Is quality lacking??

Hey guys, new 23’ 4runner limited owner but have owned many toyotas over the years and just recently got rid of a 23 camry. The camry was like an aluminum can on wheels. Every little bump and at freeway speeds, the hood would just bounce everywhere and toyota claims that “is normal”. Ive owned many cars and a bouncy hood was never normal. Now im noticing similar things with the 4runner thats supposed to be a rock solid vehicle. Curious if anyone else notices their hoods do this in their 22-23 models? Check it out if you think of it. Is toyota body quality just turning to crap that they are so thin they move in the wind at high speeds? Its highly disappointing!

 

Mine does too, so did my Tacoma. Compared to the Tacoma I feel like I’m driving a Bentley so I can’t complain.

 

Hey ted, at least others are seeing this, it looks like this is what toyota is turning to are these paper thin ass vehicles that move in the wind..and especially the trucks is uncalled for. It’s disheartening cause i got rid of the camry for pretty much the same thing

 

Haven’t noticed anything with regards to hood movement. Had her up to 80 mph a time or two. Generally speaking I’m a slow driver though. When I was 16 I had a 1967 VW bug I got up to the oil light on the freeway (past the 90 mph mark) and the doors were visibly pulsating in and out about an inch or two. Backed out of the throttle at that point, but funny thing was it wasn’t drifting around on the road. Up until around 25 I routinely took my cars up to as fast as they would go, even my 1972 Mach 1, valves would float around 124 mph, really pissed me off at that age, now at 68 would never dream of doing stupid shit stuff like that, but then, no fear of death like today. The Mach 1 did come with hood locks in those days.

 

Nothing loose, rattling or vibrating on my 2023 SR5. Very tight and solid. Zero hood rattle or vibration at any speed.

 

Thats good. Wish i could say that about my last 2 toyota vehicles.

 

Adjust your bump stops under the hood. "Unscrewing" them will lift them up creating more tension on the hood when latched. It will then no longer "bounce".
Probably could have done the same with your Camry.

 

Upon initial delivery within the first 500 miles, I had a slight vibration\movement from the hood. Adjusted the hood bumpers on both the left and right and it created a tighter fit when closed.

After that I had a slight ticking above the left upper corner of the windshield when cold on rough surfaces, But this has ceased after reaching over 4k miles. Not sure if it was sealant contacting the windshield or the closely installed trim or something else. Glad it has stopped as it was worse than the hood issue.

Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the forum.

 

My hood doesn't move, but it does flex around the scoop under strong winds.

 

I notice the sheet metal flexing at speed on 23 Camry and 21 4runner. No noise or vibration it's just very thin sheet metal. I don't love it but just accept it's the result of them striving for higher mpg goals and lighter materials.

I do anticipate the inevitable hail storm is going to cause damage easily.

 

It's thin but doesn't bounce if the bump stops are adjusted.

Wait til you take it through the air dryer at the carwash.

 

My 2010 Taco was the same. Just keep driving.

 

Yea they did that with the camry twice at the dealer and it still did it. It was bouncing bad all over even with a few adjustments. The dealer just didnt have a fix and didnt wanna mess with it. In the 4 runner its more so the middle of the hood. It seems secure around the latch. It just seems paper thin

 

Oh hell yea, i had em turn the dryers off at my car wash cause of it. It was really bad

 

Agreed. I saw the same on my camry its so damn thin just to save gas mileage. Id rather have a tad more gas than have my new car hood bouncing in the wind. What new car does that. Just pisses me off they have come to that

 

Sorry yea, flexing in the wind is a better description. Its more so in the middle thats why i didnt think they bumpers adjusted would even matter because of where its happening, i dont know

 

Thanks. Yea i just figured since these were made in japan these things would be bulletproof, but it seems to be paper thin like the other models. My girl has a 22 mazda cx30, hood no bounce at all, super solid metal

 

Adjusting the bumpers only solves up & down movement of the entire hood.

 

Yea the dealer did that and made no difference, they even said toyota was going with lighter material ..my reply to him was “yea it shows”

 

The hood on my 2019 flexes under those dryers, as did the hood on my 2003. Never had a problem because of it.

 

I just dont like that it flexes on a 23 model..it does it on the freeway and flexes just going over bumps also. Oh the car wash dryers were super bad

 

There's not much you can do about it now. Did you not notice it on your test drive?

Regardless of the flimsy hood, my 2019 with 103K miles and tons of abuse still feels like a brand new car.

 

No i didnt think a 55k solid 4runner would do that, so i didnt notice it.

 

My 21 4runner and my 18 Higlander both have the hood jiggle. Both are fairly flat hoods. I don’t think has to with cheapness or thinness of metal. The 4runner is not particularly thin. Maybe it has more to do with the relative flatness of the hood. Cars with hoods that have a tiny bit more arch/curve across the top might have less jiggle.

Structurally, I don’t think it causes any problems though.

 

Time to trade it for a Mazda.

 

Hood flexes but the truck is still built pretty solid. Probably my first truck I’ve ever owned where there are no mystery rattles or squeaks. I have a 2021 and still solid. I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it.

 

I think i've noticed some wind flex on the 4runner, but honestly not really on my 19 Camry. Maybe a little. Never enough to bother me because the hood's not really in your face like it is in the 4runner. I tell you though, I recently got 48 mpg (non hybrid) driving 60mph 2 hours to the beach recently (pretty flat 55mph highway). I'll take a little flex for that efficiency. I'll drive the 4runner when I want to main-line the dino juice.

 

I see hood flex on my 2023 ORP on the highway but other than that its solid, absolutely no rattles so far

 

They are bulletproof. The engine is what matters unless you’d rather be stuck on the side of the road.
And what you are describing with the hood is not that bad. It’s not like you can hear a rattle or anything. Overall quality of the 4R is better than 90% of new vehicles that are ultra light to save mpg and very noisy inside the cabin.
It sounds like you have some hood PTSD

 

I noticed the fluttering for a couple days. Now I don't notice it. Kind of like that cukoo clock we had when I was a kid. When my dad first brought it home, would hear that thing "tick.... tock... tick... tock" from another room. Then it just sort of blended into the background. Probably a cost/ weight savings step by the manufacturers.

An example from another manufacturer:

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/hood-flutter.9182/