KDSS existing or new owners BEWARE!

Joined forum today. Felt compelled to both vent and warn existing owners or those contemplating getting the KDSS option. I bought my Trail Premium new in 2015 with the KDSS option. In hindsight a BIG mistake. So, here I am 5 years later. KDSS light came on. Took it to the dealer for a diagnostic. The housing assembly stabilizer control is leaking. Why you might ask? Because the external housing as designed allows mud and in my case being in PA; salt to pack the housing full. Result, corroded through ergo the leak. Quote to repair? $4,256.00. On an $1,800.00 option? Why in heaven's name would Toyota not warn owners of the need to flush out the housing to prevent mud and or salt from packing the area around the assembly? Why would any owner think they needed to do that unless they mud bog? My driving consists of highway and dirt roads. That's it. My situation is one of "premature failure." At least under the circumstances as I have described. I call BS on Toyota. They need to issue directions to flush the housing periodically to every owner with this system. Pure and simple. So....KDSS owners.....flush your housing sooner rather than later. And frequently.

 

Wow... sorry to hear this. That sucks!

Makes me glad I don't have KDSS.

 

Sorry to hear of your problems! That sounds insane. One would have the same problem in the entire salt belt. Hopefully it will turn into a class action & you can get reimbursed.
We are KDSS free but thanks for the warning.

 

Thank you for that information! I'll make sure to keep an eye on it.

Still glad I have KDSS

 

So we blaming Toyota now and not salt eh.

Guess its their fault when the bolts rust too.

 

Dear Mr. Dillusional,
I have a great bridge in Brooklyn for sale with your name on it. Let me know if you are interested. Since all you do is waste others time.
Get !

 

I tend to agree with @Dillusion here. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on. But, this could also be a result of a lack of upkeep. In areas where the roads get salted, or if you drive down dusty roads, or in mud, you have to constantly be washing your vehicles to clean out the crud that builds up.

@ColinClive , could you take a picture of the buildup in the accumulator and post it here? I would like to know what I'm looking for.

 

So if Toyota designs a water trap that causes rust in a particular area; it is your job to find every area that can retain moisture?
If Toyota has a housing below the vehicle that is sensitive to material, it sounds like they should have designed a way for that housing to drain & not stay packed with snow/salt. At the very least, shouldn't there be a caution to the customers to keep that area cleaned out? This sounds like a design flaw!

 

Disagree. There's plenty of places on any vehicle that can trap dirt/salt/sand. I don't need Toyota nannying me to to keep my truck clean. If I suspect that I've picked up crud somewhere it may do harm, I wash that area. The underside of a Runner is a likely place that dirt, etc can accumulate. So, I wash the underside of my truck regularly. Mother Toyota doesn't need to remind me. Else the lawyers will bless us with another 500 page manual no one will read about the dangers of dirt/salt/sand. I would like to see the pictures that Bassguy suggested though. Might be worth an extra wash on my KDSS rig. Thx for the heads up, ColinClive! Sorry you're going through this!

 

Need to educate myself on this KDSS option.. Was it an option or came standard on certain trim levels?

 

There is tons of god damn places that water can sit. Let me guess design flaw on those as well. We all know salt is going to make shit rust faster. I don't have that problem but I for sure know if I was in one of those states I would check under my 4R 10x more than I do now.

Not to mention class action law suit? From one person making this thread. LOL. Whos wasting whos time here.

Optional on Trail/Off Road.

 

I am not saying that the bottom of the vehicle should be neglected. Quite the opposite. I spend more time washing the undercarriage more than the sides. However, just like you should pull the front skids once a year to clean where you cannot get a sprayer to. This sounds like one of those areas.
If you look at the bottom of the tailgate there are multiple holes for dust & water to rinse out for when things get in there from when the rear window is down.
Maybe this is a salt trap like the front skids...
I am just giving thought & possibilities. Not trying to argue!

 

Unfortunately when you choose an electronic suspension option, you run the risk of costly repairs. Shit happens. Sorry it happened to your still fairly new truck.

 

I appreciate @ColinClive pointing this out. I'll be paying extra attention to this from now on, and I will make it a point to remove the cover and clean/inspect every spring and fall.

It does suck to have to worry about it, but it's a small price to pay for such a great option.

 

In lieu of repairing it, is it even an option to replace it on a KDSS equipped rig?

 

Pretty sure they are replacing said part. Its over 1K for the part only.

 

My question is whether it can be replaced by a non-KDSS sway bar system.

 

Thanks! Very helpful video clip on KDSS. what type of maintenance is involved with KDSS? Drain and refill fluid?

 

Could someone take a photo of the area that needs flushing? I love my KDSS, it doesn’t sound like a big maintenance issue to wash it off if I know what I’m doing.

 

Thanks, I guess you just need to blast the heck out of that area with a pressure washer? That’s it?

 

Seems like vehicles, especially SUV's, should be engineered to be as mud/water resistant as possible. My tailgate keeps filling with mud, due to the three drain holes at the base of the hatch window, and the 4runner vortex that sucks in dirt. The mechanic asked if I have done any water crossings, lol. I don't think it is reasonable to ask the end user to periodically disassemble their tailgate in order to clean it out, but that is what Toyota told me to do. They did replace the rear window motor once under warranty. But as an end user we can't possibly know which nooks and crannies to clean.

 

sorry to hear your bad news. Good info for the rest of us.

 

These are the KDSS covers... Hope this helps