1990 Toyota 4Runner Power Train

CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE NO EVENTS WERE PRESENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY. WHILE APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT IN TRAFFIC I DEPRESSED MY CLUTCH PEDAL IN ORDER TO GEAR DOWN FOR THE STOP. WHILE DEPRESSING THE PEDAL I HEARD A LOUD SNAP - THE SOUND OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET BREAKING. WITH THE BRACKET BROKEN THERE WAS NO ACCEPTABLE WAY TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR TO STOP FOR THE STOP LIGHT. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP (WHICH STALLED THE VEHICLE) BEFORE REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ONCE THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I HAD TO USE THE STARTER WITH THE VEHICLE IN GEAR TO CLEAR THE INTERSECTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO MY RESIDENCE SO I CAN DECIDE HOW TO FIX THIS. IT SEEMS TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND OFFERS AN "UPGRADED" BRACKET AT A PREMIUM PRICE ALONG WITH A PREMIUM INSTALLATION FEE. AFTER BROWSING THE INTERNET IT SEEMS AS IF THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON AMONG TOYOTA TRUCK, 4-RUNNER AND T-100 OWNERS ALIKE. THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM COULD BE LIFE THREATENING! *NM

1990 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER INTERMITTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MILES PER HOUR OR HIGHER WHEN HIGHWAY DRIVING, CAUSING INCREASE IN GAS MILEAGE AND HIGH RPMS ON THE ENGINE. IN 2001 I WENT TO TOYOTA FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION SO I SHOULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL I COULD NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE. AT THAT POINT I SHOULD HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH I LOCATED TSBS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND FOUND ONE THAT ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE (TSB ATRATB351 DATED JAN 96). THIS MONTH 1/2003 I RETURNED TO TOYOTA WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $150.00 TO PERFORM THIS TSB. I TOLD THEM IF THEY HAD PERFORMED IT THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHEN I HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED IT WOULD NOT HAVE COST ME ANYTHING SINCE THE ENGINE WAS ALREADY APART FOR OTHER WORK. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE COULD NOT ADDRESS THE RECOMMENDATION AND FINDINGS OF THEIR WORK FROM A YEAR AGO. I CALLED ANOTHER DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $71.00 FOR THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED SINCE A TSB HAS BEEN ISSUED IT IS BASICALLY ADMITTING THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM AND PROVIDES THE DEALER/SERVICE DEPARTMENTS WITH THE FIX, SO WHY ARE THE SERVICE MANAGERS RELUCTANT TO PERFORM THE CORRECTION, BUT INSTEAD RECOMMEND AN TRANSMISSION CHANGE?

BRACKET HOLDING PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO INTERIOR BODY BROKEN AT POINT OF ATTACHMENT TO CLUTCH PEDAL - PEDAL IS NOW TWISTED AND TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR WHEREBY CLUTCH WILL NO LONGER RELEASE. BRACKET IS DESIGNED FLIMSILY WITH HOLES DRILLED AT MAJOR STRESS POINTS. BRACKET CRACKED BETWEEN SAID HOLES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT NO REPLY HAS BEEN RECEIVED.

THE REAR AXLE BROKE AT 70MPH, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WHICH CAUSED MINOR INJURIES.*AK *ML

DRIVETRAIN CONSTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND INTERVALS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

DRIVETRAIN CONSTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

CLUTCH MOUNTING BRACKETS HAVE TORN TO THE POINT THAT THE CLUTCH WILL NOT RELEASE.

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 40 TO 45 MPH THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE REAR AXLE CAME OFF CAUSING THE TRUCK TO ROLLOVER TRUCK WAS TOTOALED . TT