2006 Toyota 4Runner Electrical System Problems

The plastic slider for the sunroof malfunctioned releasing the sunroof so when I went to open the sunroof while driving the airflow caught underneath the sunroof lifting it up and shooting it off and hurtling into traffic behind me and innocent highway drivers, and I completely shocked did not know where it landed or who it landed on. Now I don’t have any protection from the weather and my headliner is coming off due to the wind. Now I have to save money or go to a pick and pull and figure out how to get this fixed before it causes more damage to my vehicle. I do not know if it caused any injuries or crashes or if anyone got hurt Being that I was going down the highway at the time of the incident.

2006 4RUNNER REAR GLASS EXPLODED/SHATTERED AFTER USING DEFROST - WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT DESPITE THIS BEING A KNOWN ISSUE AND FAULTY DEFROST CONNECTOR. AFTER DROPPING MY 5 YEAR OLD SON OFF FOR SCHOOL ON 1/15/2021, I PULLED UP TO A STOP SIGN AND HEARD A LOUD CRASH FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. I LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND THE BACK GLASS HAD COMPLETELY SHATTERED AND PIECES WERE COMING OFF INTO THE BACK SEAT. NOTHING HAD HIT THE WINDOW FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE - THIS HAPPENED SPONTANEOUSLY. RIGHT BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, I HAD THE REAR DEFROST ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES TO CLEAR THE REAR GLASS WHILE DRIVING. THE DEFROST WAS OFF WHEN THE GLASS EXPLODED. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS HAD ENDED ON APRIL 30, 2018.TOYOTA RELEASED A TSB (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) AND OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND FREE REPLACEMENT FOR VEHICLE OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM STARTING IN 2017 BUT IS SINCE EXPIRED. THE CONNECTOR FOR THE DEFROST LOCATED IN THE REAR GLASS IS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND CAN SHORT OUT OR OVERHEAT, CAUSING THE GLASS TO SHATTER. BEING THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND THANKFULLY MY 5 YEAR OLD SON WASN'T IN THE BACKSEAT AT THE TIME, AVOIDING INJURY FROM THE GLASS, I DECIDED TO CONTACT TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. A CASE WAS OPENED, HOWEVER, THEY WOULDN'T OFFER ANY COMPENSATION OR ASSISTANCE WITH GETTING THE GLASS REPLACED. WE ARE WITHOUT A VEHICLE UNTIL THIS CAN BE REPAIRED AND I AM NOW FORCED TO PAY FOR IT ON MY OWN SINCE TOYOTA ISN'T AGREEING TO HELP AT ALL.

ON MY WAY TO THE GROCERY STORE, MY BACK WINDOW BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. IT WAS A VERY LOUD POP! WHICH SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME! I LOOKED IN THE REVIEW-MIRROR AND THE BACK WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED. THERE WAS NOBODY AROUND AND I WAS DRIVING TOO SLOW FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN A ROCK OR DEBRIS. I WAS DRIVING IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS NEAR UTSA BLVD. IN THE TURNING LANE, WAS IN MOTION AT A SLOW SPEED AS I WAS PULLING UP TO A RED LIGHT. THE MECHANIC AT SAFELIGHT AUTO SAID THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH THE ELECTRICAL AND SAVED THE PIECE OF WHERE THERE WAS A SHORT CAUSING THE BLAST. AS I WALKED OUT THE DOOR, A GENTLEMAN ASKED IF THAT WAS MY TOYOTA AS HE WAS THERE FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE FOR THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL TOYOTA.

REAR HATCH WINDOW SHATTERED DUE TO OVERHEATING OF DEFROSTER. OVERHEATED WHILE IN MOTION. SHATTERED AFTER PARKED.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY USING MY REAR DEFROSTER WHEN MY BACK WINDOW SHATTERED WITHOUT CAUSE, IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. THE SHOCK CAUSED ME AND THE DRIVER BEHIND ME TO BOTH SWERVE ALMOST CAUSING TWO WRECKS.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. WE PULLED OVER TO A VACANT PARKING LOT AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, BEFORE WE COULD GET OF THE CAR THE BACK WINDOW EXPLODED INTO LOTS OF SMALL PIECES. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT BECAUSE GLASSED LANDED IN THE BACK SEAT AS WELL AS THE PARKING LOT. WE NOTICED THAT THE DEFROST BUTTON WAS ON AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION. THE WEATHER WAS COOL AT APPROX. 47 DEGREES ON JANUARY 3, 2019 AROUND 8:45 PM. I DID GET THE GLASS REPLACED BY SAFELITE. THE WINDOW INSTALLER CONFIRMED THAT THE WIRES FOR THE DEFROSTER HAD MELTED. I DID CALL TOYOTA TO REPORT THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY SAID IT WAS BEYOND THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM DEADLINE OF APRIL 30, 2018. CLEARLY TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DID OFFER PRIOR TO APRIL 30, 2018 AN EXTENDED PROGRAM THAT WOULD HELP TO REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS WHOSE WINDOW EXPLODED. NO RECALLS WERE PROVIDED FOR POSSIBLE WINDOW EXPLOSIONS FOR 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNERS.

1/21/17 APPROX NOON I WAS DRIVING WHEN I BEGAN SMELLING BURNING WIRES. I LOOKED AROUND, THE BACK-HATCH AND CARGO AREA WAS FILLING WITH SMOKE. I PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE BACK-HATCH DOOR AND THE TWO RIGHT PASSENGER DOORS. I BEGAN OPENING THE HOOD WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSION OCCURRED. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE IMPACT OF A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. I RAN TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE BACK-HATCH WINDOW HAD EXPLODED. BROKEN GLASS WAS EVERYWHERE IN THE STREET AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IF ANYONE HAD BEEN INSIDE THE VEHICLE OR STANDING BEHIND IT WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. 1/23/17 I WAS CONTACTED BY SOUTH COAST TOYOTA. TOYOTA'S TECHNICIAN OBSERVED BURNED WIRING AND ELECTRICAL MOTOR IN THE REAR HATCH DOOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. APPROXIMATELY 1900 FOR REPAIRS TO REPLACE ECO, MOTOR AND GLASS. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED THE CONTACT INFO FOR TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE. *TR

YESTERDAY I TOOK MY 3YR OLD TO PRE-SCHOOL, I DID LEAVE MY CAR RUNNING AS I USUALLY DO WHEN I DROP HIM OFF, MY HEATER WAS GOING AS WELL AS MY DEFROST AS IT WAS A COLD MORNING. WHEN I CAME OUT APPROXIMATELY 7-8 MINUTES LATER I SEE THAT MY BACK WINDOW IS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. I AM COMPLETELY SURPRISED AND A LITTLE FREAKED OUT SINCE MY CHILD WAS JUST SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT WHERE I ALSO FOUND GLASS. AS I AM CLEANING UP THE GLASS ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF MY CHILD'S PRE-SCHOOL I SMELT SOMETHING BURNING IN THE REAR WINDOW IN THE INSIDE. TURNS OUT MY ELECTRICAL UNIT THAT POWERS MY DEFROSTING HEATER IN THE REAR WINDOW WAS TOTALLY BURNED UP. THE GLASS REPAIR SHOP THAT REPLACED MY WINDOW SO I COULD AT LEAST DRIVE MY CAR SAID THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY WORST AS THERE LOOKED TO BE A SMALL FIRE IN THE BACK PANELING WITHIN THOSE WIRES (THE CONNECTORS WERE FRIED). I JUST BOUGHT MY CAR IN MARCH, LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, SO THIS IS EXTREMELY IRRITATING AND SCARY. I PLAN ON TAKING IT TO TOYOTA SO THEY CAN REVIEW THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY PEOPLE THAT THIS MAY NOT BE A COVERED PROBLEM UNDER MY WARRANTY. WHY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OVER?? WHAT IF I WAS DRIVING AND THIS HAPPEN, MY 3YR OLD AND MYSELF COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT AND OR SOMEONE DRIVING BEHIND US. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN A VERY SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA WILL INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM FOR POSSIBLE RE-CALL AS I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON HERE OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE HAPPENING. *TR

DRIVING APPROX 40 MPH TOWARDS HOME AND REAR WINDOW EXPLODED, SHATTERED GLASS ALL OVER. IT SOUNDED LIKE AN M80 IN THE BACK OF MY TRUCK. HAD WINDOW REPAIR GUYS COME AND THEY SHOWED ME DEFROSTER CONNECTORS WERE BURNT OUT. I DID HAVE DEFROSTER SETTING ON AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. I CALLED TOYOTA BUT THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST. MY CONCERN WAS IF MY DOGS WERE IN THE BACK, AS WE USUALLY TAKE THEM TO THE PARK, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. I DID HAVE A MAJOR ANXIETY ATTACK. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TOYOTA CASE #[XXX] THIS IS PART OF A MESSAGE SENT TOYOTA. MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED A BURNING SMELL INSIDE HER CAR ON HER WAY HOME FROM WORK. WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF NOTING THE SMELL, HER REAR WINDOW EXPLODED FORCING HER TO PULL OVER AND CALL US FOR ASSISTANCE. WHEN WE ARRIVED WE STARTED THE CAR AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY OF THE BURNING SMELL SHE NOTED SO WE DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO TOYOTA OF HUNTINGTON BEACH FOR SERVICE. THE SERVICE WRITER DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR DEFROSTER WIRING HAD SHORTED OUT WHICH WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE OVERHEATED THE REAR WINDOW CAUSING THE EXPLOSION. WE AUTHORIZED REPAIRS ACCORDINGLY AND CONFIRMED WE WANTED TO BE CERTAIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS IN GOOD ORDER. WE SUBSEQUENTLY WERE INFORMED BY THE SERVICE WRITER THAT THE DEFROSTER SYSTEM AND WINDOW HAD BEEN REPAIRED AND CHECKED OUT TO BE FUNCTIONAL, WITH THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY TURNING OFF WITHIN 15 MINUTES; HOWEVER, IT WAS LEFT TO OUR OPTION TO LEAVE THE SYSTEM DISCONNECTED. ON QUESTIONING WHY, THE WRITER ADVISED THAT HE, NOR THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THE HEAD MECHANIC HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SORT OF MALFUNCTION THOUGH IT WAS THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO LEAVE IT DISCONNECTED. WE AGREED IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. WE HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED ON VARIOUS WEB BASED BLOGS THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED PRECISELY THE SAME PROBLEM. LINKS WERE SUBMITTED TO TOYOTA. AS DISCUSSED WITH YOUR CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE, THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WERE AN UNWELCOME SURPRISE, HOWEVER, THE OVERWHELMING CONCERN IS WONDERING IF WE HAVE PLACED OUR DAUGHTER IN A CAR, THAT MAY HAVE INHERENT DESIGN PROBLEMS RENDERING IT UNSAFE FOR HER TRAVELS TO WORK, SCHOOL, AND VACATIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CEL VSCOFF VSC TRAC. HAD IT CHECKED, WAS TOLD #6 CYLINDER PLUG OR COIL, REPLACED COIL AND ALL SPARK PLUGS .CEL LIGHT WENT OFF THE NEXT DAY BUT CAME BACK ON FOLLOWING DAY. NOTICED A SOUND OF WATER MOVING IN A PIPE OR WHAT SOUNDED LIKE IN A PIPE BEHIND DASH FOR A SECOND OR SO. WAS IDLING AND RUNNING ROUGH WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE WAS SHAKING. WENT ON SOME WEB SITES READ SOME COMMENTS FROM OTHER OWNERS ,BAD HEAD GASKET. 4RUNNER HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF NEVER ABUSED ONLY 8 YEARS OLD, NORMAL MILES I THINK, NOT VERY HAPPY WITH THIS. BAD DESIGN OF CYLINDER HEAD. I OWN A 94 4BY 4 PICK UP BOUGHT NEW 250,000 MILES LOT A ORIGINAL PARTS STILL ON TRUCK RUNS VERY WELL EXCEPT FOR BAD ROT ON CHASSIS HAPPY WITH TRUCK WAS VERY GOOD TO ME AS WAS I TO IT. I ALSO HAVE A 01 TUNDRA SR5 BOUGHT 2 YEARS AGO WITH 132,000 RUNS WELL, 02 SENSOR REPLACED PASS. FRONT WENT WELL BUT NOW HAVE TO REPLACE PASS. REAR IMPOSSIBLE SINCE ROT WILL NOT PERMIT ME TO HAVE TO REPLACE CAT CONVERTER, NOTICED LOTS OF ROT ON FRAME AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS UNDER TRUCK. HAVE LOVED TOYOTAS TILL NOW ONLY HAD GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM, STARTING TO HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2006 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER (MILEAGE 66, 476 MLS). I HAVE BEEN HAVING THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE VSC TRAC, CHECK ENGINE, AND CAR ANTI SKID LIGHT UP SIMULTANEOUSLY ON MY DASH. IT IS VERY CONCERNING BECAUSE I AM BEGINNING TO HEAR ABOUT OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE. *TR

OUR 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH A V8 ENGINE HAS LOST ACCELERATOR RESPONSE ON TWO OCCASIONS IN THE FIRST YEAR WE HAVE OWNED IT. THE CHECK ENGINE, VSC AND TRAC LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR INPUTS. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS JULY 2006 WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 3800 MILES ON IT. THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE WAS CHANGED AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE FIXED UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN FEBRUARY 2007 WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 9800 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP FROM FEBRUARY UNTIL AUGUST 2007. TOYOTA REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE AGAIN, THEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTER, ALL OF WHICH DID NOT FIX THE VEHICLE. THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE WIRE HARNESS IN AUGUST 2007 WHICH HAS THE VEHICLE WORKING AGAIN. WE HAVE ASKED TOYOTA TO RE-PURCHASE THE VEHICLE FROM US BECAUSE WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THIS VEHICLE. IF THIS LOSS OF POWER WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT! TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO RE-PURCHASE OR REPLACE THE VEHICLE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM SO THAT OTHER TOYOTA 4 RUNNER OWNERS AND FUTURE OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES.