general problems of the 2003 Toyota 4Runner

The rear tire assembly ripped loose from its mounts under normal driving conditions. . A loud clunk noise. . . . Then . Brakes were lost and the electrical system showed warning lights on dash board. . . Car is not drivable. . . Massive rust at failure points.

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.

The vehicle would rev itself up to a high rpm, from a stopped position when I stepped on the gas the vehicle would go in reverse. The dealership eventually replaced the transmission only after the manager borrowed it overnight and experienced it himself, but I have noticed the problem beginning again. Another problem is the radiator leaking and needed to be replaced (I was told it had the wrong kind of antifreeze; it was green and it needs a red kind???). When replacing this I was notified that my front brakes were paper thin and needed to be replaced this repair cost me almost $2000. Another problem is the rear window trim has shrunk. I also had the sunroof replaced after owning the vehicle less than two years. The brake light on the rear hatch does not work as well as the rear wipers (also when I hooked a trailer to it the electrical system seems to be messed up because the trailer lights will not work; went to autozone and tested the trailer and it is fine). The vehicle is starting to act funny again, the engine revs itself to high rpms (this is not the automatic tranny because it happens when it idles as well). The last incident was when I pulled out from a street parking spot and as soon as I put it in drive the vehicle stalled and we lost all power, when I pressed the gas pedal it was as if it was in neutral yet I triple checked and it was in drive. All of the sudden it acted normal and drove about 10 feet then it happened all over again. I also have the rotten egg smell (sulfur?) which is sporadic. Of course the dealer always says they can find nothing wrong, nothing is coming up on the computer. Luckily no injuries have occurred as of yet but I feel it is only a matter of time before I am on the highway and it decides to play these games. Very disappointed in quality of this vehicle, especially since I purchased it because of the reputation.