2002 Toyota 4Runner Power Train

REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVERED RUSTING THROUGH.

REAR DIFFERENTIAL RUSTED THROUGH

MY FRAME IS ROTTING OUT. I JUST HAD TO REPLACE MY REAR AXLE BECAUSE IT HAD ALMOST ROTTED THROUGH. IT WAS ACTUALLY WEAPING GEAR OIL OUT OF SMALL HOLES THROUGH THE ROT. SOME OF THE FRAME HAD TO BE WELDED TO PASS INSPECTION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING WAS RUSTED, LEAKED FLUID INTERMITTENTLY AND THERE WERE MULTIPLE HOLES TO THE POINT THAT THE COMPONENT MAY FRACTURE. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS RUSTED THROUGH, THE WHOLE THING HAS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THERE IS NO SEPARATE COVER THE REPAIR COST MAY BE HIGH. *TR

REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY ROT! NOW LEAKING ON REAR NON REPLACEABLE YOKE COVER. 1800-2000 DOLLAR FIX. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE AXLE ASSEMBLY HAS NO TAGS!!!! TOLD BY DEALER DOOR TAGS ARE OFTEN WRONG SO ORDERING RECYCLED (IF YOU CAN FIND ONE IN BETTER SHAPE) IS A GAMBLE!!!! HAS BEEN A DEPENDABLE TRUCK OTHER WISE BUT NOW IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY ARE PROFITING FROM THERE DESIGN FLAWS. *TR

THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING IS RUSTING OUT AND IS SEEPING FLUID. IN ADDITION, THE FRAME IS DANGEROUSLY RUSTED, ESPECIALLY FROM THE REAR AXLE BACK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A VERY REPUTABLE BODY SHOP IN THE AREA, THAT THE FRAME NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE RUST, THIS IS NOT PRACTICAL. TOYOTA IS REPLACING FRAMES ON THEIR TUNDRA PICKUPS DUE TO RUST, BUT REFUSES TO COVER 4RUNNERS, THOUGH THEY SHARE THE SAME FRAME. IF I DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED BY THE DEALER REGULARLY, I WOULD BE UNAWARE OF THE DANGEROUS CONDITION OF THE FRAME. *TR

REAR DIFFERENTIAL RUST THROUGH. *TR

MY 4RUNNER HAS 72000 MILES ON IT, AND I JUST REALIZED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS RUSTED THROUGH. THE METAL IS SO THIN THAT THE FLUID IS LEAKING OUT THROUGH THE POURS OF THE METAL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST 3000$+ TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE REAR END. THERE IS NO OTHER RUST UNDER THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THE PUMPKIN HOUSING. AFTER LOOKING AROUND ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, OF THE HOUSING NOT ONLY BEING TOO THIN OF METAL FOR THE APPLICATION, BUT LOW QUALITY STEEL THAT'S PRONE TO CORROSION. *TR

AFTER NOTICING A STRONG GEAR OIL ODOR AND SEEING THE ACTUAL GEAR OIL ON THE BACK THE OF THE VEHICLE I WAS ALARMED TO FIND OUT THAT THE REAR AXLE HOUSING HAD RUST PERFORATING THE REAR OF THE HOUSING. ONCE THE HOUSING WAS CHECKED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND TURNED AWAY DUE TO FEAR OF DESTROYING THE HOUSING, I REMOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD. *TR

2002 4RUNNER SR5 4WD, 141K MILES, COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH REAR DIFFERENTIAL, BOTH REAR AXLE SEALS BUSTED OUT, DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS SEVERAL PIN HOLE LEAKS AND IS THINNED OUT, THE ONLY FIX IS A COMPLETELY NEW REAR END, WHICH IS VERY COSTLY, I AM THE 2ND OWNER, I'VE OWNED A 99 4RUNNER THAT HAD THESE SAME REAR DIFFERENTIAL RUST ISSUES, THE RUST IS RIDICULOUS AND HAS DETERIORATED THE WHOLE UNDERCARRIAGE AND MY 4RUNNER IS GARAGE KEPT AND I WASH IT ALL THE TIME. I CAN'T BELIEVE TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE RUSTING OUT OF REAR DIFFERENTIALS AND REAR AXLE ISSUES. *TR

2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER RUSTED OUT REAR AXLE HOUSING. REAR AXLE HOUSING LEAKS OIL DUE TO RUST EROSION ON THE REAR AXLE COVER. *TR

THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING ITS OIL TO LEAK OUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER ABNORMALLY ACCOMPANIED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE CONTACT LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE ALUMINUM RADIATOR AND THE BOLT THAT CONNECTED THE COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID TRANSFER WAS FAULTY CAUSING THE TWO FLUIDS TO COMBINE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT STATED SPOKE WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT ADVISED HIM OF THAT THE TWO FLUIDS WERE COMBINING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER-SR5, SPORT EDITION WITH 74,600K MILES. IN NOVEMBER 2009, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM THAT'S BEING REPORTED BY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS WHOSE VEHICLES ARE BEING RECALLED. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION ON ITS OWN AND QUITE SUDDENLY. THIS OCCURRENCE ONLY HAPPENED ONCE. THE ENGINE WAS RACING AT A VERY HIGH RPM AND MY REAR TIRES WERE SQUEALING LOUD ENOUGH TO DRAW ATTENTION FROM PASSERSBY. LUCKILY FOR ME I WAS SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT. MY REACTION TO THIS SITUATION WAS TO PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. MY MAIN CONCERN IS IF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA AND TOYOTA WILL INCLUDE A LOOK-BACK AT EARLIER MODELS FOR THESE KNOWN PROBLEMS? AND, IF SO, WHAT IS THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION TO OWNERS' WITH EARLIER MODELS? *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER WITH RUST OUT OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT METAL WAS QUITE RUSTED AT THE REAR HOUSING AND INSTEAD OF A SIMPLE PART REPLACEMENT, THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED, A COSTLY REPAIR. I FOUND OTHER OWNERS WITH SIMILAR STORIES ONLINE. IS THIS A DEFECTIVE PART? I HAD TEMPORARY REPAIR WITH GRINDING, WELDING AND EPOXY WHICH FOR THE TIME BEING HAS CORRECTED THE LEAK BUT EVENTUALLY IT WILL REAPPEAR. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME IN, IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A 770 SHIFT SOLENOID-E AND I WAS TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT EXPERTS THAT MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TOYOTA 4-RUNNER WAS PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2008 FROM FOLSOM LAKE TOYOTA WITH 89,000 MILES AND CURRENTLY HAS 95,500 MILES ON IT. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR WAS $2,300.00. *TR

COMPLAINT: DEFECTIVE VEHICLE SEVERELY ROLLS BACKWARDS WHEN IN 'FORWARD DRIVE' ON A HILL. TOYOTA STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ROAD TESTED AND FOUND VEHICLE OPERATING TO SPECIFICATIONS. *JB MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THE TOYOTA 2002 4RUNNER IS AN UNSAFE AND DEFECTIVE VEHICLE THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. TOYOTA IS UNWILLING TO ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM, BUT I INTEND TO PROVE BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT THAT THE TOYOTA 2002 4RUNNER IS DEFECTIVE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE PROBLEM PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I LIVED IN A FLAT AREA (MORRIS PLAINS). RECENTLY WE MOVED TO A LOCATION WITH A STEEP DRIVEWAY (700 FEET). SINCE MOVING TO OUR NEW HOME MY WIFE AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE SEVERELY ROLLS OPPOSITE THE DESIRED DIRECTION WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM THE BRAKE TO THE GAS PEDAL WHILE AT A STOP ON A STEEP HILL. THE PROBLEM IS EXAGGERATED WHEN THE ROADS ARE SLICK, AS THE CAR ALSO SPINS SIDEWAYS DUE TO LOSS OF MOMENTUM FOR WHICH THE VEHICLE IS FORCED TO COMPENSATE CREATING TOTAL LOST OF TRACTION AND DRIVER CONTROL. MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE TOYOTA ADVERTISED IT AS THE VEHICLE THAT CAN TAKE YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD. TOYOTA ACTUALLY SHOWS A VEHICLE CLIMBING A VERY STEEP MOUNTAIN. THAT IS FALSE ADVERTISING! WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS SUPPOSED TO HANDLE STEEP HILLS SAFELY UNDER A FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE CAPABILITY. THE VEHICLE IS VERY DIFFICULT AND NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PARK ON A HILL WITHOUT HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. IN GOOD FAITH, I HAVE PROCEEDED TO ADDRESS THE MATTER WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AN INJURY OR DEATH HAS TO OCCUR PRIOR TO THE MANUFACTURER RECALLING THE PRODUCT FOR CORRECTION. TOYOTA HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM ON THE 2003 4RUNNER BUT WILL NOT CORRECT IT ON PREVIOUS VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY DON'T PERCEIVE IT AS A PROBLEM.

THE REAR DRIVER AXLE SEALS WERE LEAKING, WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STICK. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB