2003 Toyota 4 Runner

I HAVE BECOME RATHER FED UP WITH THE SULFUR SMELL PROBLEM ON MY 03' V8 4RUNNER. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HERE, EDMUNDS, AND OTHER WEBSITES ON THIS TOPIC AND SEE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE OF SOME PEOPLE PURSUING LEGAL RECOURSE. OTHER THAN ONE SPECIFIC CASE IN FLORIDA, I CANNOT FIND ANY OTHER EVIDENCE OF SUCCESSFULLY MAKING A LEMON LAW CASE WITH THE SULFUR SMELL PROBLEM. I AM IN KANSAS AND HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED BY TOYOTA THAT I HAVE TO GO TO ARBITRATION.....AND IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN, THIS IS ALSO REQUIRED PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING A LEMON LAWSUIT. I HAVE THREE KIDS, ONE OF WHICH HAS A SULFUR ALLERGY IN ADDITION TO MY WIFE HAVING A DOCUMENTED ALLERGY. FRANKLY, I HAVE BEEN NAUSEATED BY THIS SMELL ON A NUMBER OF INSTANCES. NOW AT 10 MOS. OF OWNERSHIP, 7500 MILES, TRYING EVERY GRADE AND BRAND OF GAS REASONABLY AVAILABLE, 2 DEALER COMPLAINTS, AND 2 TOYOTA CORPORATE COMPLAINTS....I AM NOT ONLY DISAPPOINTED AT TOYOTA'S SHIFTING OF BLAME....BUT NOW I AM AT A LOSS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HAVE TOYOTA RECOGNIZE AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE CURRENT 4RUNNER MODEL. TOYOTA BLAMES THE PROBLEM ON BAD GAS....DON'T THINK SO...I HAVE TRIED EVERY GRADE FROM EVERY STATION NEAR MY HOUSE. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE DAY 1 OF OWNERSHIP. HAVE I RESEARCHED THIS TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT HAPPENS....ABSOLUTELY. WHEN TOYOTA SAYS IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT.....I GUESS I WONDER WHY THEY DESIGNED THE VEHICLE TO HAVE REAR VENTS THAT PULL EXHAUST GAS INTO THE CABIN. THIS IS EXACTLY WHY IT HAPPENS. HERE IS MY POINT....SULFUR SMELL FROM THE EXHAUST...OK, I'M GOOD WITH THAT. THIS IS THE CASE WITH THE HIGHER SULFUR CONTENT MIXES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. BUT SHOULD IT BE REASONABLE THAT I HAVE TO INHALE IT INSIDE THE CABIN? NOW HOW IS THAT THE FAULT OF THE GASOLINE INDUSTRY.....DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SULFUR CONTENT OF THE LOCALLY AVAILABLE GASOLINE? FURTHERMORE, IF I AM SMELLING SULFUR.....I AM ALSO INHALING CARBON MONOXIDE....GEE, THAT SEEMS REAL HEALTHY. PLEASE HELP.

GATED SHIFTER, ON 2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER, ALLOWS YOU TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE PAST NEUTRAL (INTO REVERSE OR EVEN PARK) WHILE DRIVING, WITH OUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. IF YOU PUSH STRAIGHT UP ON THE SHIFTER IT LOCKS IT OUT (AGAINST THE STAGGERED PLASTIC OF THE GATED SHIFTER). BUT IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE SHIFTER ON AN ANGLE, IT CAN SLIDE PAST NEUTRAL AND INTO REVERSE OR EVEN PARK!*AK

THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT ON MY 4 RUNNER DOES NOT PROPERLY LOCK INTO PLACE. THE SEAT MOVES FORWARD AND BACKWARD ON THE TRACK IN CERTAIN POSITIONS UNDER BRAKING AND/OR ACCELERATION. AT FIRST THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TRACK, BUT SINCE THEN THEY HAVE DECIDED TO DENY THAT THERE IS EVEN A PROBLEM. THE REGIONAL MANAGER DROPPED THE CASE OFF OF THEIR RECORDS WITHOUT EVEN TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT MADE THEIR AVERAGES LOOK BAD.*AK

I CONTINUE TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TIRE/STEERING WHEEL VIBRATIONS IN MY 2003 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER SPORT EDITION. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT, OR ALL DAY LONG IN A PARKING GARAGE. THE PULSING AND STEERING WHEEL VIBRATIONS OCCUR BETWEEN 60 AND 65 MPH, DISAPPEAR AT ABOUT 70 MPH AND RESUME AT 65 MPH. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MILES THE PROBLEM DISSIPATES. THE DEALER SAYS THE TIRES ARE BALANCED AND ALLIGNED. THE DEALER STATES THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY "FIBERGLASS BELTS" IN THE DUNLAP TIRES THAT FORM A "SET." A REGIONAL TIRE CHAIN SPECIALIST STATES THIS IS "NONSENSE." THEY SUGGEST SYMPTOMS AND FACT IT ALWAYS OCCURS AT THE SAME SPEED SUGGESTS IMPROPERLY BALANCED TIRES OR ALLIGNMENT, OR TIRES "OUT OF ROUND," HOWEVER THE FACT THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARS AFTER DRIVING SUGGESTS THESE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THE LEXUS VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM AND AUTO MAGAZINES NOTE A PROBLEM WITH "ENGINE VIBRATIONS.*AK

2003 4 RUNNER..... 12,000 MILES, RUNNING ON AMACO SLIVER GAS, STILL SMELLS AS ROTTEN AS EVER...BEEN THROUGH HELL WITH THE SCOTT CLARK TOYOTA IN CHARLOTTE AND GASTON (NORTH CAROLINA).....THEY ARE ALL LIARS!!!! SAYING IT'S THE FIRST THEY EVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING.....FILED REPORTS AND CONTACTED OWNERS..CALLED EVERYONE...EVEN THOSE JERKS COULDN'T MAIL ME LEMON LAW PAPERS ETC. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER TOYOTA AUTOMOBILE...SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE, A CLASS LAWSUIT WITH ENOUGH PEOPLE MAY GET SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED OR AT LEAST MY $39,000 BACK. THE SMELL OF SULPHER STINKS SO BAD THAT IT'S TO HARD TO EVEN SALE THE PIECE OF JUNK. *JB

REGARDING MY 2003 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER, LIMITED, 4-WHEEL DRIVE WITH A V-8 ENGINE AND 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SINCE I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE (SEPTEMBER 28, 2003) THE ENGINE HAS PERIODICALLY ACCELERATED SUDDENLY BY ITSELF, WHILE AT A STOP, SUCH AS AT A STOP LIGHT, WITH THE AC ON AND THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE. SOMETIMES THIS RESULTS IN AN ABRUPT ACCELERATION SIMILAR TO BEING HIT BY ANOTHER CAR IN THE REAR. IF I DIDN'T HAVE MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE IN THESE INSTANCES, I WOULD HAVE SHOT INTO THE INTERSECTION. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM, BUT HAS TO BE DOING DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND AS PREDICTABLE THE DEALER SAID THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. ALL THEY DID WAS CONFIRM ITS IDLE, THEY DID NOT DRIVE IT IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INCIDENT. I'VE NOTED OTHER COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO NHTSA ON THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE SERIOUS INJURIES ARE INCURRED BY SOMEONE.*AK

VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL ,FLOORBOARDS, DRIVELINE AND DRONING NOISE. THIS IS AN UPDATE TO ID# 10060725. LEXUS OF TOYOTA HAS ANNOUNCED A TSB FOR THE GX 470 WHICH HAS THE SAME MECHANICALS AS THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THIS TSB ADDRESSES THE INDICATED PROBLEM THAT IS IN BOTH VEHICLES. IT IS :"STEERING ST004-04" "STEERING VIBRATION AND DRIVELINE VIBRATION/DRONE". UNFORTUNATELY THE FIX CAN ONLY BE APPLIED TO THE LEXUS VEHICLES PER DEALER.*AK

PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED AS : 10060723 ,AMMENDING DEALER,PURCHASE DATE AND INCIDENT DATE: DASHBOARD GAUGES, ESCPECIALLY SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE, ARE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO READ IN DAYTIME. SITUATION IS MADE WORSE WHEN WEARING SUNGLASSES. PROBLEM IS THAT GAUGES ARE RECESSED TOO DEEP AND LETTERS ARE NOT CONTRASTED ENOUGH WITH DASH PLATE (IE LIGHT GRAY ON DARK GRAY). TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE ISSUED A TSB WHICH ESSENTIALLY KEEPS DASH LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME. TURNING ON DASHBOARD LIGHTS DOES NOT SOLVE PROBLEM AS LIGHTING IS AN AMBER COLOR. SOLUTION IS TWO STAGE LIGHTING. BRIGHT WHITE IN DAYTIME AND AMBER OR BLUE IN NIGHT.*AK