XREAs shot on 2008 Limited

[Jitterbug]

Hi

I purchased a 2008 Limited under a 12 month Certified warranty last June, it had 48,000 miles on it and I had the dealer install new Michelin LTX MS2’s on it prior to taking delivery.

I took the vehicle back to the dealership twice due to poor handling issues last summer. They checked and rechecked the alignment and I asked them to check for any additional issues, the dealer said all was fine. They told me I just wasn’t used to 4 Runners…this is my 7th one since 1987, but my first 4th Gen.

Due to some health issues I didn’t do much with the truck until recently, just short drives around town. I just took it down to a local mechanic and he called and said the XREA’s is shot, the front left is leaking very badly and the right front less so. The local mechanic is telling me it’s almost $3,000 to replace the XREAS.

Toyota Motor Corporation is telling me that the XREAS isn’t covered under the 12 month Certified program. They did suggest talking with the dealerships service department, which I’ll try but I’m not really expecting them to offer any reasonable solutions.

I do occasionally drive on Colorado dirt roads and 4 wheel roads for my outdoor excursions but as a rule don’t do any heavy duty 4 wheeling. 90% of my usage is highway and around metro Denver.

Plan B

Install Billstiens, or a comparable shock. I don’t think I want to lift the truck or have a stiffer ride, can anyone tell me exactly which shocks and any other parts might be needed and approximate costs?

Reading through the threads I see guys are lifting and putting FJ coils on theirs…I’m not sure if I want to do that.

Basically I’m just looking for a good stock 4 Runner type of ride.

 

[Bossman]

My X-Reas failed on my 03 Limited at 138,000 km (or 85,750 miles). There was a leak in the system - in the line behind the Driver’s Side Centre Control Absorber. Leak was likely caused by corrosion of the line due to road salt used up here during our Canadian winters.

Fluid that had dripped onto the driveway was the first indicator of some sort of problem. As more fluid leaked out of the system, the suspension became worse.

I removed the entire X-Reas system (too costly to replace - but the lines are still there), and installed the standard 4Runner SR5 oem suspension (to keep it relatively stock). I too was not interested in lifting, and this was the most cost effective repair.

In hindsight, I might have sourced a quality aftermarket shock that was less expensive than the oem Toyota shocks - but I did not have the luxury of having time to shock shop due to the nature of the Xreas system failure.

 

[Cygan1008]

Hi

I purchased a 2008 Limited under a 12 month Certified warranty last June, it had 48,000 miles on it and I had the dealer install new Michelin LTX MS2’s on it prior to taking delivery.

I took the vehicle back to the dealership twice due to poor handling issues last summer. They checked and rechecked the alignment and I asked them to check for any additional issues, the dealer said all was fine. They told me I just wasn’t used to 4 Runners…this is my 7th one since 1987, but my first 4th Gen.

Due to some health issues I didn’t do much with the truck until recently, just short drives around town. I just took it down to a local mechanic and he called and said the XREA’s is shot, the front left is leaking very badly and the right front less so. The local mechanic is telling me it’s almost $3,000 to replace the XREAS.

Toyota Motor Corporation is telling me that the XREAS isn’t covered under the 12 month Certified program. They did suggest talking with the dealerships service department, which I’ll try but I’m not really expecting them to offer any reasonable solutions.

I do occasionally drive on Colorado dirt roads and 4 wheel roads for my outdoor excursions but as a rule don’t do any heavy duty 4 wheeling. 90% of my usage is highway and around metro Denver.

Plan B

Install Billstiens, or a comparable shock. I don’t think I want to lift the truck or have a stiffer ride, can anyone tell me exactly which shocks and any other parts might be needed and approximate costs?

Reading through the threads I see guys are lifting and putting FJ coils on theirs…I’m not sure if I want to do that.

Basically I’m just looking for a good stock 4 Runner type of ride.

If all you want is a xreas type stock ride with no lift i would say Bilstein 4600's or 5100's, The 4600's(yellow and blue) are a little cheaper than the 5100's(sillver) but the 5100's will give you the option to raise the front to level it out if you decide to later. The others out there that are cheaper don't have real good feedback from what i've seen.

 

[Jitterbug]

Bossman, did you replace shocks only or did you include other components?

And how would you rate the ride on the standard SR5 components?

 

[Bossman]

Bossman, did you replace shocks only or did you include other components?

And how would you rate the ride on the standard SR5 components?

Only the shocks were replaced at that time. No other suspension components were needed. I also have the optional Rear Air Suspension (RAS) - which has also failed (but that is a whole other story!).

Because I bought my 03 4Runner used (in 2008) I am not completely certain that X-Reas was functioning at 100 %. That being said, I did not notice a huge difference in swapping it for the standard oem suspension. Ride is fairly comfortable and cornering/handling is just fine. I know I am not driving my Lexus anymore, but the 4Runner takes corners and highway on/off ramps pretty well for an SUV.

The only thing would be price paid for the shocks - aftermarket may be cheaper and still good quality.

 

[Jitterbug]

Update on my XREAS.

The dealer took a look at it today and informed me that, the driver's side XREAS is shot and that they are going to replace it and the crosslinked shock in the rear, parts are on their way from Kansas City AND they are gong to cover it under the Certified Warranty!

$50.00 out of my pocket.

Work is scheduled for next Thursday.

 

[dittodog]

I'm not so sure about replacing just half of the system. I mean, it should be possible as they are independent from each other, but not so sure on the ride and how long the other half is going to last.
if it were me, I would try to bargain with them and have them take that money and apply towards non XREAS replacement. That 12-month warranty is up very soon and then you will be on your own to replace the other half.

I replaced mine last weekend with KYB gas shocks and am so far very happy. I did not even realize how shot the system even was. 4 KYBs = $193 out the door and shipped. Redid sway links and bushings. Added a leveling spacer up front. All said and done for ~$400 + my time.

 

[Jitterbug]

Yes replacing just one side at 50k miles is a concern. However I'd really like to try out the XREAS, I think it was leaking from the get go, the truck never handled correctly from the time I bought it.

 

[Bossman]

In your original post you mentioned that both front shocks were leaking (one more than the other).

As the X-Reas is a closed system, any leak will cause the system to not function as designed. The dealership should have recognized this, and made arrangements for a complete suspension replacement.

Knowing that X-Reas replacement is very costly, the better option (imo) is to go with a standard shock set-up and disconnect the X-Reas.

I really hope that the service people and mechanics at your dealership know what they are doing and getting themselves into. My mechanic at the time of my X-Reas failure was a Toyota Master Tech and we weighed both the pros and cons of replacing with a new X-Reas system or going to standard shocks. Cost was a huge factor in going with the standard shocks, but also the piece of mind knowing that the work could be easily done.

As X-Reas is a closed system, it has to be installed as a complete set with the fluid already inside.