Differential Unit Problems of Toyota 4Runner - part 2

My truck was being driven on a long trip. The differential starting making a whining noise that got louder and louder. I stopped at an oil change place at my destination to have them check the fluid. It was almost empty. Topped it up and chanced driving it 400 miles back to chicago. I made it ok and had mechanic look at it. The differencial was so rusted that it had holes that allowed it to leak. The mechanic tried to find a used one but they all had the same problem. An internet search turned up countless examples of rusted differentials on Toyota trucks spanning many years. There is also extensive rusting on the frame, axle spare tire mount. This is obviously a long term Toyota problem.

See all problems of the 1999 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Differential/axle housing rusted out. I purchased the truck this past week and noticed a significant amount of rust on the differerntial housing and where the suspention parts connect to the housing. This is what holds the differential/axle assembly to the truck. If left unchecked the cover wwill eventually rust out and leak oil and could potentially lead to a crash if the diffeerntial locks up due to no fluid. Also the brackets could rust out causing the suspention parts to break away from the housing causing a crash. This is a know issue on 4runners and well documented on many internet forums.

See all problems of the 1996 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Toyota 2001 4-runner, the vehicle has an excessive amount of underbody,frame,drive train rust specifically the rear differential housing unit. The problem first encountered was the rr. Differential housing rusted through and is leaking oil from it. So I called Toyota executive office and spoke with an executive analyst, I explained in detail what the problem was , she arranged for the vehicle to be taken to a Toyota dealer and inspected by their mechanics and the report reads as follows. Inspected rear differential , inspected housing -found fluid leaking from housing at yoke through rear cover ;metal porous and thin. Recommended replacement of housing and associated hardware repair estimate $1491. 28 plus tax. They also noted several other issues that I cannot be sure if it was caused by excessive rust or normal wear. Then under miscellaneous a general inspection, by technician reads as follows vehicle undercarriage has heavy corrosion - - found perforation at front shackle on right rear of frame. Second problem, at the end of the inspection report under the comments section the technician, hand written said frame is bad,rust perforation (sloppy writing ) I believe it said, right rear rail . So after the executive analyst read the report she called me and said there is nothing Toyota can do because the vehicle is out of warranty and there are no recalls. I researched on line for excessive rust and rr. Diff. Leaking, and found many other vehicles have a lot of the same problems developing. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2001 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Rear differential housing rusted through. The housing cover is a thinner metal than the differntial axle and is not replaceable. Oil leaks out through the rusted cover until oil is depleted and could cause drivetrain failure while operating the vehicle. Dealer said they will do nothing to help. This is an item that should never fail on a vehicle. My vehicle has absolutely no body rust, yet this part fails due to rust! this is unacceptable and Toyota should step up and take care of the issue. Obviously there are numerous complaints on this site and many more on the internet forums. Toyota loses much respect if they do not address this issue.

2002 4runner sr5 4wd, 141k miles, completely rusted through rear differential, both rear axle seals busted out, differential housing has several pin hole leaks and is thinned out, the only fix is a completely new rear end, which is v ery costly, I am the 2nd owner, I've owned a 99 4runner that had these same rear differential rust issues, the rust is ridiculous and has deteriorated the whole undercarriage and my 4runner is garage kept and I wash it all the time. I can't believe Toyota has not been held accountable for the rusting out of rear differentials and rear axle issues.

See all problems of the 2002 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

The contact owns a 1999 Toyota 4runner. The contact noticed that his differential housing was leaking fluid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, they did not offer any assistance. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileages were 135,000.

Rear differential casing is completely rusted through. It is beyond repair and requires replacement of entire unit.

See all problems of the 2000 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

1998 Toyota 4runner sr5. The read differential housing has rusted out so bad that it has to be replaced. Multiple mechanics have stated they've never seen such a thing. No accidents or anything that could have added to the deterioration of this. This 4runner has never gone off road and 90% of is highway miles.

See all problems of the 1998 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

There is significant rust on the frame of the vehicle. Particularly where the control arms are welded to the body. In addition, the rear differential has completely rusted through and has resulted in gear oil leaking through multiple holes in the differential cover. The entire rear end will need to be replaced in order to remedy the issue.

No injury or crash . . . Reporting what I believe may be a design defect which could potentially be a safety danger. --- the rear differential housing in the 2000 Toyota 4runner I own seems to be rusting unusually quickly. This is a 10-year old vehicle, but it only has 113,715 miles on the odometer when it sustained a leak due to corrosion. Apparently this is a known issue as both the local Toyota dealer and my local mechanic said they are seeing this issue with Toyotas. The local mechanic stated that it seems to be due to Toyota having thinner metal in the housing.

2000 Toyota 4runner 6cyl 78000 miles. Noticed rear end differential is leaking oil. Dealer says it is because I park it on dirt driveway. Not leaking at seal or normal connection point. Is coming through the metal itself. They said the metal has become ' porous '. Last 4 runner had 340,000 miles on it and never had a drop come through the metal and was used extensively off road. This vehicle minimally. This is obviously a defective part through substandard manufacturing process or inferior metal. I am getting no help from dealer in fixing this problem. Have seen alot of people with same issue on line and was referred to this site through a link.

Serious corrosion on rear differential casing at below fill bolt, leaking fluids. Dealer unable to do anything because part is not a cover as in most vehicles. Dealer only solution is to replace entire rear differential with all parts. This situation presents a serious threat to life as these components are severely and unusually rusted.

See all problems of the 1997 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

1999 Toyota 4runner rear differential housing rusted through.

I have a Toyota 2001 4runner with 77563 miles. The rear differential has rusted thru and leaks. Toyota is unwilling to help.

I am writing today to alert you to a potential accelerator problem with the 2005 Toyota 4runner SUV. In mid-December, my husband and I were driving on the highway when the car inexplicably accelerated, going from approximately 40 mph to about 60 mph within a matter of seconds. My husband, who has had professional driving instruction, put the car into neutral and was able to slow the car down, at which point the accelerator (which was moving towards the floor without a foot on it) popped back up and the brakes began working again. However, within this same journey, this same accelerator program occurred two additional times. We immediately took the SUV to Toyota of alexandria in virginia and explained what happened. They notified us that our car was not subject to a recall for accelerator problems but, based on our concerns, agreed to examine the SUV. To their credit, they did call in a corporate inspector to examine the dissembled drive train who in turn determined that an accumulation of oil in the differentials caused the cars computer to misread acceleration and deceleration information. Despite this diagnosis -- and subsequent replacement of the drive train and rear differentials -- Toyota mechanics were never able to replicate the acceleration problem that we experienced. After talking to several Toyota representatives, as well as a number of independent mechanics, we were advised to pursue arbitration with Toyota and are currently entrenched in that process. In the interim, we are using the car only for local journeys our of concern that this accelerator problem could reoccur. I am writing today to inform you of the problem so that you have a record that Toyota's accelerator problems may extend beyond the cars/suvs included in the recent recall.

See all problems of the 2005 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

2000 Toyota 4runner died and broke down completely on us 68, a very busy six lane highway. Vehicle was towed to a transmission service in morgantown wv. Differential was fixed on 18 Nov. By afternoon a pinhole leak was discovered in the differential cover. Most oil had leaked out in approximately 2 hrs. Mechanic says pinion was cracked in half - new parts were oem from Toyota,. But a new differential cover is not available. Apparently only as a new axle. Mechanic will mig weld the cover. Approximate cost for everything $2000. Seems weird that Toyota will not support its customers by making new covers available. Especially since many customers in canada and upper us have reported this problem.

I have a 2001 Toyota 4runner. The rear differential leaks oil through pin holes, and from what I have read, mine is not the only one. The car barely has 100,000 miles on it, and the differential should last as long as the car. The risk is that it will run dry, seize, and the rear wheels will lock up causing an accident. This is clearly a defect by Toyota reducing the cost of their material the construct the differential housing with.

See all problems of the 2009 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

My 2000 Toyota 4runner has a rear differential rust through issue releasing gear oil onto the highway and potentially causing my rear end to seize possibly causing a crash.

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4 runner. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact noticed that there was oil leaking from the rear differential. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 120912. Updated 03/10/10 the rear differential had rusted in multiple locations, which allowed gear oil to be released onto the road. Updated 05/17/10.

The contact owns a 2001 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that the vehicle differential was corroded and developed a leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear differential assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 180,000.

Rear differential rust out, Toyota using inferior metal in production resulting in thousands of dollars of repair for fluid leakage.

Several suspension and structural components of my 1999 4runner are showing excessive rust. The worst of which is on the rear axle and differential housing. I've recently had to weld a broken stabilizer bracket. The differential housing has rusted so bad that a hole has formed and gear oil is leaking.

Rear differential cover rusted through with only 22650 miles on vehicle. Dealer had to replace the whole rear axle assembly at a cost of $1800 because the cover is welded on and cannot be replaced separately. My concern is for the frame rusting out and subsequent safety issue as indicated by the number of other complaints listed here. I understand the tacoma's have similar problems and similar frames. The warranty for corrosion has been extended by Toyota for the tacoma. When are you going to do something about this?.

Rear differential cover is rusted and fluid leaches right through the metal spraying fluid on to spare wheel and rear bumper and anything in tow. Cover is evidentially cheap metal and is poorly designed as the cover is welded on and cannot be replaced without replacing the entire rear axle. There is no other significant rust on this vehicle and the remainder of the axle is in very good condition therefore I believe that this is a manufacturer defect which should be addressed by Toyota. I have been quoted $1500-$2000 for a replacement axle which is 1/4 of the vehicle's value. Toyota chose a poor design and material for this part and should be held accountable for this issue as it is the only weak link on the entire vehicle, unfortunately the rear axle is not an optional part for its operation. I have reviewed several message boards and have found that there are several other 4runner owners in the range from '99 to '02 with the same exact issue and all report no other rust on the vehicle except for this one location. My mechanic advises the only repair for this issue is the complete replacement of the rear axle when only a small plate has failed.

Rear differential fluid leak due to excessive rusting of housing in gear carrier area.

New 2006 Toyota 4runner has 10,000 miles, leaking oil from rear differential, I was told it was defect of the seal from the manufacturer, I was told the seal has to be has replaced. Now I am waiting since the part had to be ordered.

See all problems of the 2006 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4runner. The rear differential cover had corrosion, and the differential fluid was leaking. As a consequence the differential could freeze and cause the vehicle to crash. The manufacturer does not sell a cover for the differential, but the whole differential needed to be replaced. No repairs were made. The current mileage was 92,000. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Loud noise in rear end of vehicle. Toyota dealership kept saying it was my tires. Until, I took it to another mechanic. Rear differential failure at 85,000 miles. Front & rear bearings were gaulded. "never" drove 4 runner under special conditions! vehicle maintenance was always kept up to date. Have "all" records. Rear differential pinion bearings, carrier bearings, crush sleeve, pinion seal, differential gasket, spacer and gear oil all had to be replaced and repaired. When asked to see old parts. We were told they were sent back to Toyota!.

Rear differential housing completely rusted through such that differential fluid is leaching directly through the metal and dripping onto the roadway. This could result in the differential seizing up and causing loss of control of the vehicle, or other vehicles to lose traction on road due to gear oil leaking onto roadway. Toyota does not sell differential housing and insists entire differential must be replaced at a cost of over three thousand dollars. Rust problem first observed in 2005 and steadily becoming worse each month. No repairs yet made because of excessive cost. Owner is expecting and waiting for a safety recall for this issue.

Complaint received via email. The brakes failed many times on my car and they were in the repair shop four times. Each time they fixed it temporarily. Also, they indicated that oil or grease was leaking from the differential and coating the brake pads, rendering them ineffective. The symptoms included the anti lock brakes kicking in too often/ loss of braking power, and jolting at slow speeds. Last time in the repair shop they guaranteed that problem was fixed, yet the same problem recurred. This was very dangerous. They told me this was not the only incident, and that new models were designed to fix this flaw. What about the safety of those driving 1997 models ?.

Driving on freeway 5 at san diego, California from the surface street at 35 mph, I heard a thump and the 4 runner slowed to a stop. The traffic was held to a screetching halt as the car will not move. I manage to push it to the emergency side parking. It was towed to frank Toyota of national city san diego, CA. There it was diagnosed that the rear end axle gear has been stripped. I just arrived today survive a third tour of iraq and this happened. This nearly cost me my life and possibly a lot more people.

This condition could be related to item 2. This condition started last winter and is getting worse. ) after being at a stop and releasing the brakes, I get a hard shake/thud from the driveline/brakes. This occurs in 90% of stops/starts. (e. G. , if it was normal, it would do it all the time to some degree. ) there is no metal on metal noise, just the shake/thud like the brakes are releasing too hard or the driveline has too much lash in it. (condition is worse if you come to a hard stop, before starting again. ) 2) sometimes (about 20% of the time) after coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or red light, the transmission goes into first gear hard and/or the converter/torsen differential is unlocking/locking incorrectly. It will actually rock the vehicle forward. Sometimes it gives the same sensation as in item 3. (actually, on a few occasions I get item 2 problem followed by an item 1 problem.

See all problems of the 2003 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

While driving vibration came from the drivetrain/front differential at various speeds. Seemed to be related to rpm and outside temperature. Most prominent at @2000 rpms, and below 50 degrees. Vibration felt in pedals, floor and steering. Heard throughout the vehicle. Dealer tech trying, but no answers.

See all problems of the 2004 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

There is a whining noise comming from the front differential at all speeds, but noticeable mostly at 80 mph and hiogher. Toyota aknowledged, but refuses to repair. Also drivers seat is loose and comes out of place during emergency stopping. Again Toyota is aware, but refuses to correct.

2003 Toyota limited 4-runner v8- awdfront-end vibration problem first presented the vibration problem at 5048 miles to my dealer the last week of August! it is mostly felt through the steering wheel and the accelerator and occurs at various speeds. There is also a droning noise associated with the vibration and is most notable under load. They tried balancing the wheels with no improvement. They agreed the problem was there and notified corporate. Their technical staff had them remove the front axels and retest. The vibration, which started at 22 mph, went to 32mph 42, 55, and 62mph now disappeared! the dealer was advised that there was an angle problem with the front drive shaft. A week later a technical representative met with me and mentioned that several similar vehicles in phoenix had the same problem. He suggested it probably would take about two months to get a fix. He felt that Toyota would probably just replace the whole unit rather than putting in different parts. Two months later I talked to the tech. Rep. Again and he mentioned that the engineering group had determined the problem to be interferences in the spider gear assembly in the front differential, they were trying to correct the condition with thrust washer shims and other things. They claimed that the problem was not a safety factor; I wonder though what would happen if the front end were to freeze-up since its in 4wd all the time! I have presented my claim to the Toyota customer support group. I have called them regularly once a month and have had no success at finding what their schedule is for the fix, --only to say we are working on it and your dealer will notify you. Ive since heard from my dealer staff that they have a number of Lexus gx470's as well as 2004s 4-runners involved. Im beginning to feel that they have so many vehicles involved it might be a long time before we see a fix! I haul a pop-up trailer and does it magnify the problem!.