Differential Unit Problems of Toyota 4Runner - part 1

The vehicle has had a multitude of issues. I am on my 3rd different set of tires this year (including the original tires). No matter how many times the tires are balanced, the steering wheel shakes rather violently at certain speeds. The tires have been balanced and re-balanced (including road-force balanced, etc. ). On-line forums indicate that many other Toyota owners are experiencing the same issue. Also this week I have lost the ability to steer the vehicle (the steering wheel is locking and binding up). Approximately 2 weeks ago the right front caliper froze up and the vehicle nearly went off the road. Also the rear differential was noisy from the day the vehicle was new. Toyota eventually replaced the rear differential (I believe a bad pinion gear). Shortly after the rear differential was replaced the vehicle started to go in and out of 4-wheel drive on its own, and warning lights and chimes started going off. The dealer then made repairs but this has happened at least once or twice since then and the dealer has repaired it each time. Also in the last year the transmission stopped working leaving me stranded in the middle of a 4-lane road. I eventually was able to get the vehicle to move but then it started to go in and out of 4-wheel drive on it's own again with warnings and chimes going off. Whenever the vehicle starts to go in and out of 4-wheel drive on its own the shifter lever usually starts to freeze up as well (and you may need to use both hands to force the vehicle into gear). The vehicle has also had a strong odor of antifreeze since new coming from the right front corner. The dealer has advised they cannot locate the cause. Also various heat shields have either broken or fallen off since the vehicle was new. Please note that I do not go 4-wheeling with the vehicle and it's meticulously maintained including all service records and receipts.

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Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that oil was discovered in the driveway where the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to tarbox Toyota 3671 quaker ln, north kingstown, ri 02852 (401) 884-5438 where the contact was informed that the rear differential was leaking and the frame was rotted. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle could not be repaired due to the excessive rust on the frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,595. Dr.

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I purchased the 2002 4runner in 2014. At that time, the 4runner only had 79,000 miles and had been cared for meticulously. I have taken the car in for routine service over the past 5 years. Upon taking the 4runner in due to a vibration and check of the differential, the mechanic called me in to look at the frame while it was up on the lift. Below in the attached photos, there is extensive rusting of the rear differential, axle and frame. The vehicle was stationary and the issue was found during routine maintenance. The rusted frame and differential have rendered this vehicle practically valueless and unsafe.

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Was driving to work one morning and my frame broke and cause my rear differential to shift cause me to have to tow my vehicle.

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After only a couple of years started rusting pretty badly on frame, crossmembers and front and rear differentials. Also stabilizers skid plates and basically anything under the truck. Thought it was only surface rust until parts were cracking and stabilizers fell off truck. Rear end was ready to drop off truck! truck only has 81,000 miles and looks brand new. Wanted to keep another 10 years! my wife and kid used this and could have crashed them both! frame rusted from inside out and dealer deemed undriveable this week! truck valued at $13-15,000! dealer wont warranty and not under tacoma and sequoia recalls! same frame issues Toyota! recall the 4 runner Toyota! major danger of frame looking ok from outside but crumbling and falling apart while driving. Have been a mechanic and body person all my life and never seen rusting and crumbling of a frame in chunks falling off! wake up Toyota, recall the 4runner or fix my frame! cannot drive truck!.

Frame rust is so pervasive on my 2008 4runner that the Toyota dealer refuses to make necessary repairs to transmission. The dealer suggested that I "walk away from the vehicle", citing future rust-related problems with caliper replacement and other routine maintenance. Rust on differential axle led to the shearing off of the fluid drain bolt, rendering that impossible to drain/refill. Attached are notes from the dealer's maintenance engineer, citing rusted cross member bolts and other components interfering with necessary repairs. I have serious concerns about the ongoing safety and road-worthiness of this vehicle.

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"takata recall" frame rusted out from the inside out. Looking at on frame it was at least 1. 5 inches of dirt and small rock from maine roads and than when rained it was just mud the bad spot is on the passenger side d by torsion bar no way to drain. Also rear end differential gear cover rusted out on other vehicles you replaced just the cover on the 4runner I was told to replace the rear end price just for the rear end was $2500 than labor.

Extensive frame rust through and rear differential/axle rust the frame rust is in an area that connects the rear axle to the vehicle.

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Rear differential rusted through.

Rear differential covered rusting through.

I took my vehicle in for a routine oil change recently and the technician said that I have some major rust issues on my rear axle and drivetrain. He should me when it was on the lift. He explained to me that the bolt and clip than holds the brake line down on the rear differential had rusted and broken off of the differential cover. The rear differential is now leaking gear oil. The technician advised me that it is too risky to attempt to repair as it may cause the entire differential to be damaged and the whole rear axle would need to be replaced. The technician also said that it is a risk to drive the vehicle and is possibly unsafe to keep driving. He stated that it is unknown how much longer I would be able to drive it until the rear axle ceases.

Tl-the contact owns a 2001 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while exiting out of a parking space, there was an oil stain on the ground. The contact noticed that the oil was leaking from the rear differential. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,528. Djr.

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Frame and rear differential rusting out.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that fluid was leaking under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the rear differential housing was rusted, leaked fluid intermittently and there were multiple holes to the point that the component may fracture. The rear differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was not available.

Rear differential has rusted through, the whole thing has to be replaced because there is no separate cover the repair cost may be high.

On October 11th 2014, I was driving my 2001 4runner, on my way to work. Had just turned off a road with a speed limit of 55. As I hit 35mph, my car comes to a jolting stop with a loud bang and drag on the tires. The car still ran, but the car wouldn't move. I had to finish walking to my job, as I was cellphone-less at the time. I had to pay to have my car towed home, missing an entire day's work, which was a loss of 120$. The guy who towed me told me it was definitely something to do with my rear end. So I had a family friend who is a retired mechanic look it over to see if he could spot what the problem was. First thing noticed was my emergency break was on and frozen. They remove it, clean it, put it back on. I start the car, go to move it and theres a continuous loud bang and the car again comes to the stop. The emergency break froze again. They once again take it off, and so far it hasn't refroze. However, my car is still making the loud banging noise coming from the rear end, which they have concluded is coming from the rear differential housing unit. Which they found a decent sized hole in, which it appears someone tried to cover with a yellow glue type substance. I just bought the car, and am now carless. As I have 2 small children, and cannot afford to fix a problem that can cost up to $3,000 to fix. Luckily I was only going 35 mph when it broke, and there was no one following behind me, or I would have been re ended, and had more to fix that I already do. This is a huge problem with the model car, and Toyota really needs to issue a recall on the differential unit!!! it's fairly dangerous. I loved this car before this incident. But now it's useless til I can afford this fix.

The contact owns a 2001 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that the differential housing corroded and caused fluid to leak. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl-the contact owns a 2007 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 mph, the contact had tried to engage the four wheel drive. The four wheel drive was not engaging. The four wheel drive warning indicator had illuminated. The contact stated that this was a recurring failure. The vehicle was driven to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that front differential vacuum actuator and t-case actuator had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,412. In addition, on September 23, 2015. The vehicle rear differential had fractured and was making a abnormal noise. The contact stated that this was a recurring failure. The vehicle was driven to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the rear differential had failed and fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 63,488. Kc.

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Rear differential housing is rusted very badly leaking gear oil. Rust is extremely thick. Huge flakes more like chunks. Leaking from rear of housing where rust has penetrated far enough to cause a slow leak. Rest of 4runner is in good shape.

During snowstorm in 4 wheel drive mode; 4 wheel drive system would not engage due to failure of add - auto disconnecting differential actuator. This led to extremely dangerous safety hazard with vehicle sliding across overhead bridge. No warning of failure, just blinking 4 wheel drive indicator on dashboard. Toyota should be ordered to replace this part for free on all 4 wheel drive 4runners. This part has also been out-of-stock in the USA due to extremely high failure rate. Note: failure occurs when vehicle is in driving mode in winter weather which represents a major safety hazard to Toyota 4runner drivers and occupants.

The back of the rear differential housing started leaking about one drop per second. The vehicle has 113,800 miles. We bought the car with about 20,000 miles. It has received the recommended maintenance. The source of the leak is severe corrosion that has removed much of the structural metal of the differential housing. The leak is coming through several cracks that have passed through the remaining metal. The only available repair is to replace the entire rear axle housing to the tune of between $2000 and $3000. This type of corrosion is unusual. I have not experienced this sort of malfunction in nearly 50 years of driving.

Recently purchased this vehicle and started cleaning it, after I drove it home and pressure washed undercarriage, pieces of the rear differential started flying off and gear oil started running out of holes. I have a 1971 Dodge challenger with original rear end that has never been in garage and have never seen a rearend rust like this. I'm really worried about how strong the axle housing structure is and if it could possible break in half while driving vehicle.

I discovered this morning that the rear differential housing cover is leaking oil the vehicle has had some major rust issues which have affected the structural and mechanical well being of this vehicle.

The rear axle housing has rusted through such that differential fluid was leaking through a hole in the metal and dripping onto the roadway. The metal was so thin, like paper. This is a safety issue since all of the rear axle fluid could leak out, allowing the rear differential to freeze or seize up, causeing a loss of control of the vehicle and creating a possible accident. It could also cause other vehicles to lose traction on road due to gear oil leaking onto roadway. We had no choice but to have the car repaired by an independent repair shop who had to replace the entire axle housing. Research on the internet supports this is an ongoing problem with this vehicle. I think the NHTSA needs to step in and make Toyota issue a recall for these faulty differentials. It is obvious that Toyota used inferior metal to manufacturer these parts.

Rear differential has had normal wear up until recently when I noticed a section of the rear diff leaking and rotting. The way the rear axle housing is build it does not have a rear cover like most. But that is the section that has flaked and begun to leak. The fill plug is in the same area which also is rusted. Making it not possible to check the fluid level. If your in a spot were you don't have the finances take care of the problem it leaves you in a spot of drive it till the rear end detonates. Being as this is a common problem for Toyota and it being a one part fix. I feel Toyota needs to look into covering it under warranty or at least good willing parts prices than leaving myself and others in the spot of a $3,000. 00 bill due a known problem.

On the rear end differential housing, the back cover area (non replaceable) has become so porous because of heavy rust scaling and flaking that differential fluid seeps from it. The rest of the differential housing is made of thicker, heavier gauge metal and seems ok. This issue will cause the gear oil to drop below the required level causing differential failure or lock up and at highway speeds could be disastrous. When I realized I had this problem, I searched the Toyota forums online and it appears to be a very common issue with these vehicles and Toyota is aware but will do nothing about it. They will replace entire rusted out frames on trucks under recall, but refuse to address this issue? to add insult to injury they want $3000 to replace a known inferior/defective part. I have had to resort to makeshift repairs using brush on bed liner to stem the leaking and check the fluid to keep it full. But what about people who are not mechanically inclined or who are completely unaware?.

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that there was oil leaking from the rear of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, the contact discovered that the rear differential was leaking. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer or a local mechanic for a diagnostic test or repairs. The failure mileage was 170,000.

My 4runner has 72000 miles on it, and I just realized the rear differential housing has rusted through. The metal is so thin that the fluid is leaking out through the pours of the metal. I took it to the dealer and they said it would cost 3000$+ to replace the entire rear end. There is no other rust under the vehicle except for the pumpkin housing. After looking around on the internet I found this is a common problem, of the housing not only being too thin of metal for the application, but low quality steel that's prone to corrosion.

There is corrosion in the frame and drive-train components. There is pitting, rusting throughout the frame undercarriage and the suspension and differential components. This barely 4yr old vehicle is a southern vehicle. Regardless, this corrosion is a safety issue in any vehicle let alone in a 4runner with a service inception date of 11/30/2008 with 19k miles. This is totally irresponsible of the manufacturer and they claim it is not covered by warranty. Yes, it (should be) covered by warranty and more importantly it is manufacturer's liability to correct safety/quality issue.

When getting the left/rear wheel bearing repaired (due to heavy rusting of the differential housing, causing fluid loss), the technician reported extensive frame loss also due to corrosion. Affected vehicle (otherwise in good condition) was/had to be junked for safety reasons, thus forcing me to purchase a new vehicle sooner than anticipated. In n. E. (north east) USA, Toyota tacomas (frames manufactured in the USA) were recalled for this condition but not Toyota 4runners (frames manufactured in japan). Both my 4runner corrosion conditions are not unusual in n. E. Usa! (photos available upon request). Should Toyota be allowed to continue doing nothing about this dangerous condition?.

My vehicle has very little rust except for the rear differential. Large flakes of rust have formed. The differential recently began leaking. After searching online I see this is a common problem with 4runners.

Rear differential housing is leaking fluid as a result of rust. Local Toyota dealership says the entire rear axle needs to be replaced (it is all one piece) to the tune of $3000. An online search of a diy repair shows this problem (google: rear differential rust) shows this problem is unique to Toyota 3rd generation 4runners. This amount of rust on an integral part is extreme and unacceptable that Toyota has not done a recall, even though they did one for virtually same vehicle in the tacoma for frame rust.

See all problems of the 1998 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Rear differential rust through.

The rear differential is rusting out.

The rear differential on my Toyota 4runner rusted so badly in 9 years of ownership that the structural steel frame that supports the differential gears (the housing) cracked and oil spilled out on the road. I discovered the rust during the yearly state inspection and consequently had the differential inspected by my Toyota dealer (berlin city portland, me) a few months back and they said it was structurally sound but rusty. I am an engineer and clearly it was not structurally sound or it would not have failed in short order as it did. . . . This failure could have caused the rear wheels to lock up resulting in a severe accident. This rust problem is common on most Toyota truck frames and drive trains owned in the north east. Toyota has elected to repair the trucks at no cost but not the 4runners with the same frame and differentials. This is dangerous as hell. . . They put me and my family at grave risk. . . .