FaultScore

2004 Toyota 4 Runner transmission problems

10 of the 76 complaints about the 2004 Toyota 4 Runner are about the transmission — 13% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 200 miles.

B

10

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Automatic Transmission 3 30.0%
Power Train 2 20.0%
Driveshaft 2 20.0%
Driveline 1 10.0%
Differential Unit 1 10.0%
Transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive) 1 10.0%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Toyota 4 Runner year

1995 13 18.8%
1997 15 21.7%
2000 12 17.4%
2003 19 27.5%
2004 10 14.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 100 miles Greenwich, CT

POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 4X4..ON SNOW,ICE AN WET ROADS THE FRONT END VIBRATES AN BUCKS. ITS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER TWICE, AN TWICE WERE TOLD THE TRUCK CHECKS OUT FINE(OF COURSE THEY ARE GOING TO SAY THAT, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS IN WEATHER MENTIONED ABOVE) AN THEY HAVE NOT TEST DRIVEN IT IN SUCH WEATHER.

NHTSA complaint #10104292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,500 miles Beavercreek, OH

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

VIBRATION ABOVE 70 MPH, FELT THROUGH STEERING WHEEL, PEDAL AND FLOORBOARD.

NHTSA complaint #10098053 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 200 miles Essex, MD

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

RESONANCE THROUGH STEERING WHEEL DURING LIGHT TO HEAVY ACCELERATION WHEN TRANS WAS SHIFTING. DEALER, AT THIS TIME SAYS IT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS VEHICLE. 1000'S RPMS AND UP SOMETIMES WORSE THEN OTHERS.

NHTSA complaint #10093083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 20 miles Columbia, MD

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

MY 2004 TOYOTA V8 4WD SR5 4RUNNER WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN FEB/2004. AT SPEED 71-73 MPH, IT GENERATES ANNOYING HARMONIC HUMMING NOISE FROM TRANSMISSION AND/OR DRIVELINE. THE NOISE IS MORE NOTICEABLE IN COLD WEATHER THAN IN HOT ONE. IT BECOME LESS NOTICEABLE AT SPEED ABOVE 78 MPH. A TOYOTA DEALER MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE CAR AND CONFIRMED THE NOISE, BUT OFFERED NO HELP TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO.

NHTSA complaint #10081225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Savannah, GA

POWER TRAIN

PURCHASED A 2004 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. NOTICED "WOBBLE" OR "VIBRATIONS" IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN ACCELERATING AND AT SPEEDS AROUND 70-75 MPH. TOOK IN FOR MAINTENANCE, TECHNICIAN BALANCED TIRES. STILL HAD PROBLEM SO TOOK IT BACK IN RESULTING IN A ROAD FORCE BALANCE AND NEW SET OF TIRES. STILL HAVE MILD VIBRATION.

NHTSA complaint #10066425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,400 miles Valparaiso, IN

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 SR5 V6 4WD EXPERIENCES DRONING VIBRATION OR RUMBLING ON FLOOR, PEDALS, AND STEERING WHEEL WHEN CAR IS DRIVEN BETWEEN 1500-2000 RPM. VIBRATIONS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE FOR AMBIENT TEMPERATURES BELOW 35 DEGREES F. AND VERY BAD BELOW 15 DEGREES F. ALSO BECOMES MORE PREDOMINANT DURING ACCELERATION. VIBRATION DISSAPPEARS WHEN TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AT SAME SPEED. APPEARS PROBLEM IS IN DRIVE TRAIN/TRANSAXEL AND NOT TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA complaint #10062559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,400 miles Valparaiso, IN

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

2004 SR5 V6 4WD EXPERIENCES DRONING VIBRATION OR RUMBLING ON FLOOR, PEDALS, AND STEERING WHEEL WHEN CAR IS DRIVEN BETWEEN 1500-2000 RPM. VIBRATIONS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE FOR AMBIENT TEMPERATURES BELOW 35 DEGREES F. AND VERY BAD BELOW 15 DEGREES F. ALSO BECOMES MORE PREDOMINANT DURING ACCELERATION. VIBRATION DISSAPPEARS WHEN TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AT SAME SPEED. APPEARS PROBLEM IS IN DRIVE TRAIN/TRANSAXEL AND NOT TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA complaint #10062559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100 miles Arlington, VA

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

WHILE DRIVING VIBRATION CAME FROM THE DRIVETRAIN/FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. SEEMED TO BE RELATED TO RPM AND OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE. MOST PROMINENT AT @2000 RPMS, AND BELOW 50 DEGREES. VIBRATION FELT IN PEDALS, FLOOR AND STEERING. HEARD THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. DEALER TECH TRYING, BUT NO ANSWERS.

NHTSA complaint #10058619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 700 miles Bloomingdale, NJ

POWER TRAIN

ANNOYING ENGINE OR DRIVE TRAIN VIBRATION BETWEEN 1400 AND 2000 RPM. MORE NOTICEABLE ON UPGRADES. RELEASING ACCELERATOR PEDAL RESULTS IN ELIMINATING THE VIBRATION AS THE ENGINE SPEED DECREASES. THE VEHICLE IS A 2004 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER V8 LIMITED. THIS ISSUE WAS INITIALLY NOTICED AT ABOUT 700 MILES ON THE ODOMETER.

NHTSA complaint #10054303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1 miles Spruce Head, ME

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

I OWN AN 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SPORT WITH THE V8/AWD. TOOK IT ON A LONG ROAD TRIP OVER X-MAS AND NOTICED AT EXACTLY 71MPH YOU START TO HEAR A CYCLICAL NOISE (ABOUT 2-3 PER SECOND) THAT INCREASES IN FREQUENCY AS VEHICLE SPEED CLIMBS. NO VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL OR PEDALS. BUT BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER FEEL IT IN FLOORBOARDS AND HEAR IT. DISAPPEARS AT 82 - 85 OR SO, AND AS SOON AS FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE GAS PEDAL. DEALER CLAIMS NO KNOWN ISSUES AND OFFERS NO SOLUTION.

NHTSA complaint #10052809 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2004 Toyota 4 Runner problems

← Full 2004 Toyota 4 Runner report