1999 Toyota 4 Runner

THE GAS GAUGE WOULD READ FULL WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY EMPTY, AND VISA VERSA. THEN THE SKIN OF THE DASH BOARD BY THE TACHOMETER BUBBLED FROM THE HEAT OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD OVER HEATING. I CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM AND THEY REFERRED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO ALSO DENIED THAT A BULLETIN EXISTED CONCERNING THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO AN AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS WHO RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND A BULLETIN FROM TOYOTA REGARDING MY PROBLEM (REF: BULLETIN EL010-00). I CALLED TOYOTA BACK AND THEN WAS TOLD SORRY BUT YOUR OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY TIME LIMIT. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFICATION MADE TO THE CONSUMER BY TOYOTA REGARDING THIS MATTER. MY THE CIRCUIT BOARD OVERHEAT CAUSING THE BUBBLING AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE HAD I CHOSE JUST IGNORE THE GAUGE PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS CHOSEN THE IGNORE THE PROBLEM IN HOPES THAT IT WILL NOT BE REPORTED AND AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CONSUMER.

VEHICLE STALLS AND DIES ON FREEWAY ALMOST CAUSING WRECK. FIND OUT THERE IS NO FUEL IN TANK EVEN THOUGH FUEL GAUGE READS 1/2. TOYOTA SAYS TSB EL010-00 ADDRESSES KNOWN DEFECTIVE 1999 AND 2000 FUEL GAUGES AND ALSO ADDRESSES SOME GAUGES INACCURATELY READING EMPTY WHEN 4 GALLONS REMAIN, MY VECHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO TOY WILL NOT PAY FOR FIX. NO ENGINE, NO STEERING, NO BRAKES, LOTS OF TRAFFIC...*AK.

RELATED TO: MOST OF THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD POWER SEATS ON THE PASSENGER SITE. LAST EVENING, I LAID MY CELL PHONE AND WALLET ON THE PASSEGER SEAT BEFOR I STARTED THE ENGINE, WHILE I WAS BACKING OUT FROM THE PARKING LOT, I MADE A SMALL TURN, THIS MOVEMENT CAUSED MY CELL PHONE AND WALLET SLIDED DOWN TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE ENDED UNDER THE RIGHT SEAT. SO I STOPED THE CAR AND BENDED OVER THE RIGHT SIDE TO GET THEM OUT WITH MY RIGHT HAND, SINCE THEY WERE UNDER THE SEAT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO EVEN REACH THEM. THEN I USED MY LEFT HAND, TRIED REACH THEM FROM UNDER THE SEAT. GUES WHAT HAPPENED? SINCE MY RIGHT HAND STILL ON THE RIGHT SITE OF THE SEAT, IT ACCIDENTLY PUSHED THE SEAT MOVE FORWARD BUTTON, THE SEAT WAS MOVING FORWARD WHILE MY LEFT HAND STILL UNDER THE SEAT. BECAUSE THERE IS A MATEL OBJECT WAS UNDER, IT HURT MY LEFT HAND BADLY, LUCKILY I REALIZED I WAS PUSHING THE BOTTON, I RELEASED IT ON TIME, SO THERE'S NO SERIOUS INJURE. HAD I NOT RELEASE MY RIGHT HAND ON TIME, I WOULD HAVE GOT A REAL SERIOUS INJURY. SO PLEASE START SOME OF YOUR INVESTIGATION. IF POSSIBLE MAKE A RECALL RECOMMENDATION TO THOSE VEHICLE WILL CAUSE THE SAME SAFTY THREAD. THANKS. YAN FANG CAO

MY VEHICLE: 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED W/ PORT INSTALLED AUTO DIMMING MIRROR THE + AND - WIRE THAT GOES TO THE AUTO DIMMING MIRROR WERE ACCIDENTALLY SHORTED ALMOST CAUSING A FIRE. HERE'S THE PROBLEM AS TO WHY IT'S A FIRE HAZARD: IT TURNS OUT THAT WHEN THE MIRROR WAS INSTALLED (EITHER PORT OPTION OR DEALER OPTION ON LIMITED'S AND SR5'S W/ SUNROOFS - NOT INSTALLED IN JAPAN), THEY JUST RAN A WIRE (ACTUALLY TWO - A GROUND AND A "HOT" WIRE MATED TOGETHER) DOWN TO THE DRIVER SIDE KICK PANEL AND "HOPPED" THE HOT WIRE ONTO A HOT LEAD OF THE POWER ACCESSORY CIRCUIT COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THIS CIRCUIT IS ON A 30 AMP SLOW-BURN FUSE. THIS CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THE WIRES TO THE MIRROR WERE TO CROSS SOMEHOW - AS THEY DID FOR ME. THE FUSE WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY BLOW AND THE WIRES CAN GET HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE INSULATION OR SURROUNDING MATERIAL BEFORE THE SLOW-BLOW FUSE WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK THE CIRCUIT. THIS CAN TAKE AS LONG AS 10 SECONDS DEPENDING ON CURRENT AND HEAT GENERATED IN THE SLOW-BURN FUSE. *JB

GAS GAUGE GIVES A FALSE READING. I TRAVEL TO IOWA OFTEN AND I KNOW WHEN TO GET GAS SO THAT I CAN MAKE IT HOME. DURING ONE TRIP I STOPPED TO TO GET GAS AND NOTICED THAT THE GAS GAUGE INDICATE MORE GAS THAN I SHOULD HAVE. HAD I TRAVELED A DIFFERENT ROUTE AND RELIED ON THE GAUGE, I WOULD HAVE RAN OUT OF GAS AND GOT STRANDED, OR WORSE. MY CAR MIGHT HAVE DIED ON THE FREEWAY AND MIGHT HAVE CAUSED MAJOR ACCIDENTS. SOMETIMES IT TELLS ME I HAVE 3/4 FULL TANK WHEN IT SHOULD BE ONLY 1/4.*AK

EXPERIENCING SEVERE VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MPH. STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AND CONTROL IS DIFFICULT. IDENTIFIED AS WARPED ROTOR. TOYOTA DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE TO REPLACE FRONT CALIPER/ROTOR WITH LARGER DESIGN. CLAIMS THAT ITS COMMON TO HAVE IT FAIL SHORTLY AFTER WARRANTEE COVERAGE. (FAILED AT 50000, COVERAGE TO 36000) PURCHASED VEHICLE WITH 17000 MILES AND ROTORS/PADS LOOK GOOD.*AK

WHILE PULLING OUR 1999 4-RUNNER WITH 39,000 MILES INTO A PARKING STALL, THE BRAKE PEDDLE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT STOPPING, RESULTING IN A MINOR ACCIDENT WITH NO INJURIES. A SERVICE TECHNICIAN (NOT FROM TOYOTA) EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS OBSERVED. HOWEVER, DURING A ROAD TEST, THE PEDDLE WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN AGAIN WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP. HE PUMPED THE BRAKES AND THEY "CAUGHT" AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. A TOYOTA DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. A FIELD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FROM TOYOTA EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TODAY AFTER WHICH, WE WERE CALLED TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE. OTHER THAN A VISUAL INSPECTION AND ROAD TEST, TOYOTA HASN'T DONE ANYTHING. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ON THE ROAD BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT TOYOTA IS TELLING ME TO DO.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY SPUTTERED AND STALLED. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC, BUT CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE FREEWAY. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY SENDING UNIT IN THE FUEL TANK. IT WAS READING FULL WHEN THE TANK WAS EMPTY. *AK THE OLD STYLE SENDING UNIT WAS OBSOLETE AND NOT AVAILABLE. *SC