2002 Toyota 4RUNNER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 5 MPH ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A NEARBY VEHICLE AND THEN INTO A BUILDING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED, THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 160000, THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 185000. UPDATED 05/07/2010. *LJ THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS INJURED. UPDATED 09/13/10

READING ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEMS OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS, I LEARNED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM MIGHT NOT WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE HITS A POTHOLE, UNEVEN PAVEMENT, OR BUMP. I'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN MY '02 4RUNNER. IF THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE HITS A BUMP, THE BRAKES FEEL AS IF THEY ARE NOT WORKING, (BRAKE PEDAL GOES STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR W/NO PRESSURE). THIS ISSUE GOES AWAY IF YOU RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE, (PUMP). I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS WAS "NORMAL" UNTIL I READ ABOUT THE PRIUS ISSUES WITH IT'S BRAKING SYSTEM. THE ISSUES WITH THE PRIUS SOUND TOO SIMILAR TO DISMISS THE ISSUE AS JUST A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S ELECTRIC ENGINE. *TR

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 OWN A TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING ACROSS COUNTRY LAST FALL I NOTICED THAT THE TRUCK WOULD ACCELERATE RAPIDLY WHEN I HAD CRUISE CONTROL ON. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD KICK IN AS IT SHOULD HAVE BUT IT WOULD ACCELERATE VERY RAPIDLY AND FELT OUT OF CONTROL. ONCE IT BEGAN THE ACCELERATION, IT WOULD NEVER STOP AND LEVEL OUT TO THE APPROPRIATE SPEED AS IT SHOULD HAVE. IT WOULD CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. BRAKING WORKED IN SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN, BUT IT FRIGHTENED ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I DO NOT USE THE CRUISE CONTROL NOW AS A RESULT OF THIS. I WAS DRIVING R/T FROM CA TO DENVER, CO AND IT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THIS TRIP. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. IT'S UNDER MY WIFE'S NAME BUT I AM THE ONE THAT'S IN CHARGE OF AUTOMOTIVE ISSUES. THE BUMPERS HAVE BEEN HANGING DOWN ON THE FRONT AND REAR. AS I DRIVE AROUND THE CITY, I'VE STARTED TO NOTICE MAJORITY OF THE 4RUNNERS IN THE SAME MODEL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS MAKES ME THINK THAT THERE IS A DEFECT. I BELIEVE IT'S A SAFETY DEFECT ESPECIALLY SINCE BUMPERS ARE NOT JUST FOR COSMETIC REASONS, ITS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN A CRASH SITUATION. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS ALSO LINKED TO THE AIRBAG SENSORS AND I AM AFRAID THAT IT MAY GO OFF AT ANY TIME. I'VE GONE ON FORUMS AND FOUND THAT OTHERS TALK ABOUT THIS ALSO. THEY ALSO TALK ABOUT RUSTING AROUND THE BUMPER AREA WHICH IS SOMETHING I HAVE ON MY 4RUNNER ALSO. I HOPE YOUR DEPARTMENT LOOKS INTO THIS MATTER THOROUGHLY AND GET BACK TO ME ABOUT IT. *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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD THE PISTON CONNECTING ROD POP WHEN HE SWITCHED LANES. AS A RESULT, OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE MANIFOLD AND CAUSED A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER TO REPAIR THE ENGINE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 127,000.

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