2021 Shake

I bought a 2021 4runner about 4 months ago. I hate it. The steering is sloppy and the engine is weak. My wife's pilot accelerates faster. I did go from a 2016 Ram 1500 with the hemi so it is going to take me some time to get used to the 4runner. That being said, I noticed a shake in my steering wheel at times and it seems to be when I am accelerating and turning at the same time. Is this sort of thing normal for a 4runner? I have never had this issue with any other vehicle I owned. I took it to the dealer because I thought it would be a tire balance issue and they can't duplicate it Is it just me?

 

I have not noticed that in mine. The 4R drives old school I think compared to your wife’s Pilot for sure. I cannot compare to the Ram.

I replaced a 90s Explorer with 4R so for me it was the perfect replacement. The Pilots drive much more like car and grip the road with tight steering. But the pilot is not on a frame either

 

I just went from a 2017 Ram with a Hemi to a slightly used 2021 Venture edition.

For sure the power is lacking, about 120 HP and torque but I knew that going in.

I have not noticed a shake yet, but the steering on the Ram was tighter even with much larger (34") Nitto Ridge Grapplers. The ride overall was tighter as well.

I think the 4Runner is just softer/looser over all for off road ability. So far I'm loving the better ride comfort in the 4Runner.

Reading some of the other threads makes me wonder if a caster adjustment would tighten the steering up

 

Sounds like you should’ve test drove it beforehand if you’re complaining about a weak engine. Honda Pilot and 4Runner are two completely different vehicles. Steering wheel shake seems to be common, plenty of threads on the matter. Some have fixed it, some haven’t.

 

Now is probably the best time in history to sell a vehicle and get your money back.

It's not gonna drive smooth like a pilot, it's slow unless you regear, MPG stucks, and the main issues the 4Runner has are annoying, never really anything major.

10 years from now it will drive the same way. 20 years, 30 years. The RAM will be dust, but the 4runner will live on.

But it will always drive just ok, accelerate like it's under-water.

If you're not happy with it, dump it. You'll get top dollar.

 

Also, I had similar issues with my 2016 and I swapped wheels/tires and the problem went away. It was one of the two, and I suspect some OEM wheels are out of balance and hard to balance, cause I tried different tires and a bunch of rebalances on the OEM wheels.

 

I did test drive it. Who buys a vehicle and doesn't test drive it? I thought I could get used to the lack of power but I am finding it difficult. The shake bothers me alot more. I am not sure what the 4runner hype is all about. The Honda Pilot and 4runner are two completely different vehicles. Dang, I didn't know that. Thanks for clarifying it for me. I used it for reference because they are within 10 hp of each other.

 

Look, ignore this comment, it's one of the favorite comment to Toyota ultra-loyalists who feel they need to defend the brand. The brand stands on it's own and defends itself, but due to a distorted sense of Chivarly people need to defend a brand too, mainly in part to justify the idiosyncrasies of the product and validate that they bought the right product themselves. I mean....they couldn't have made the wrong choice for the right situation, could they?

Could the 4Runner be better? Maybe, everything is a compromise. If you want ultra-reliability and the second best offroader you can purchase (Yes better than Land Cruiser), it's worth something. But just like Jeep owners, to get that, you sacrifice some creature comforts and MPG and power.

I get what you're saying OP, you test drove, but what most of the people forget is that emotion is often one of the most motivating reasons to do something like purchase a vehicle. You envision the adventures, the satisfaction of the end game of rocking a life with a 4Runner. The morning after, when the honeymoon is over, you're left with the realization that to have the adventures, you have to go have them. Vehicle doesn't really matter that much, but you signed on for 60 - 78 months of payments like the rest of us. It's understandable, and it's unreasonable to believe you'll know all it's quirks in a 30 minute test drive.

^copy and paste this for all future "But did you test drive it BRO?" comments.

 

Maybe you could sell it before the used car bubble bursts. For fun, you could always online-submit to Carmax, Zoom, etc. Perhaps you can recover enough and get into something you'd be more happy with. It sucks to drive around in a vehicle you hate - been there.

 

Go to a tall curb put 4runner in 4Lo and compare that to the Pilot. That is the power difference you should buy a 4runner. Not for the highway acceleration.
Try taking the pilot on a trail with small rocks uphill. You will see transmission overheat warning after sometime. Vs with 4runner we parked the Honda and me and my buddy continued the trail.
Did you get the TRD Pro wheels from dealership? Probably they didn't do wheel balance. Check your alignment and wheel balance.
I don't Honda Pilot because both my friends got injector failures prematurely. Utter pathetic reliability. When my wife was looking for new vehicle no Honda was on the list. But Honda Pilot is really good on highway with its low ground clearance and wide stance. It's rough shifting gave me a surprise at first.

 

Just because they are a box with four doors doesn’t make the 4Runner and the Pilot competitors. The 4Runner no longer has any competition.

The closest thing to it right now is the Lexus GX, which is really just a more expensive version with a different body.

The Wrangler and Bronco are sort of competitors but they are trucks with removable doors and tops.

The V6 Wrangler unlimited is also pretty sluggish. That’s why some crazy bastard put a 392 in it.

A pick up truck is built for towing and hauling, so obviously when empty its huge engine is going to make it go very fast. Pick up trucks are also long and wide and most of them are shit on trails because they have extremely fragile suspension and drivetrains.

If you think the 4Runner is slow at sea level, try driving one in the mountains at 8 to 10,000 feet. The fact that it’s a slug doesn’t really bother me, because if I wanted to go fast I would buy a different vehicle. On a completely unrelated note if they shoved the V8 from the GX along with a six or eight speed automatic transmission, it would have a night and day difference in performance with no compromise of reliability and it would be a straight drop in because of almost identical mounting points.

With that said, this is a slow truck. It is not a crossover, so it’s not going to drive, handle, brake, or accelerate like one. I’ve also never had a problem with keeping up with traffic up to 85 miles an hour, and I would think that you are an idiot if you take this thing over 90 miles an hour since it’s really not meant to go that fast.

I’m just shocked that this is still a surprise to anyone given the fact that we’re now on what, the 12th model year of the fifth generation?

I’m not going to address your complaint about “sloppy steering,” because coming from a RAM I don’t think you have a concept of what steering feel is.

 

Drive a GX and get back with me on that one. It's also about 500 lbs or so heavier and that 4.6L v8 makes ok power, but it's only 0.6L more than the v6. I'll agree that if you put the v8 in the 4runner which is lighter, that it would perform better, but the v8 is heavier than the v6, so there's a bit of loss there.

Either way, neither are fast, the GX just felt more premium, but doesn't have a locker, so mechanically, the 4Runner is more capable. And yes, I use the locker for my adventures.

 

I wouldn’t complain. It’d be a nice 3-5k upgrade package.

 

I'd buy the v8 as well, no question. But Toyota knows they can sell us a GX instead, so it won't happen.

 

Yes. They came with the blackout package. I have taken it to them twice already and they say they can't duplicate the problem. As I do more research, I am finding out that this is a rather common problem with 4runners. It is kind of an either live with it or don't situation. I am going to take it to the dealership again Monday and ask them to check the alignment this time. As far as the Pilot goes, I was just referring to it for hp comparison. I understand that they are made for two completely different things but honestly, the 4runner should have a little more balls than it does on the highway since that is where you do the majority of your driving.

 

Hahaha. Got your panties in a bunch, don't ya? Dude, chill out. Just because I seek advice and opinions on a forum doesn't mean that I don't know anything about mechanics or that I can't comprehend what I read. I bought the 4runner strictly for dependability and resale value. I don't drive like I am in Nascar so 90 is a bit much for me. Top speed isnt what I was referring to. The acceleration is horrible but I can live with that. I can assure you that I am not the only guy who thinks the steering is sloppy either. I have talked to several people in the last month who say the same and that is why they didn't make the purchase. What I can't live with is the steering wheel shaking in my hands. I didn't pay 43k for that crap. In my opinion, that is ridiculous that we are expected to just live with steering shake. I will be getting rid of this vehicle as soon as I can I assure you.

 

I think the 4runner is very sensitive to out of balance tires. Some shops just can't seem to balance heavier all terrain tires. It might be worth taking it to a good shop for a rebalance. Make sure they remove all of the weight and start from scratch.

The acceleration is a common complaint. But, if you look at actual numbers, it is similar to it's competition. Some folks have been satisfied by adding a throttle manipulation device. Some of us just give it more gas. I was actually quite impressed the first time I really floored it. It's plenty fast for me.

You might as well sell it right now. The resale has been way high lately, but will eventually settle back to normal.

 

No sir, that is wrong information. My whole family drives 4runners now and it's not a problem for us. This problem come when wheels and tires are changed at dealership or local port.
This issue also occurs when people change wheels and tire at tire shops that are not equipped with "road force balance" machines.
I know discount tire shops have road force balance machines. Talk to a discount tire near by and see if they can do a road force balance. They might even do it free. I got few free services from them. Biggest job they did for free is a bent steel rim from a trail damage.

 

I mean it sounds like you need a crossover.

It’s cool. BOF isn’t for everyone.

 

Yep, most of the time, this is the solution, swap rims & tires.

 

Put the pedal on the metal.

 

Nah. I should have stuck with a truck. But on the contrary, being an ass sounds like its just up your alley.

 

4Runner used prices are STILL more than new here in CA, you can probably still sell your terrible slow, sloppy handling POS and make a profit.

 

Chris,

A lot of members here are passionate about their 4runners; this a 4R forum with a lot of helpful people, as a newbie your opening statement was a little over the top. If you hate your vehicle sell it. Hence, your question about the vibration is not new. I never had that problem with my 4R, nevertheless, I did with another brand SUV. I do agree with you, this is extremely annoying, I can't live with that neither, driving me crazy. Toyota really needs to look into that.

Solutions are available, talk to your dealership, ask for another alignment, or if their willing to cover your cost go to a specialized alignment shop. If all fails, ask your dealership to change your tires. The next step is (rims & tires) write to Toyota headquarters. I understand that you don't want that type of hassle spending a lot of money for a new vehicle. Your money was good, the 4R should be as good as your money.

All by all, the 4R is a fantastic vehicle that can do most tasks being home on all kinds of terrain, lots of mileage & a great second hand value. We live in an imperfect world, We Cannot Direct the Wind, But We Can Adjust the Sails.

 

It could be a very helpful place if people didn't feel like they were being personally attacked because I hate my new 4runner. Passionate is one thing, butt hurt is another. What statement was over the top? The one where I stated I hate my 4runner? I thought this was a free country where I could say what I wanted to say when I wanted to say it? I did not disrespect anyone until I was talked to like I was a 5 year old. As far as selling it, I will as soon as I can. I am stuck with it for a little bit because the price of used cars is astronomical at the moment and there are no new rides to buy. I want to thank you for atleast understanding my frustration with a vibrating steering wheel on a 43k car. I have taken it to the shop twice now but you know how dealers are. They see me as a waste of their time. There is no money to be made by troubleshooting and repairing my vehicle. They talk to me like I am crazy. They try to convince me that it is in my head. Do I have the right to go to another dealer?

 

I have a '21 Venture and agree that the steering in "sloppy" but I don't get a "shake." Makes me wonder if there isn't some problem with your balance/alignment, etc.

I moved to the 4R from a Tundra and miss the power and tight steering, but I have gotten used to the 4R power-wise. I like the 4R a lot despite the steering and will keep it because I go off road a lot. If the day comes that I no longer off-road I will trade it in for a better street/highway vehicle. So, if I were you, I would assess the type of driving you do and sell the 4R if not off-roading. To me the 4R is for going off road.

 

You do know that whoever buys it from you will just take it to a good wheel and tire shop, have it properly aligned and balanced and not even think about any of these problems, which seem extremely minor.

 

I am looking into tire shops around my little MS town that may do the road force balancing. The dealer doesn't see the problem which is the biggest problem of all. It would be a minor issue if I could get it fixed. Thanks.

 

Absolutely. If you don't think they're taking care of you, you should.

Maybe just your overall approach. "I hate it", etc. I don't take spending $40K lightly, so I personally did some research before buying mine, and took it for a long test drive. And, this is even after having owned 2 4runners previously.

If you had done some research and taken a thorough test drive, you probably could have saved yourself a lot of time and money.

 

You’re probably going to have to drive to Gulfport, Jackson, Mobile, Birmingham, or New Orleans and find a shop that specializes in German cars and wheels like MB, BMW, or Porsche.

99% chance they will be able to get it balanced and aligned properly, 1% chance they can’t but will tell you what’s wrong and you can take the print out back to the Toyota dealer.

For what it’s worth, the only dealer network worse than Gulf states Toyota is Southeast Toyota.