2003 Toyota 4 Runner

WE HAVE OWNED THE '03 4-RUNNER FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY EXPERIENCED A "ROTTEN EGG, SULFUR / AMMONIA TYPE SMELL THAT HAS YET TO SUBSIDE. WE HAVE TRIED USING EXXON, SUNOCO, AND SHELL 89-93 OCTANE AND THE SMELL STILL PERSISTS. IT IS MORE APPARENT WITH THE REAR WINDOW DOWN, BUT DEFINITELY EXISTS WITH ALL WINDOWS UP. THE SMELL IS CHOKING AND CAUSES GREAT DIFFICULTY TO BREATH. IT SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY MODERATE ACCELERATION. *PH

WE PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER IN MARCH 2003 OF THIS YEAR FROM POWER TOYOTA CERRITOS. FROM THE FIRST WEEK OF DRIVING TO THE CURRENT DATE, THE EXHAUST EMITS A SULFUR ODOR DURING REGULAR AS WELL AS HARD ACCELERATION. THE ODOR IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN THE REAR WINDOW IS ROLLED DOWN. CURRENTLY WE HAVE OVER 5,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE CONFRONTED THE TUSTIN TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE WE HAVE HAD IT SERVICED A COUPLE OF TIMES. WE RECEIVE THE SAME RESPONSE EVERYTIME THAT IT IS NORMAL AND DUE TO THE GASOLINE OR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS TO "BURN IN". SINCE CA HAS THE STRICTEST EMISSION LAWS, I'M SURE THE GAS IS THE LEAST OF OUR WORRIES. I READ ON ALLDATA.COM THAT THERE IS A TSB (EG003-03) FOR A SULFUR SMELL, HOWEVER THERE IS NO SPECIFIC DATA ON IT. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE ON SITES LIKE EDMUNDS.COM, HTTP://WWW.4X4REVIEW.COM/DISCUSSIONS/TOYOTA/DEFAULT. ASP, AND OTHER COUNTLESS SITES. DEALERSHIPS SEEM TO DENY THE PROBLEM EXIST. ALTHOUGH IT CURRENTLY IS NOT A SAFETY RISK, WHY WAIT TO FIND OUT? MY WIFE AND I ENJOY EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE VEHICLE, BUT THIS NUISANCE IS BEGINNING TO OVERSHADOW OUR VIEW OF TOYOTA'S QUALITY. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND HAVE HAD A STRONG SULFUR SMELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHEN ACCELERATING TO HIGHER SPEEDS. THIS SMELL IS EXTREMELY IRRITATING AND THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. TOYOTA REPS SAY ITS THE GAS, BUT MY 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS NEVER DONE THIS, EVEN THOUGH THE SAME GAS IS PURCHASED FROM THE SAME SOURCE. JUDGING BY ALL THE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS I'VE READ TOYOTA HAS A PROBLEM THAT IS EITHER BEING MIS-IDENTIFIED, OR IGNORED. ONE TOYOTA SERVICE MAN INFORMED ME THAT THE 2003 4RUNNER HAS A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. SEEMS LOGICAL TO LOOK INTO THAT AREA FIRST.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF CHEMICAL FUMES IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER HAD INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK THE DEALER DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM AND SAID THAT IT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CENTER HAD FADED. *SCC *JB

HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A MONTH NOW. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER THE FIRST WEEK WITH NOTICEABLE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE IN GENERAL FROM APPROX. 45 MPH AND ABOVE. DEALER BALANCED WHEELS. RETURNED AGAIN ANOTHER WEEK LATER WITH SAME SYMPTOMS. DEALER AGAIN ATTEMPED TO BALANCE TIRES AND ANALYZED RIMS, SPEED BALANCE, ETC. AND DETERMINED IT WAS THE TIRES. AFTER THE SONG AND DANCE ABOUT THE DEALER BEING UNABLE TO REPLACE THE TIRES WITHOUT A LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS, I WAS DIRECTED TO THE LOCAL BRIDGESTONE DEALER FOR TIRE REPLACEMENT. HAD TIRES REPLACED THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY. SAME SYMPTOMS RE-OCCURRED AFTER A FEW DAYS. BACK TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME THIS PAST FRIDAY. RE-BALANCED THE NEW TIRES AGAIN, SERVICE MANAGER DROVE IT AFTERWORDS AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. LEFT THAT AFTERNOON ON A TRIP, AND THE SYMPTOMS RE-OCCURED AGAIN. HAVE HAD ENOUGH ! I AM FILING A LEMON LAW NOTICE TO TOYOTA THIS WEEK WITH ONE LAST CHANCE TO REPAIR. IF UNSUCCESFUL, WILL BE FILING FOR ARBITRATION TO RECEIVE A REFUND.*AK

DRIVER'S SEAT KEEPS SLIPPING WHEN INCREASING/DECREASING/STOPPING. IT IS A MANUAL SEAT AND DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS. IT IS A NOTICABLE SHIFT IN SEAT POSITION. DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THIS IS A TYPICAL "MANUAL" SEAT REATION. I FIND THIS DIFFICULT TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH AS I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS SITUATION WITH OTHER VEHICLES WITH MANUAL SEATS. PLEASE NOTIFY ME VIA EMAIL YOUR FINDINGS. THANKS BARBARA CHRISTIAN. *AK