2005 Toyota 4Runner Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radiator boiled over without warning. The contact stated that the failure was due to the head gasket. The contact called the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

I'M A RETIRED MASTER MECHANIC TURNED AEROSPACE ENGINEER. ON AUG 24, WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE REVVED TO FULL THROTTLE, SQUEALING THE REAR TIRES. THIS EVENT WAS CLEARLY CAUSED BY A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL CIRCUIT. I SHUT OFF THE TRUCK. WHEN I STARTED IT AGAIN, THE SITUATION WAS STILL THERE. I SHUT IT OFF AND WAITED 10 SECONDS, THEN STARTED IT AND IT IDLED NORMALLY. I CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS A SOFTWARE GLITCH. THIS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. IN BOTH CASES, MY TRUCK WAS LUCKILY STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE.

OIL LEAK IN #6 CYLINDER AFTER 182,505 MILES REQUIRING AN VALVE JOB.

HEAD GASKETS LEAKING ANTI -FREEZE INTO PISTON CYLINDER. DASHBOARD LIT UP , ALL LIGHTS ON.

SECONDARY AIR PUMP FAILURE DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN. TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AS A DEFECTIVE INSTALLATION ON THE SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA MODELS WITH AN IDENTICAL ENGINE INSTALLATION AS THE 4RUNNER; BUT REFUSES TO REPAIR/RETROFIT THE 4RUNNER DEVICE. RESULT IS LOSS OF POWER WHICH COULD RESULT ON VEHICLE ACCIDENT

2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4.7L V8. "CHECK ENGINE" AND VSC TRAC. CODES 1441, 1444 AND 2440.TOYOTA KNOWS THEY PUT A FAULTY SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM IN THE V8 ENGINES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND NOW THEY WANT $2200 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IF THE FAULTY VALVE STICKS OPEN, THE VEHICLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO "LIMP MODE" WITH A MAXIMUM SPEED WELL BELOW SAFE TRAVEL SPEEDS ON HIGHWAYS AND INTERSTATES, CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD FOR OCCUPANTS AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. TOYOTA DID A RECALL ON OTHER MODELS WITH THE SAME ENGINE, BUT NOTHING FOR THE 4RUNNER. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH THE V8 ENGINE, AND THEY ARE COVERING THE REPAIR FOR SEQUOIAS AND TUNDRAS WITH THE SAME ENGINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ACKERMAN TOYOTA (314-351-3000, LOCATED AT 2020 HAMPTON AVE, SAINT LOUIS, MO 63139) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR SWITCHING VALVES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE AIR SWITCHING VALVES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 172,000.

2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4.7L V8. "CHECK ENGINE" AND VSC TRAC. CODES 1441, 1444 AND 2440 VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE ABOUT 20 MPH ON A 70 MPH HIGHWAY. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA V8 BUT TOYOTA IS NOT COVERING THE 4RUNNER BUT IS COVERING THE SAME ENGINE PART IN THE TUNDRA. THE MECHANIC KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND SEES IT ALL THE TIME. REPAIR IS $2,000 WITH NO REIMBURSEMENT FROM TOYOTA

FOR 3 DAYS THE CAR WOULD START WITH ENGINE ROUGHNESS, LASTING 15 SECONDS OR SO (SOMETIMES WITH A CLOUD OF SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST). ON THE 3RD DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSC, AND TRAC LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. AN ANALYSIS AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOUND A COMPUTER CODE OF P0306 (ENGINE MIS-FIRE ON CYLINDER 6). A BORESCOPE VIDEO OF THE CYLINDER SHOWS SMALL AMOUNTS OF COOLANT ENTERING THE CYLINDER, INDICATING A HEAD GASKET LEAK. SEARCHING THIS VEHICLE ONLINE AND IN THIS DATABASE SHOWS A HIGH NUMBER OF REPORTS OF HEAD GASKETS LEAKING INTO CYLINDER 6. I AM LOOKING AT QUOTES BETWEEN $2500-5000 FOR REPAIRS.

STATIONARY ON STARTUP - MY 2005 TOYOTA HAS BEEN RENDERED WORTHLESS BECAUSE OF A FACTORY DEFECT IN THE BLOWER FAN THAT ONLY RUNS WHEN COLD STARTING THE ENGINE. IT TRIGGERS THE "LIMP HOME" MODE IN THE VEHICLE WHICH OVERRIDES TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE ERROR CODE FOR THIS PROBLEM IS P0418 SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM RELAY. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM AND HAS OCCURRED IN MANY, MANY OF THE TOYOTA 4.7 L ENGINES IN DIFFERENT VEHICLES. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT IN THIS/THESE PART(S). THIS COULD NOT BE PREDICTED OR PREVENTED BY SERVICING THE VEHICLE AT REGULAR INTERVALS, OR ANY OTHER METHOD OF TYPICAL CONSUMER MAINTENANCE. THE PRICE FOR REPAIR IS IN THE $3-THOUSAND DOLLAR RANGE. THIS WAS NOT A CONSUMER NEGLECT ITEM. TOYOTA HAS A PART IN THEIR ENGINE THAT IS DEFECTIVE, AND THEY KNOW THAT. I DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY FOR THIS VEHICLE, SO I USE A COMPUTER TO RESET THE CODE UNTIL THIS GETS RESOLVED, OR THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN.

LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLDS DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN THIS IS ON THE V8 4RUNNER. EXHAUST WILL GO INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AND SMELL LIKE ROTTEN EGGS. TOYOTA WILL NOT HELP IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE MANIFOLDS. THE CHARGE IS 2500 TO REPLACE. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. IT IS HARD TO DRIVE WITH EXHAUST LEAKING IN THE CAB SOMETIMES GETTING SICK.

ENGINE LOOSING COOLANT. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION WHICH DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS HEAD GASKET FAILURE. 3.0 V6 ENGINE. COOLANT BEING LOST THROUGH EXHAUST SYSTEM WITH USUAL SYMPTOMS OF THIS PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 100K MILES. APPEARS THIS IS AROUND THE MILEAGE THAT GASKET FAILURES OCCUR. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR WHICH TOYOTA PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED A LIMITED NUMBER OF VEHICLES FOR A RECALL. HOWEVER IN REVIEWING THIS WEBSITE IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM WAS ONGOING BEYOND THE VEHICLES IDENTIFIED. ALTHOUGH THIS IS AN OLDER VEHICLE, IF IT HAD BEEN RECALLED AND FIXED I MOST LIKELY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA NOTIFIED BUT IS DENYING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAULTY GASKETS BEYOND IDENTIFIED VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE AIR INDUCTION PUMP FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SWITCH WAS ALSO DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE AIR INDUCTION PUMP FAILURE. THE AIR INDUCTION PUMP WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

2005 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKS. *TR

OIL LEAK CAUSED FIRE MELTING SERPENTINE BELT. *TR

IF THE BACK WINDOW IS OPEN AND THE AIR HANDLER IS ON RECURCULATE EXHAUST GETS PULLED INTO THE CAR. *TR

V8, 4WD. IDLE RPM IS WAY TOO HIGH. WHEN A/C COMPRESSOR KICKS IN IDLE CAN BE AS HIGH AS 1500 RPM. HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL PULLING INTO GARAGE, AS THE BRAKE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MODULATE AT THAT RPM. TWICE INTO DEALER FOR THIS AND TOLD "...IT IS NORMAL". WIFE AFRAID TO DRIVE INTO THE GARAGE AND I HAVE TO BE VERY AWARE WHEN A/C IS ON. HAVE NEVER SEEN A VEHICLE IDLE AT THIS HIGH AN RPM. DIFFICULT TO HOLD AT STOP SIGN AND WILL IDLE AWAY AT A GOOD PACE WITH NO ACCELERATOR APPLIED. *JB

THERE IS AN AWFUL ROTTEN EGG SULFUR SMELL BEING EMITTED FROM MY 2005 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER WHEN DRIVING WITH BACK WINDOW OPEN. AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH, I SEE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TSB'S ISSUED FOR 4 RUNNERS DATING BACK TO 2003 AND UP TO THE 2006 MODELS. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALER, BUT THEY TELL ME MY ENGINE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE TSB'S ISSUED. I FEEL THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE COVERED. *JB

WHILE STOPPED, MY 2005 4RUNNER MOVES FORWARD WHEN COMPRESSOR ENGAGES. THE RPM AT IDLE WILL FLUCTUATE BETWEEN 750 AND 1100. DURING THE LATER PORTION OF FLUCTUATION, ABNORMAL BRAKE PRESSURE IS NEEDED TO KEEP THE 4RUNNER FROM MOVING FORWARD. IDLE SPEEDS CAN REACH 25 MPH ON FLAT SURFACE AND 45 ON MODERATE SLOPE. IF YOU ARE CRUISING AT 60 MPH AND REMOVE PRESSURE FROM ACCELERATOR, VEHICLE IDLE WILL RETAIN 55 MPH. TOYOTA CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE BEFORE THIS CAUSES A SEVERE ACCIDENT. IF YOU FORGET TO APPLY MASSIVE FORCE TO BRAKE PEDAL WHILE STOPPED... SOMEONE MAY IDLE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. *JB *NM

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SPORT AND THERE IS A HORRIBLE SULFUR SMELL THAT IS EMITTED INTO THE CABIN WHILE REACHING RPM'S OF APPROXIMATELY 3000 - 5000.