What are the 5th gen weak spots?

[MZ2215]

How are the interior bits holding up such as leather? We have a 2010 Lexus RX350 which has been a huge disappointment, specifically the leather.

Anyone else that wants to chime in, feel free!

My '15 Limited only has 58k and the leather still looks like new. Have only had it for a year or so, so not sure what kind of conditioning the previous owner did but it's holding up without signs of wear and tear.


As far as weak spots, my only complaint would be the power / fuel economy. Numbers wise it's better HP, torque, and mpg than my '07 V8, but the exhaust sound and butt-dyno leave me wanting more. I have no doubts that if maintained it will last forever, just wouldn't mind a little more power and a little better mileage.

 

[TejasRunner01]

My '15 Limited only has 58k and the leather still looks like new. Have only had it for a year or so, so not sure what kind of conditioning the previous owner did but it's holding up without signs of wear and tear.


As far as weak spots, my only complaint would be the power / fuel economy. Numbers wise it's better HP, torque, and mpg than my '07 V8, but the exhaust sound and butt-dyno leave me wanting more. I have no doubts that if maintained it will last forever, just wouldn't mind a little more power and a little better mileage.

I don’t think I’d let go of my 08 V8, but when you purchased your 5th gen, did you feel like for what you were getting for your 5th gen, if you had to let go of your V8 4th gen, you would do it?

 

[Sea_ledford]

The headlights are horrible.

 

[MZ2215]

I don’t think I’d let go of my 08 V8, but when you purchased your 5th gen, did you feel like for what you were getting for your 5th gen, if you had to let go of your V8 4th gen, you would do it?

Should have been clearer, it was a trade, so the answer is yes. No regrets after a year

 

[Cleazy]

That loose CV at the diff sounds like the needle bearing has gone out. This has been the most common failure I've seen in 5th gens in all of the owners groups. East Coast Gear Supply makes a bushing to replace it. It's about $60 for the bushing and $75 for the tools to remove/install. Probably takes 1-2 hours depending on how comfortable you are with a wrench. Don't forget to refill the diff with fluid when you're done.

TOYOTA CLAMSHELL BUSHINGS - 2003 & Newer 4runner and GX470

I second that. Needle bearing is garbage. The CV is sloppy off the lot new. As soon as i put a lift on it i swapped out with the ECGS bearing. No more slop

 

[fkheath]

How are the interior bits holding up such as leather? We have a 2010 Lexus RX350 which has been a huge disappointment, specifically the leather.

Anyone else that wants to chime in, feel free!

I have the Softex faux leather in both my 4Runner and RAV4. Zero problems with it. Very durable.

No rattles or other unwanted noises which is rather rare as cars tend to age. I did some serious off roading in Colorado two weeks ago and everything worked great.

One of my only "complaints" is when you are off roading, coming to a crest of a hill, it is hard to see over the hood and see where the trail goes. Left? Right? Or straight?

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

We have a 2010 Lexus RX350 which has been a huge disappointment, specifically the leather.

Just saw a 2012 RX450h with 88k on a dealer lot listed for $22,900.


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[Old Tanker]

My chief complaint is the general availability of aftermarket modifications, which can get expensive....

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Needle bearing and the plastic oil filter cartridge were the only flaws I've found with mine

 

[LimeLED]

The headlights are horrible.

Having recently gone from a 2018 to 2022, I can tell you the difference between the OEM LED headlights in newer 4Runners and the older halogen headlights is like night and day. So much better.

 

[Jetboy]

Softex is fantastic. I'll take it over leather without a doubt. Much more durable and it looks great after 8 years of hard use on mine. It literally looks new. Any leather will be well worn by now.

The drivetrain is significantly better than prior gens. The 8.2 is bulletproof and the front diff and CV set are impressively durable.

KDSS is great. For me it was a must have. Drive one with and without back to back.

The week spots IMO are:

Needle bearing in front diff. Common problem. Toyota needs to redesign the diff with a proper bearing.

Some hardware has poor corrosion protection. Lower control arm cam bolts probably come seized from the factory. They're notoriously bad. Skid plate hardware is also very prone to early rust issues.

OEM windshield glass is fragile and cracks really easy. Mine failed when I turned on the wiper heater.

The front suspension is highly prone to harmonic cyclical frequency feedback. Toyota calls this steering flutter. The steering system needs more dynamic damping/stability. Was never an issue for me, but it's a known issue and has been for a lot of years. Toyota needs to fix it.

The body mount at the firewall is too far forward and has to be modified for larger tires.

KDSS is asymmetric. Would be better if it were symmetric like the lc300.

Really needs an engine/transmission update. It's 10 years overdue.

 

[VA_Runna]

Power locks, but thats not specific to 5th gen. Its an easy and cheap fix, but the dealer wants big bucks for the repair. Ive done all four of my doors.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

Softex is fantastic. I'll take it over leather without a doubt. Much more durable and it looks great after 8 years of hard use on mine. It literally looks new. Any leather will be well worn by now.

The drivetrain is significantly better than prior gens. The 8.2 is bulletproof and the front diff and CV set are impressively durable.

KDSS is great. For me it was a must have. Drive one with and without back to back.

The week spots IMO are:

Needle bearing in front diff. Common problem. Toyota needs to redesign the diff with a proper bearing.

Some hardware has poor corrosion protection. Lower control arm cam bolts probably come seized from the factory. They're notoriously bad. Skid plate hardware is also very prone to early rust issues.

OEM windshield glass is fragile and cracks really easy. Mine failed when I turned on the wiper heater.

The front suspension is highly prone to harmonic cyclical frequency feedback. Toyota calls this steering flutter. The steering system needs more dynamic damping/stability. Was never an issue for me, but it's a known issue and has been for a lot of years. Toyota needs to fix it.

The body mount at the firewall is too far forward and has to be modified for larger tires.

KDSS is asymmetric. Would be better if it were symmetric like the lc300.

Really needs an engine/transmission update. It's 10 years overdue.

Toyota knows their windshields are too thin. Otherwise why would they have to point out that the last generation Land Cruiser’s windshield was “2mm thicker”?


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[baldrik78]

Power locks, but thats not specific to 5th gen. Its an easy and cheap fix, but the dealer wants big bucks for the repair. Ive done all four of my doors.

I had forgotten about this one. I have replaced the motor in the door lock actuator in the front doors 3 times now. It's easy and cheap, but annoying.

 

[Jetboy]

I'll add another annoyance - the TPMS sensor system can only read 4 or 5 at a time so if you use two wheel sets you have to have techstream or something similar just to re-connect every time. And even slightly more annoying is that there is a break in the TMPS sensor frequency range around MY 2017 so later year TPMS don't work with earlier versions. Kind of a head scratcher for me. Why not make things like this super easy? It should be free and take very little effort from Toyota to program the software to do this.

While we're at this annoyance - why not make the battery replaceable? It's just a basic coin battery, but it's encased in epoxy so it's nearly impossible to replace and the sensors are $100 each or something in that range. I never had a dead battery in one, but it'll eventually happen. And it shouldn't cost $100 to swap a $1 battery.

 

[RichinRidgewood]

Windshields crack if you hit a bug at freeway speeds

Paint is about as good a budget interior latex

Taping a couple of free LED flashlights from Harbor Freight to the hood is better than using the craptastic halogen headlights that come on the truck

The frame rusts like a 1972 Camaro fenders did unless you spray lanolin all over it and inside of it.

If you dont drive like an 84 year old grandmother you get to visit every gas station on your trip.

 

[TejasRunner01]

Windshields crack if you hit a bug at freeway speeds

Paint is about as good a budget interior latex

Taping a couple of free LED flashlights from Harbor Freight to the hood is better than using the craptastic halogen headlights that come on the truck

The frame rusts like a 1972 Camaro fenders did unless you spray lanolin all over it and inside of it.

If you dont drive like an 84 year old grandmother you get to visit every gas station on your trip.

It sounds like your are very pleased with your purchase lol

 

[bumbobee]

Lol bro, you are scaring me, I'm picking up a new 2022 next week.

 

[bluejeans]

The lift gate is manual and not motorized. Had to be careful on curves and freeway exits because of body roll. No leds, dynamic cruise control and blind spot monitoring on earlier models, thats why Im getting the 2022 limited edition.
Just arrived at my dealer but I noticed there were no step boards. And for 5'6"and shorter folks, its a struggle in getting in and out of the vehicle.
The dealer said its back ordered and should be coming soon(nobody actually knows when).

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

The 4Runner has very short windows due to a low roof in relation to the seating. This helps in the bright sun as it’s kind of like always having a “hat” on, the roof is your visor.

The drawback to all this is if you’re a long waisted person and over 6’ tall your head will touch the headliner. I have heard on this forum that the models with a sunroof add extra thickness to the roof, and that thickness all comes out of the cabin space. So 2” less headroom on those models.


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