1999 Toyota 4 Runner

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY JERKED OUT OF MY HANDS TO THE RIGHT. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT TO CORRECT. THE ROADS WERE WET FROM AN EARLIER RAIN; THERE WAS NO STANDING WATER, NO POT HOLES, OR OTHER VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE, TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH. THE CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL - DOING 2 COMPLETE SPINS ON THE HIGHWAY, THEN INTO THE DITCH ON THE RIGHT; HITTING TREES, FLIPPING, HITTING MORE TREES, AND FINALLY COMING TO A HALT STRADDLING THE DITCH PERPENDICULAR TO THE HIGHWAY. SINCE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING TO ACT LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEM WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK SO HARD TO THE RIGHT AND KEEP ME FROM BEING ABLE TO CORRECT IT. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT PERHAPS THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE LOCKED UP, THE TIE ROD BROKE, OR SOME KIND OF STEERING DEFECT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING IN SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. EACH FAILURE OCCURED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN SEVERAL MILES. WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE. DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED THAT THE METALLIC BRAKES MAY BE WORN TOO SMOOTH, BUT COULD NOT PINPOINT PROBLEM. *TT *JB

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, BUT MY VEHICLE IS A FEW MONTHS AND MILES OUT OF WARRANTY SO TOY WILL NOT PAY FOR FIX. NO ENGINE, NO STEERING, NO BRAKES, LOTS OF TRAFFIC....

TIRES: THE TIRES DID NOT PHYSICALLY FAIL, HOWEVER AFTER ONLY 10,000 MILES, THEY WERE PRACTICALLY BALD - ALL 4. I REQUESTED THAT THE DEALER REPLACE THE TIRES WHICH THEY REFUSED TO DO ALTHOUGHT THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE TIRES WERE DANGEROUSLY WORN. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME "OFF THE RECORD" THAT THEY KNEW THIS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE - THAT THE TIRES WHICH CAME "STOCK" FROM THE FACTORY WERE IN FACT "TOO SMALL" TO BEAR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. IN LIGHT OF THE SAFETY ISSUES REGARDING BRIDGESTONE?FIRESTONE AT THAT TIME, I ELECTED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES AT MY COST. TAIL LIGHTS: THE TAILLIGHTS BEGAN FAILING VERY SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WHENEVER I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS JUST A BURNED OUT LAMP WHICH WAS NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND NOW I DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH THE DEALER. I HAVE NOTED NUMEROUS 4RUNNERS ON THE ROAD WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH IS WHAT PROMPTED ME TO CHECK YOUR WEB SITE. AT ONE POINT THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP MENTIONED HIS SUPRISE THAT "THE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT COME ON" WHEN THE LAMP WENT OUT. APPARENTLY THERE IS AN INDICATOR LIGHT THAT SHOULD ALERT THE DRIVER TO A BLOWN BULB...I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE AND MINE HAS GONE OUT 3 TIMES. NOW IT IS HABIT FOR ME TO CHECK MY TAIL LIGHTS WHENEVER I DRIVE AT NIGHT. BRAKES: ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED A SEVERE "SHUDDERING" OF THE CAR AND A LOUD "CLANKING" NOISE WHEN GOING FROM HIGH SPEED TO LOWER SPEED (NOT SUDDEN BRAKING) AS IN EXITING THE HIGHWAY . ONE TIME, THE CAR WAS SHUDDERING SO VIOLENTLY THAT IT JERKED INTO ANOTHER LANE. THE DEALER BASICALLY TOLD ME I WAS IMAGINING THINGS. THIS SHUDDERING HAS OCCURRED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. ONE TIME, THEY AGREED TO MANUALLY CHECK ALL 4 BRAKES - AT MY COST AND DECLARED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I HESITATE TO DRIVE IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. TS

THE TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH ABS BRAKES THAT WHEN BEING DRIVEN IN SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE BRAKE SYSTEM PERFORMS ERRATIC. THE OWNER STATES THAT HE WOULD HEAR SOME SORT OF HUMMING SOUND BUT THE TRUCK CONTINUES FORWARD. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DID EVALUATE THE BRAKES BUT NO CAUSE OF PERFORMANCE WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS TS

CONSUMER STATES STEERING WHEEEL VIBRATES BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH. CONSUMER HAS HAD VEHICLE ALIGNED, AND NEW TIRES AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING.*JB THE VIBRATION SLOWS OR STOPS WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE FRONT HAS BEEN ALIGNED TWICE, BEFORE AND AFTER THE TIRES. CONSUMER HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH A 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA. THIS SITUATION NOW CAUSES THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AT THE SAME SPEED BETWEEN 50 THRU 70 MPH. *JG