2003 Toyota 4Runner Electrical System Problems

Odometer Fraud. The contact investigated a 2003 Toyota 4 Runner. The contact stated that during the investigation, he discovered a fraudulent scheme of approximately 15 vehicles with odometer fraud. The contact stated that the suspects targeted Facebook Marketplace victims by spraying oil on the engine prior to test-driving the vehicle, and when the vehicle began smoking, the suspects would ask for a discount for the vehicle. The contact added that after the vehicle was purchased, the odometer was rolled back and the vehicle was resold. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 150,000, and at the time of the vehicle being sold, it was discovered that the mileage was 306,000.

UPON STARTING VEHICLE, GAS GAUGE AND TACHOMETER DID NOT WORK. TURNED IGNITION OFF THEN RESTARTED AND GAS GAUGE FLUCTUATED AND FINALLY RESPONDED, BUT NO RESPONSE FROM TACHOMETER. AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE WITH AIR ON, STOPPED AT STORE THEN STARTED VEHICLE AND ALL GAUGES WORKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED QUITE OFTEN SINCE IT IS GETTING WARM. I HAVE READ BLOGS WHERE OTHER OWNERS OF THE SPORT MODEL ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE CLUSTER FAILING. SOME HAVE TRIED TO GET REPAIRED AND THAT'S A 50/50 SHOT. THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE IS TO REPLACE CLUSTER AT $300.00 USED WITHOUT LABOR AND AN EXTRA FEE OF $100.00 TO CALIBRATE MILEAGE. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF ISSUE, BUT FAILS TO RESPOND.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTED THAT THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE AIR VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO SENT A LETTER ASKING OWNERS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE DASHBOARD INSPECTED HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

ON APPROXIMATELY FEBRUARY 28, 2012, THE ABS/TRAC CONTROL/VSC LIGHTS CAME ON AND REMAINED LIT ON MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN RIGHT AWAY. THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND CAME UP WITH "NO SENSOR READING?. IT COST ME $150 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. I PICKED UP THE CAR AND A FEW WEEKS LATER I BROUGHT IT BACK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER THEN INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY O2 SENSOR WHICH THEY REPLACED MY COST WAS OVER $650. THE NEXT WEEK THE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS BUT LATER REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD WAIT UNTIL IT GOT WORSE AND BRING IT BACK. I SUFFERED WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR MONTHS. I SAY SUFFERED BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN PARK AND THESE LIGHTS CAME ON, I COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE LIGHTS WOULD EVENTUALLY GO AWAY AND ALLOW ME TO DRIVE. ON 8/24 THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. I COULD NOT SHIFT MY CAR OUT OF PARK FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES ON OVER 10 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED LIT ALMOST CONSTANTLY OVER 3 DAYS. WHEN I CALLED TO RETURN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 8/27, THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ISSUE, BUT THEN TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOT. LATER THAT DAY, THEY CALLED AND SAID THAT THEY AGAIN COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE HAD ON VARIOUS TOYOTA VEHICLES. I FEEL AN INVESTIGATION IS APPROPRIATE IN THIS INSTANCE. *TR

AFTER REPLACING AN OXYGEN SENSOR SEVERAL TIMES, THE DEALERSHIP FINALLY DISCOVERED THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM THAT IS MAKING THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND TRACTION CONTROL CIRCUIT SHORT OUT. THE AIR DIVERTOR FLAP INSIDE THE HVAC BOX UNDER THE DASH HAD GREASE APPLIED TO THE FLAP HINGES IN THE FACTORY. DIRECTLY BELOW THE FLAP IS A WIRING HARNESS WHICH DROPS DOWN FROM THE HVAC BOX AND PLUG INTO THE ECU. OVER TIME THE GREASE HAS TRAVELED DOWN THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION PLUG INTO THE ECU CAUSING VARIOUS CIRCUITS TO SHORT. NO DAMAGE AT PRESENT, HOWEVER VARIOUS SAFETY CIRCUITS SUCH AS TRACTION CONTROL ARE BEING AFFECTED. FURTHERMORE, AS OIL IS COMBUSTIBLE, AN INTERIOR FIRE COULD RESULT FROM THE OIL PENETRATING THE 12 VOLT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION POINT ON THE ECU. THIS ISSUE/ PROBLEM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS AND ECU AS WELL AS CLEAN THE GREASE OUT OF THE HVAC BOX. *TR

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER IN MAY 2003. IN ONE COLD MORNING OF JAN. 2005, I WAS DRIVING IT IN HIGHWAY THAT WAS STILL COVERED WITH SOME SNOW. ALL OF SUDDEN, AN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WAS AUTOMATICALLY TURNED ON, FOLLOWED BY VSC LIGHTS, INDICATING THAT A VEHICLE SKID CONTROL FUNCTION WAS AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OFF. AT THAT POINT, I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR BEYOND 50 MPH, NO MATTER HOW HARD OR FREQUENTLY I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I PULLED OVER, RESTARTED, AND RE-ENTERED THE HIGHWAY BUT HAD THE SAME RESULTS. I MANAGED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION THE SAME DAY. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE AND SIMPLY RESET THE COMPUTER CONTROLLER. THIS SEEMED TO HAVE RESOLVED THE PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CHECK AND VSC LIGHT ISSUES RESURFACED ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER. THE DIFFERENCE THIS TIME WAS THAT THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION ISSUE. NO INSPECTION WAS MADE. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OFF AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT A MONTH. IN JAN. 2010, THOSE LIGHTS REAPPEARED AND HAVE REMAINED TURNED ON. NO IMPACT ON ACCELERATION HAS BEEN OBSERVED. *TR

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

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