What are the 5th gen weak spots?

[tom976]

The biggest weakness with this vehicle is Toyota itself.
(I currently own three toyota vehicles (Tacoma, 4runner and Sienna)

With my 4runner I had a problem where the vehicles radio and climate control were restarting while driving. This started happening after I brought the vehicle in the first time for service. Fuel pump recall. (it only had 9k on it and 2 oil changes I did at home)

Dealer said they didnt know why it was happening and couldnt duplicate it. I get it... cant fix a problem when its not a problem.

Ok a few days later I make a turn and sure enough, radio/ac restarts. This time I get my phone out to record it happening. Go around the block and it happens again and this time the engine dies too. Oh no. Even better I smell electrical and see a bit of smoke from the hood. Hello fire!

So I found the problem now....

The front jhook that holds down the battery is gone. Nut to it is on the bottom of the battery try. WTF? The battery slid around when driving and the top metal bracket was shorting out on the positive side of the battery.
This arcing caused the other j hook to be arc welded and eventually cause a bit of fire on the battery when it shorted out hard.

Dealership said not their problem, we can walk you to the parts department.

Got Toyota corp involved, dont want to fix it either. This is after letting me sit and wait for 35 days (didnt drive the vehicle for that time)
I cant say the dealer did it (they said they dont touch the battery or even open the hood when doing fuel pump recall) and when service was done on checking electrical issue, they didnt check under the hood either.

So for about 40 bucks in parts, Dealership and Toyota corp doesnt care about it. Well with that being the case, I was looking at a Tundra to replace my tacoma but since Toyota doesnt seems to give a poop, I think i am going to look at Nissan or domestic.

This is why I dont trust Toyota anymore.
I really do like their products but when a problem (minor really) nobody wants to step up and correct it. BTW still under factory warranty too!

Ugh

 

[Charles Bronson]

Windshields crack if you hit a bug at freeway speeds

2+ years and 30K miles, mostly highway, live near the city dump and follow lots of dump trucks on the highways near our house, and no cracked windshields.

Paint is about as good a budget interior latex

At last count, I've touched up 5 chips after 2 years. Definitely far better than most cars I've owned.

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

True. I added stronger halogens for $30.

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

No frame rust after three salty winters in Kansas City. We haven't treated the frame either. There is some rust on the cast iron suspension components though, but that's to be expected.

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

True. ~17mpg in the city and 19-20mpg on the highway. Worse if it's windy and hilly.

 

[Grug556]

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.

You should work in sales!! They call you the sales prevention manager!! ehhehe all the same your post is largely bang on. The paint though is comparable to any low VOC on the market from most suppliers. The new enviro friendly garbage paint most use now is just soft and weak compared to the old solvent based good stuff... I wish we could have a nice paint blended from chrome, cadmium, lead and maybe alittle isocyanate to lock up those free OH groups.. like a rock man.

I also suggest you drive slower than an 84 year old grandmother or you sure as shit wont even make it to the fill station!!!

 

[jhebert9]

5th gen weak spots

Just bought a 2022 Runner. Wrecked my old on with 160K miles. The only issue I had was the GPS stopped working at about 150K miles. The newer models have so much more safety features and electronic creature comfort items. Minor gripe-sun visors in Toyotas are inferior to American car sun visors.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

Just bought a 2022 Runner. Wrecked my old on with 160K miles. The only issue I had was the GPS stopped working at about 150K miles. The newer models have so much more safety features and electronic creature comfort items. Minor gripe-sun visors in Toyotas are inferior to American car sun visors.

Also the visors themselves are made of the more modern morzine (mesh) headliner; and the main headliner is made from the classic felt. Just do the whole thing in morzine.


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[SilverTEP]

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

If the major gripes about the 12 year old 5th gen are that glass breaks, paint scratches, metal rusts, and it's not a sports car... I think you're going to be OK

 

[5thToy]

When someone asks about weaknesses, I don't think of features I wish or think the vehicle should have. I think of pattern failures based on design.

1. Rust/corrosion
2. window controllers
3. Front Diff needle bearing
4. Steering stability
5. Low quality/durability interior plastic trim

None of these would prevent me from keeping mine or buying another when compared to alternatives and my personal needs, though the poor interior materials are a disappointing regression from my 4th gen.

 

[KiwiCan]

I have a 2022 trd sport and it has all the bells and whistles without going overboard,all in a traditional old school package, makes for a neat setup.
Anyone going offroad a lot should get a model with lever shift transfer case.
That dial is not precise enough.

 

[DirtyMarcus]

the more modern the vehicle ,the more ridiculous some of the engineering.

clearly youve never owned anything built by a german automaker in the past 35 years lol. Modern doesn't correlate to ridiculous as well as german engineering correlates to ridiculousness.

 

[bumbobee]

So far so good. Got my 2022 and have put 1200 KM on it so far. I like it interior feels nice, I don't think it's cheap. Rides good. Fuel economy could use improvement though, but I already knew it's a beast going in. Although my last trip driving country roads for about 180 km I got 9.9 fuel economy.

 

[balong48]

When someone asks about weaknesses, I don't think of features I wish or think the vehicle should have. I think of pattern failures based on design.

1. Rust/corrosion
2. window controllers
3. Front Diff needle bearing
4. Steering stability
5. Low quality/durability interior plastic trim

None of these would prevent me from keeping mine or buying another when compared to alternatives and my personal needs, though the poor interior materials are a disappointing regression from my 4th gen.

I call the 5th gen the “recession edition” since it was introduced in 2009. If I had to guess the recession lead to some late design changes to cheaper materials compared to the 4th gen.

I miss my dual sunvisors, burger tray, lack of antenna, and more padded areas, oh and my V8. Also my door lock motors didn’t start to fail in my 4th gen. The drivers and passenger door motors are currently on their way out in my 5th gen. The flip side though is that harder plastics in theory are better for off roading, as they’re more durable and can be wiped off. So that could have been a design consideration as well.

5th gen seems to hold up better to rust so far though; except for that stupid rust bubble on the rear hatch Toyota logo that I’ve yet to see a 5th gen without.

 

[repo]

I just hit 200k and the only things I've found so far (which may have been addressed in later years):

Valve cover gaskets (pretty normal).

Alternator didn't last as long as I would expect. I think the splash apron doesn't protect it enough from the elements maybe.

Timing chain cover gasket seapage typical with 1GR-FE causing gunk build up around the PS pump. I think it was fixed in recent years. It's not pressurized so you can live with it. Also the timing chain inspection gasket leaks too.

Some of them have a transmission whine which Toyota says is normal. I've heard it on other Toyotas. I think it comes from the front pump.

The front windshield should have been better in my opinion.

I don't like the "tinny" sounding doors compared to the 3rd gen. In fact the whole body and hood has a "tinny" less substantial feel compared to the 3rd gen, not sure how to explain it.

I don't like the placement of the transfer case shifter it is awkward to grab compared to the 3rd gen.

Visibility is much better in 3rd gen. Feel like a tank driver in the 5th gen.

No driver grab handle (can be fixed with some hassle). Not a fan of the pedal style parking brake, give me the HAND BRAKE. The non-locking fuel filler door weirds me out although I can understand it is one less thing to potentially fail.

Turning radius is much better on the 3rd gen but you know, it's smaller.

People say the front wheel bearings but I havent had a problem and they are fairly easy to replace.

Front diff needle bearing problems when lifted. Easily fixed with the ECGS teflon bushing.

Secondary air pump on later years. Dont have to deal with it on my 2011 though.

I really cant think of much to be honest. The build quality is fantastic and I'm always on the creeper poking around when I get bored. Thoroughly impressed with how the interior has held up too.

 

[repo]

Fundamentally it is just a bigger, beefier, better thought out 3rd gen. Which is precisely why it is so great. You have to understand this when it comes to gas milage, comfort and electronic gadgets. However it has less soul than a 3rd gen if you know what I mean.

 

[repo]

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.

Adjustable UCAs and caster adjustment really improves that steering flutter thing. You can also tweak is rack guide if so you're so inclined to make the steering heavier.

 

[repo]

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.

Good to know about sensors. I think I would just delete them, pull out the gauge cluster light and carry on in blissful ignorance.

 

[mnofpeace]

1/4 Mile times are just meh...

Its not a great road racer...

Chics dont dig it too much either...

 

[rageandlove]

y'all forgot endless squeaks, rattles, and the like from interior panels, windshield and trim fitment, rear door latch, seatbacks. Which can all eventually be addressed by wrapping electrical tape around latches, slipping foam inside panels, etc. etc. And they just keep coming.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

1/4 Mile times are just meh...

Its not a great road racer...

Chics dont dig it too much either...

Lies, I see lots of chicks driving them :bluejump:

 

[jdm-v35]

I see no weak points as long as you take care of it properly. I used 3m cavity wax heavily and the frame is great as ever. the 4th gen got the v8 but its only a 4.7l and after adding the supercharger it will easily outdo it in power as well as suspension travel and clearance.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

Lies, I see lots of chicks driving them :bluejump:

There’s an ongoing joke that guys get cars to impress ladies but the only attention they get is from guys.

If you want to impress women, get a 4Runner / Wrangler / Bronco or a big diesel truck. That’s the key.


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