Went to pick up my new 2024 TRD ORP and.........

it's in the shop already. Showed up at 1030 this morning to pick up my nautical blue TRD ORP from the local dealer. Started the paperwork and went to take it for a test drive while they finalized everything. 1 mile on the odometer when I started it. Started down the road and heard a humming, thud noise every couple rotations of the tires. Took it into the shop and they diagnosed it as a "faulty front differential damper" that is causing the sound/vibration. Part won't be in for 5 days due to the holiday. They gave me Tacoma to use while it is in the shop.

happy holidays everyone!

 

welcome. That sucks dude! but i've seen worse, so you've waiting this long, what's another week? LOL

 

it sucks but I'm not mad. Stuff happens and not much to do about it. The dealership has been apologizing all day and I told them no need to. Just gives me more time to buy things online for it!

 

Welcome. With only 1 mile on it, the dealership didn't do the proper PDI to check for issues. Look over everything with a fine tooth comb when you go pick it up.

 

Sounds like the dealership failed to conduct a PDI (pre delivery inspection). Sorry you are already having issues but remain positive like you are as it goes a long ways. Ask the sales manager to throw in some Toyota swag!!

 

I would question their PDI process. However, at least Toyota is good and put you into something in the meantime. Toyota had to fix a piece of PPF that bubbled on my Tacoma and the service dept failed to mention they had to keep my vehicle a day longer. The sales manager handed me the keys to his manager demo for the day so I was not without a vehicle.

 

Sounds to me like they should refund all the bullshit "dealer prep" charges on the invoice.

 

You don’t get it, obviously.

See, the dealerships really like money. So they’re going to need to charge a fee so that they can get more of it.

 

What is a front differential damper? Are they making things up?

 

^This!

 

haha...no I looked it up. Basically keeps the drive train from vibrating at certain speeds. It has been on 4runners dating back to the 3rd gen.

 

Otherwise known as a Mass Differential Damper. From what I have read, it helps to reduce drive train vibration.

 

Before the 3rd Gen's, it was commonly referred to as "The reason the seats vibrate and massage you while you drive!".

 

Well, you've broken the mass differential damper ice. I've never heard of one of these, much less one being bad. From the factory.

 

When you get the $0 repair invoice, post the P/N of the damper. I wasn't aware 5th gens had one. 4th gens had one on the transfer case.

 

Dealer drove my 2023 3 miles as part of the PDI so I agree with the others they should have caught this before delivery.

 

Yikes. My 23 ORD only had 1 mile when I test drove it. Now I am wondering if the Dealer did any PDI. So far, so good but dang... doesn't really help the anxiety level any.

 

My ORP had 2 miles on it when I took delivery and that included them doing the ceramic coating on the paint. I’m pretty sure they didn’t do a proper PDI either.

 

People, People....dealerships don't give a shit about a fucking PDI report. Think about it, what could they possibly diagnose with a short 1/2 mile or 1 mile drive? Nothing. They have a lot of vehicles to inspect so they check everything off the list and play devils advocate hoping that nothing is wrong.

But they know that if something is wrong, then the manufacturer will cover the costs if or when the customer tells about it. They aren't going to thoroughly go over every single 4Runner they get. They want to get it off the lot as soon as possible for as much as possible.

It sucks that this happened to the OP, but I bet this is one time out of a 1,000 vehicles kind of thing. That means the odds of it happening are very low.

 

Not gonna name the manufacturer, But back in 2005, went to pick up my new truck and it was already in the body shop for a hood, headlight and fender from a porter popping a bollard in the parking lot. I can 100 guarantee that PDIs are nothing more than quick flag time for a tech after being in the field for over a decade.

After lots of discussion, I still purchased after some negotiations and had zero problems up until getting rid of it for a 3/4 ton truck.

Stuff happens which sucks but sometimes, some type of good can come from it depending on how priorities and expectations are set.

 

According to JD Power initial quality statistics, Toyota averages 194 problems per 100 vehicles, that's 1.94 problems per Toyota on average, within the first 90 days. You should not have anxiety until you've experienced more than 2 problems.

And that's with JD Power which some accuse of being paid by Toyota to skew the results in their favor, so actual experiences may be worse.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-initial-quality-study-iqs

 

The only issue I had right after delivery was the alignment was off and it pulled to the right. The dealer fixed that a few days later.

 

It’s called “pencil whipping”.

 

LOL that would be my guess too. But i guess it’s possible the mass damper is loose and flopping around and hitting something. I can’t imagine thumping sounds that can be counted off by tire rotations is happening at a speed where actual harmonics are being generated.

But it doesn’t matter if they are lying. It’s to be expected. They could tell me the oscillation range of the flux capacitor needs to be calibrated….don’t care, as long as it’s not making noise when I get it back lol.

 

Dealers get paid by Toyota for a PDI, besides taking the truck out of transport mode and removing delivery plastics and a wash....nothing gets done.

I took delivery at 12 miles, alignment was out and tires terribly out of balance. Did not cut the check till it was corrected.

 

A PDI just gives the dealer a chance to find a potential problem. A truck with 1 mile on the ODO that those monkeys don't drive is what I'd prefer. If it develops a problem, it will reveal itself in due time and that's what the warranty is for. My '21 arrived with 1 mile, my lowest mile vehicle at time of delivery....zero problems in the 17k and change so far!

 

Update- 4Runner has been in the shop since last Thursday. They reached out to Toyota and had to try a couple things but it was still making the sound/vibration. They are going to replace the whole front differential.

I’m going in tomorrow to meet with the sales manager to figure out next steps.

 

I wouldn't even waste my time with the sales manager and go right the to the GM of the dealership. You are past the stage of bs responses and now want answers. See what they say first and then possibly get legal counsel involved. Again, one step at a time and please keep us updated.

 

Might this develop into getting a different new vehicle? I mean, it's not like you ever even got to take it home, or even past the test drive. If the test drive revealed this issue, it doesn't make sense that you have to keep this 4R.