually delicate, scratchable surface.
Paint is very delicate, has white scratches behind door handle rom just fingernails.
Plastic running boards bend and creak when I stand on them.
Roof rack is too far forward, makes it difficult to load sea kayaks.
SR-5 Seats are cheap cloth, hard under thigh, shaped wrong, have poor position, can be extremely painful on long trips or when tired after skiing or mountaineering.
Seat adjusments are bizarre - just move pressure points around.
Difficut to adjust seat and steering wheel so you can see turn signals.
Can't increse seat height adjustment without head hitting roof.
No lumbar support - "lumbar support" adjustment just pushes butt forward.
Need power seats on $32,000 vehicle.
"Adjustable" head restraints won't stay adjusted.
Head restraint at wrong angle for passenger to take nap.
Cheap plastic interior trim pieces have broken off.
Hard edge on console painful for right leg.
Sharp fin on door that protects window controls is painful for left leg.
Power window controls are actually under my knee, I need to move my leg under the wheel to use them.
Power window controls are too small and unlighted (except for one "Auto" switch).
No standard compass on SR-5, and wouldn't accept one on the mirror anyway.
12V outlet on console behind shifter is highly inconvenient location.
Moonroof should be truly optional - I hate them, but buy one if you want.
Moonroof when open is very noisy and musses hair but does not circulate air in cabin.
Moonroof rear-up vent does not circulate air in cabin.
Cheap plastic moonroof cover rattles.
Headliner had severe rattle but was fixed with two trips to dealer and two car rentals on MY Visa card.
Can't incrementally adjust parking brake.
VSC has not activated in snow, rain, or dirt roads despite several times plowing out of lane and one 90-degree spin in snow.
VSC did activate when trying to get over speed bump once.
"Hillstart assist" makes awful noise but does not work at all.
Severe rotten egg smell from engine.
Engine intermittently loses all power and requires total vehicle shutdown to come back.
Abysmal fuel consumption on our V-8 - usually 16-17.5 mpg on highway using cruise control.
Squeak in front end going over speed bumps.
Front end makes crashing metallic grating sounds on washboard roads.
Shocks wore out by 6000 miles.
Soft piglike ride with excessive body roll.
Vague and slow steering response.
Antiquated solid rear axle hops sideways over small bumps in corners.
Cheap bottom-of-the-line Dunlop tires.
"Adaptive" transmission sometimes just wooshes without doing anything, but sometimes slams into gear and jerks neck.
"Adaptive" transmission will downshift to slow you down when descending hills whether you want it to or not, if you brake - but sometimes not.
Cruise control will NOT slow you down when descending hills.
"Brake Assist" makes brakes hard to modulate smoothly.
Brake pedal mushy and will go all the way to floor if pushed.
Unlighted cheap visor vanity mirrors.
Giant side mirrors obstruct vision when cornering and cause wind buffeting with windows open.
Rain or snowmelt can collect and bubble violently on front edge of front window, making loud gurgling sounds and visual distraction in you peripheral vision.
Cheap solid plastic steering wheel stays very cold in winter.
Can't see if fog light switch is on or not.
Move light switches from turn signal stalk to dash.
Cruise control paddle has non-intuitive movements, hard to find behind wheel.
"Cruise" light should only light when cruise control is actively controlling speed.
No mist single-swipe on wipers (my sister's $17k Rav4 has single-swipe).
Insufficient number of wiper intermittent speeds.
Slowest intermittent speed is too fast.
Can't see Multifunction display in day with sunglasses.
Can't see instruments in daylight due to deep "stylish" dash pods, need to turn on lights.
Can't see HVAC indicators during day, it's worse when you turn on lights as they dim.
MPG reading on multifunction display is ALWAYS 1.5-3 MPG too optimistic, utterly useless.
HVAC controls are ridiculous - give me three conventional rotary switches.
HVAC operation is difficult to control properly - shuts off outside air when shutting off heat, for example.
HVAC sometimes turns on AC when you restore outside air.
HVAC shuts off outside air EVERY time you start car when temp set to LOW.
HVAC vents are way too small to circulate a reasonable amount of air.
Center HVAC vent positioned to blow cold air directly on hand if directed towards body.
Can't drive with front windows open without extreme buffeting.
Can't drive with rear side windows open without physically painful resonance.
Can't drive with rear tailgate window open without horrible rotten egg smell coming in.
In other words, there is no way to get an adequate flow of fresh air in this vehicle.
No HVAC controls for rear passengers.
No reading lights for rear passengers.
Cargo area capacity is ridiculously small for a pig of a vehicle this heavy and thirsty.
Can't close rear hatch window with remote switch.
Rear hatch window delays before closing when using key.
No door lock switch in rear cargo area.
Can't lock doors with remote switch when doors are open.
Can't shut off flashing lights when remote switch is used unless you pay dealer $50.
Can't shut off beeping when remote switch is used.
No keypad entry available like on Ford Explorer.
No side or topside airbags.
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I there anything I like about our 4Runner? Yes:
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Headlights work well.
Standard CD/cassette/radio is minimal but not bad sounding, although you'd certainly never put one in your living room.
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Gregg
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. I wonder what Toyota would charge for the fender flairs without the squarish bumps on them, like the body-colored 4Runners have? Might as well go the whole nine yards if you're into it for the paint job. 
