As I drive to work this morning my lovely radio in my 2008 4runner shut off 3 times on its own and started displaying that nice blocky distorted display. After turning the radio back on, 3 times, I mistakenly tried to adjust the volume using the volume knob, but oh yeah, that stopped working a few months ago. After coming to a stop at a stop light I start to think what a piece of crap this radio is but was interrupted by the “clunk” from my drive shaft seating. You know that clunk that happens with the 4runners after you stop. Sometimes it feels like you are hit from behind it’s so rough. I get to work and as I walk past my rear tire I stop to admire all the corrosion forming under the paint on the wheels. Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, every spoke has paint bubbles.
I get to my desk and the wife calls about our 2004 Sienna that is at the dealer, yet again, for another recall. This time the spare tire cable is rusting through causing the spare tire to fall off. Nice! She tells me that the dealer wants $60 just to look at the car and tell us what is making this horribly loud rattling noise. No thank you. See our AC compressor is starting to fail, just like all the other 2004 Sienna’s and is starting to make this rattling sound. I was hopping the dealer could have a quick look while it was on the rack and just tell us what was going on. But nope they will not look at anything unless you pay them $60.
My wife continues to tell me that when they returned the van after servicing the recall the service guy tells her that the “popping” noise the drivers side door is making can be fixed for, get this…$2500. He tells her that some part is welded to the door so they need to replace the entire door. Funny we did not ask them to check this out. We asked them to look at the AC but they would not do that unless we paid them but they will check out the door for free and try and tell us that it’s a $2500 repair. WTF!!!
See, I had already looked at the door and found that the only problem is the safety check assembly, an $80 part. This plastic part is popping when the door is opened or closed. Nothing more. I just need to get the part and pull off the door panel to replace it. But the dealer is trying to sell us a $2500 new door to fix an $80 part. When my wife told me this I wanted to drive over to the dealer and punch this guy in the mouth. $2500!
Here is the list of problems we have had with our 2 Toyota’s:
2004 Sienna
3 sets of tires over 80,000 miles. This thing eats up tires like a hungry teenager eats after school. This sort of abnormal tire wear is NOT normal.
Sunroof broke 3 times and had to be services 4 items. Cheap Toyota plastic parts.
Passenger side sliding door leaked water every time it rained heavy. My daughter would have water dripping on her head from the headliner. Fixed 2 times.
Driver’s side sliding door cable rusted and broke in half. There is this thin steel cable that pulls the door open that rusted through and snapped. Cost to fix…$1800. The cheap steel cable just rusted through. What?
Power lift gate would not stay open. It would fall close. Recall, had to have the hydraulic cylinders replaced. Since then, during the cold weather if you open the hatch it will just automatically close on its own as if you opened the hatch then push the close button to close it.
Radiator leaked, replaced under recall.
Got that nice moldy funky smell coming from under the passenger side carpet for about 3 months one summer. It was a terrible smell. Dealer said it was the AC discharge line or something. They never really told us what was going on and after many, many carpet cleanings the smell went away.
Drivers side door safety check assembly making a popping noise.
Both the sliding doors freeze shut every winter and you can’t get in or out. The kids need to climb over the passenger seat or through the back hatch, if it does not automatically close on them.
AC compressor is starting to fail. Very common issue on the Sienna’s but Toyota refuses to recall saying it’s not a safety issue. Dealer wants between $1500 - $4000 to fix.
Too many recalls to count / list.
2008 4runner:
Stupid junk radio. What a piece of junk this thing is. How do you mess up a radio?
Rear window leaked. Had to fix myself.
Drive shaft clunk issue (will be trying the lube suggestion a lot of you have done for this)
Center dome light switch broke
Cheap finish on the wheels. You can look at a 15 year old American car and their wheels are not corroded this bad.
Dash board under steering wheel comes loose. Every few weeks I need to pop it back together.
Sorry, for the soap box rant. I was just so pissed when my wife told me the dealer wants $2500 to fix a door. It’s funny every time we have a problem I do an internet search and find dozens of other Toyota owners with the exact same problems. We will be replacing the van in about 1 year or so and I have to say Toyota is NOT on my list anymore.
I ask you all, where has the Toyota quality gone?
I get to my desk and the wife calls about our 2004 Sienna that is at the dealer, yet again, for another recall. This time the spare tire cable is rusting through causing the spare tire to fall off. Nice! She tells me that the dealer wants $60 just to look at the car and tell us what is making this horribly loud rattling noise. No thank you. See our AC compressor is starting to fail, just like all the other 2004 Sienna’s and is starting to make this rattling sound. I was hopping the dealer could have a quick look while it was on the rack and just tell us what was going on. But nope they will not look at anything unless you pay them $60.
My wife continues to tell me that when they returned the van after servicing the recall the service guy tells her that the “popping” noise the drivers side door is making can be fixed for, get this…$2500. He tells her that some part is welded to the door so they need to replace the entire door. Funny we did not ask them to check this out. We asked them to look at the AC but they would not do that unless we paid them but they will check out the door for free and try and tell us that it’s a $2500 repair. WTF!!!
See, I had already looked at the door and found that the only problem is the safety check assembly, an $80 part. This plastic part is popping when the door is opened or closed. Nothing more. I just need to get the part and pull off the door panel to replace it. But the dealer is trying to sell us a $2500 new door to fix an $80 part. When my wife told me this I wanted to drive over to the dealer and punch this guy in the mouth. $2500!
Here is the list of problems we have had with our 2 Toyota’s:
2004 Sienna
3 sets of tires over 80,000 miles. This thing eats up tires like a hungry teenager eats after school. This sort of abnormal tire wear is NOT normal.
Sunroof broke 3 times and had to be services 4 items. Cheap Toyota plastic parts.
Passenger side sliding door leaked water every time it rained heavy. My daughter would have water dripping on her head from the headliner. Fixed 2 times.
Driver’s side sliding door cable rusted and broke in half. There is this thin steel cable that pulls the door open that rusted through and snapped. Cost to fix…$1800. The cheap steel cable just rusted through. What?
Power lift gate would not stay open. It would fall close. Recall, had to have the hydraulic cylinders replaced. Since then, during the cold weather if you open the hatch it will just automatically close on its own as if you opened the hatch then push the close button to close it.
Radiator leaked, replaced under recall.
Got that nice moldy funky smell coming from under the passenger side carpet for about 3 months one summer. It was a terrible smell. Dealer said it was the AC discharge line or something. They never really told us what was going on and after many, many carpet cleanings the smell went away.
Drivers side door safety check assembly making a popping noise.
Both the sliding doors freeze shut every winter and you can’t get in or out. The kids need to climb over the passenger seat or through the back hatch, if it does not automatically close on them.
AC compressor is starting to fail. Very common issue on the Sienna’s but Toyota refuses to recall saying it’s not a safety issue. Dealer wants between $1500 - $4000 to fix.
Too many recalls to count / list.
2008 4runner:
Stupid junk radio. What a piece of junk this thing is. How do you mess up a radio?
Rear window leaked. Had to fix myself.
Drive shaft clunk issue (will be trying the lube suggestion a lot of you have done for this)
Center dome light switch broke
Cheap finish on the wheels. You can look at a 15 year old American car and their wheels are not corroded this bad.
Dash board under steering wheel comes loose. Every few weeks I need to pop it back together.
Sorry, for the soap box rant. I was just so pissed when my wife told me the dealer wants $2500 to fix a door. It’s funny every time we have a problem I do an internet search and find dozens of other Toyota owners with the exact same problems. We will be replacing the van in about 1 year or so and I have to say Toyota is NOT on my list anymore.
I ask you all, where has the Toyota quality gone?
