FaultScore

1990 Toyota 4RUNNER transmission problems

15 of the 95 complaints about the 1990 Toyota 4RUNNER are about the transmission — 16% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 150,000 miles.

F

15

Complaints

4

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Automatic Transmission 5 33.3%
Pedal/Hand Lever(Motorcycle) 4 26.7%
Clutch Assembly 2 13.3%
Manual Transmission 1 6.7%
Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch 1 6.7%
Axle Assembly 1 6.7%
Axle Shaft 1 6.7%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Toyota 4RUNNER year

1990 15 5.2%
1997 11 3.8%
1999 17 5.9%
2000 35 12.2%
2001 28 9.8%
2002 29 10.1%
2003 21 7.3%
2004 29 10.1%
2005 23 8.0%
2006 30 10.5%
2007 11 3.8%
2008 28 9.8%
2009 10 3.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 150,000 miles Palmdale, CA

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRACKET SUB-ASSEMBLY THAT HELD THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS FRACTURED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL OR THE CLUTCH. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE FAILURE AT LEAST THREE TIMES IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. ..UPDATED 11/14/12 *BF UPDATED 11/14/12

NHTSA complaint #10478472 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 213,012 miles Iona, ID

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE NO EVENTS WERE PRESENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY. WHILE APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT IN TRAFFIC I DEPRESSED MY CLUTCH PEDAL IN ORDER TO GEAR DOWN FOR THE STOP. WHILE DEPRESSING THE PEDAL I HEARD A LOUD SNAP - THE SOUND OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET BREAKING. WITH THE BRACKET BROKEN THERE WAS NO ACCEPTABLE WAY TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR TO STOP FOR THE STOP LIGHT. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP (WHICH STALLED THE VEHICLE) BEFORE REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. ONCE THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I HAD TO USE THE STARTER WITH THE VEHICLE IN GEAR TO CLEAR THE INTERSECTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO MY RESIDENCE SO I CAN DECIDE HOW TO FIX THIS. IT SEEMS TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND OFFERS AN "UPGRADED" BRACKET AT A PREMIUM PRICE ALONG WITH A PREMIUM INSTALLATION FEE. AFTER BROWSING THE INTERNET IT SEEMS AS IF THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON AMONG TOYOTA TRUCK, 4-RUNNER AND T-100 OWNERS ALIKE. THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM COULD BE LIFE THREATENING!

NHTSA complaint #10143378 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 110,000 miles Leonardtown, MD

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1990 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER INTERMITTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MILES PER HOUR OR HIGHER WHEN HIGHWAY DRIVING, CAUSING INCREASE IN GAS MILEAGE AND HIGH RPMS ON THE ENGINE. IN 2001 I WENT TO TOYOTA FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION SO I SHOULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL I COULD NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE. AT THAT POINT I SHOULD HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH I LOCATED TSBS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND FOUND ONE THAT ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE (TSB ATRATB351 DATED JAN 96). THIS MONTH 1/2003 I RETURNED TO TOYOTA WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $150.00 TO PERFORM THIS TSB. I TOLD THEM IF THEY HAD PERFORMED IT THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHEN I HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED IT WOULD NOT HAVE COST ME ANYTHING SINCE THE ENGINE WAS ALREADY APART FOR OTHER WORK. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE COULD NOT ADDRESS THE RECOMMENDATION AND FINDINGS OF THEIR WORK FROM A YEAR AGO. I CALLED ANOTHER DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $71.00 FOR THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED SINCE A TSB HAS BEEN ISSUED IT IS BASICALLY ADMITTING THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM AND PROVIDES THE DEALER/SERVICE DEPARTMENTS WITH THE FIX, SO WHY ARE THE SERVICE MANAGERS RELUCTANT TO PERFORM THE CORRECTION, BUT INSTEAD RECOMMEND AN TRANSMISSION CHANGE?

NHTSA complaint #10000871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Puyallup, WA Crash

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

VEHICLE WAS PARKED BUT TURNED ON, HAD JUST SHIFTED INTO REVERSE WITH FOOT ON BRAKES WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS. HIT 2 PARKED VEHICLES. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. HAVE NOT CONTACTED DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA complaint #898138 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Burlington, VT Crash

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

VEHICLE WAS AT A LIGHT AND CONSUMER STEPPED ON CLUTCH AND HEARD A SNAP. VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD, AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN PARK POSITION, AND GOT UNDER THE DASHBOARD. NOTICED BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS BROKEN. DEALER DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THE VEHICLE UNLESS CONSUMER WAS PAYING TO REPAIR IT.

NHTSA complaint #891796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

League City, TX

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THIS VEHICLE BEHAVES IN A VERY "LEMON" LIKE WAY. NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL FAILURES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. MAIN PROBLEM IS VEHICLE JUMPING IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT HIGHWAY CRUISING SPEEDS. (A CONSTANT PROBLEM.) TOYOTA SEEMS TO NOT WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH I KNOW OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER OWNER LOCALLY WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. AT ONE TIME, A WIRING HARNESS WAS BLAMED AND A FIX WAS MADE THAT CURED THE PROBLEM FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. VEHICLE CONSTANTLY LEAKS OIL, EVEN THOUGH THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP "FIXED" THESE PROBLEMS AS PART OF A RECALL IN LATE 1997. (PROBLEM NEVER STAYED FIXED.) ELECTRICAL SHORTS IN WIRING ALSO CAUSED SEVERAL INSTANCES OF BATTERY LOSS OF POWER SO BADLY THAT BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. TRANSMISSION HAS ALWAYS BEHAVED POORLY, ENGINE ALWAYS LEAKS OIL, AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE ABUNDANT.

NHTSA complaint #721731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SLC, UT

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

BRACKET HOLDING PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO INTERIOR BODY BROKEN AT POINT OF ATTACHMENT TO CLUTCH PEDAL - PEDAL IS NOW TWISTED AND TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR WHEREBY CLUTCH WILL NO LONGER RELEASE. BRACKET IS DESIGNED FLIMSILY WITH HOLES DRILLED AT MAJOR STRESS POINTS. BRACKET CRACKED BETWEEN SAID HOLES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT NO REPLY HAS BEEN RECEIVED.

NHTSA complaint #720855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tehachapi, CA Crash 1 injured

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

THE REAR AXLE BROKE AT 70MPH, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WHICH CAUSED MINOR INJURIES.*AK

NHTSA complaint #845868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stony Poin, NY

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DRIVETRAIN CONSTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

NHTSA complaint #529504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stony Poin, NY

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DRIVETRAIN CONSTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND INTERVALS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

NHTSA complaint #528271 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Franci, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE CYCLES ON AND OFF DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, RESULTING IN LOSS OF GAS MILEAGE. ALSO ABS BRAKES LOCK UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIDE.

NHTSA complaint #526977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Aspen Hill, MD

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

CLUTCH MOUNTING BRACKETS HAVE TORN TO THE POINT THAT THE CLUTCH WILL NOT RELEASE.

NHTSA complaint #521791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cheyenne, WY

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

TRANSMISSION CLUTCH FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #503108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cheyenne, WY

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION UPSHIFTING FAILED DUE TO GEARS STICKING.

NHTSA complaint #503108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Clarksdale, MS Crash 2 injured

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 40 TO 45 MPH THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE REAR AXLE CAME OFF CAUSING THE TRUCK TO ROLLOVER TRUCK WAS TOTOALED . TT

NHTSA complaint #975292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1990 Toyota 4RUNNER problems

← Full 1990 Toyota 4RUNNER report