So angry - defeated by OEM crossbars

I love a good emotional dumping thread.

This one has legs.

 

Yep, I hadda look it up.

 

Those will definitely work to remove a stubborn rail cap. Paint job? Who cares...we've got extraction duty here!

 

OP, buyer's remorse can strike anyone. But the truck can't be blamed for you denting it all up taking those plastic pieces off. I did mine in about 5 minutes with youtube, a screwdriver, a washcloth, and no marks. As for being gutless, once again, this is something you should have known before buying it. It's tough to have empathy for someone who takes so little effort to do things right in the first place.

 

How did you manage to dent it 4 times?
The first dent wasn't enough to reevaluate the situation?

 

Getting back to the dents, I think what the OP did (by mistake) was pry underneath the rubber piece that sits below the plastic cap. Prying there would be pretty pointless and could very well lead to the damage shown. I just popped one of my caps off for a different project using a plastic trim removal tool and a microfiber towel to prevent scratches. Popped right off.

 

Give that Audi a few miles. Better build quality is laughable. Have a friend with a Q7 every piece of that thing squeaks and rattles.

 

Pointless to say anything, OP stopped responding a while ago. Probably just needed to rant about problem that he created and unable to take the ownership of an issue. Of course it is Toyota's fault for making that metal dent easily. Hopefully someone out there can help him. Word of advise: If you f-up - admit it, learn from it, improvise, adapt and move on. G.L.

 

Too little power: Toyota decision. I think it's underpowered too.

Transmission selects too tall gear for climbing: EPA influence on Toyota decision. "We're helping!"

Dented roof metal: You ham-fisted the shit out of that your damned self. Not familar with things requiring proper tools and delicate touch?

Jason

 

I have a co-worker who has been an Audi owner for all 44 years I’ve known him. Loves the things. But as strong a devotee as he is, he admits they’re not the best built vehicles. As the years passed, he grew more and more weary of wrenching on them. He still owns a small wagon I think, but his dd is a Lincoln suv, and he got a Tundra for towing a horse trailer. He will agree with you that Audis aren’t built for long-term ownership.

 

I bet OP made this up to get us all going. Or at least I hope it's made up.

 

I am at the point where I believe no one holds any loyalty to manufacturers, Baring any massive failures.

 

OP, please don't do PDR yourself. You can't even take off plastic end caps. I'm kidding. Just couldn't help myself.

 

The photos of the dents tell us otherwise.

 

Well, I don't even own a 4Runner yet and I learned a few things about what to do/what not to do when I some day earn the prestigious title of "4Runner Owner." ;-) I have to agree with others that virtually any project is better performed after consulting on-line resources than by using what passes for "instructions" these days.

 

ditto I installed OEM bars on my used 2018 that the previous owner never installed. It was super easy with a plastic pry tool. All my screws tightened easily.

 

I have no loyalty to any one manufacture. Different manufacturers make different vehicles, some are better than others. There are too many choices out there to have loyalty to one brand or one model.

 

My Volvo has really nice build quality too. It's a 2007, and every material in the cabin just feels like a higher quality than what's in my 4Runner. The doors have a more satisfying thunk, and I can't describe how, but even the power windows feel better.

Also, I was just under it yesterday doing an oil change, and marveling at how rust free it is for a 16-year-old New England vehicle that has never even gotten an undercarriage wash in the winter. Toyota could learn something from them, that's for sure.

 

This is great!

 

The 4runner carpet, rear cargo plastic and headliner could use an upgrade in material but I have no gripes in terms of how solid everything feels in my truck.

 

Pffft! Are we including reliability as part of build quality? I have a Mercedes 280SE from the early ‘70’s that belonged to my mother. Built at the zenith of Mercedes quality. That car has started every time the key is turned - for 50 years. But since those days European quality has suffered. In 2000 I had to sell my wife’s BMW wagon because the engine would randomly die in traffic. I took it in 4 times for that issue with no success. She’s now driving a VW Atlas. 9 recalls and counting… Recently it left her stranded. The auto stop-start system led to an early demise of the battery. Volkswagen made us pay for a replacement even though we were still inside of the 36 month warranty. I left the dealership with my jaw agape and a new grudge smoldering in my chest.

ETA: I’d say that Toyota caught up with Euro quality in 1990 with the release of the Lexus LS400.

 

I will agree on the Lexus interiors especially the GX470 which I have trued to find one. The leather is always horrible and the dash is cracked. That shouldn't happen in a $60K vehicle 2 decades ago.

 

Yeah it's pretty weird for a luxury product.

 

I sometimes feel like my '19 4runner isn't as well built as my '03 was. But, nearly 90K miles with some pretty serious abuse, and no rattles in my interior.

Every time I think there's a rattle, it ends up being something I put in the door, or some of my cargo rattling against something.

My '03 had 257K on it when I traded it in, and everything was solid. The only thing I had replaced, other than regular maintenance, was the lower steering shaft/u-joint, which was partly a result of living in the salt belt. The dash was fine.

I do think that Toyota quality peaked in the 80's and 90's, but I still think their drivetrains are generally bulletproof.

 

As much as I dislike the fact that the new "Supra" is built on a BMW platform, they did a helluva lot more than you're suggesting here.

That said, if I wanted a new japanese sports car, I'd definitely be looking at Nissan rather than Toyota.

 

The dents are on you for as mentioned above by others. I have removed and replaced the covers probably a dozen times without any problems.

I do agree that the OEM cross bars are less than stellar, but I didn't have any trouble getting them tight.

As far as your other complaints; it's well known that the 4runner is heavy, and some people find it underpowered. I actually think that gearing is the biggest issue. If you had done some research, you could have avoided your buyer's remorse.

 

I'm very curious as to why you bought a 5th gen 4R instead of an Audi SUV...you seem quite fond of their build quality, why the switch?

 

60 mile an hour shake is due to tires not balanced right, make sure the dot lines up with the valve stem, and get them road forced balance. In all my research on this issue, I firmly believe it’s tires, and the runner is just very sensitive.
Could it be something else, ya, but I highly doubt it.

 

@OP are you happy that you posted in here?

 

Question here.....

I know there is a left side shown on each crossbar, is there a forward and a rear bar?

I recall something about different lengths.....possibly!