Looking to buy a 4Runner

Hi all, I am looking to buy a 2019 4Runner mid January. After reading about the steering shimmy/vibration and brakes locking up not so sure now. I don't want to go from 1 major problem (17 Tacoma) to a new problem. How many 4Runner owners have these problems? I would greatly appreciate any and all insight. Thanks

 

I've owned 4 different 4Runners and never had a vibration or brake problem.

 

14,000 miles and almost 1yr 1/2 of ownership on my 17. No such issues on mine!!

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I have never had a problem with those two things. Love my 4Runner and starting to do some mods on it !

 

10K miles on my 2017 Limited. No issues. Love it more each day.

 

Yeah I don't what those problems are but I have had no problems, in fact my 4 is about as solid as a vehicle can be. After 26000 miles I still have no rattles in the interior and it still drives like it's brand new after two years of ownership. The only problem I need to get fixed is my cracked windshield from a rock. I turned the windshield heater on and it seems the crack has migrated to the windshield heater. It was smoking and I could smell something burning from the inside, looked out side at the windshield and sure enough it is badly cracked now down by the wipers. I taped it up and hope it's not leaking until I can get it fixed.

 

I've got a 2018 and never experienced the problems you mentioned. I love my 18 as much as I did my 15 and haven't any complaints. Just do your research so you know what you're getting into and you'll be fine.

 

I've got a 19 ORP (with KDSS) and have not experienced the problems mentioned either.

 

2018 W/KDSS and lift with no issues.

 

Well, I’ve had two 2017 4Runners and have had a wobbly steering wheel on both at 60+ mph. My current 4Runner wobbles only on certain roads and only intermittently so I easily live with it. If it ever gets bad enough I’ll go have the tires rebalanced. There have been a number of threads about this and my dealer openly acknowledged it as an issue with some 4Runners. I would buy mine again if that helps. I would just encourage you to make sure your test drive includes several 60+ mph roads. Different highways and road surfaces. Good luck!

By the way, I also sold my 2017 Tacoma for the 4Runner.

 

I bought a 2018 Tacoma and traded it after two months for a 2018 4runner because the Tacoma had a bad diff howl. At least, that's what I thought the problem was. They never did get it figured out for sure. All I know for sure is I lost about $6 grand. I was beyond disappointed.

The transmission on the 4runner is much better. I hated the trans (and engine) on the 3rd gen Tacoma. The 4runner just feels like a much better built vehicle and feels normal as far as the transmission goes. The Tacoma didn't feel normal in that regard.

I'm happy with the 4runner. I'd rather have a pickup but I didn't want to take a chance on another Tacoma. And the T4R has a good track record.

Get a 2019 T4R while you still can. I'm afraid they're gonna butcher the runner like they did the Tacoma.

 

2018 ORP with 285s, and almost 25k miles on it... no death wobble at all, nor "locked up breaks" ... and, I dont trip about that at all.

 

I am really glad to here all these good commrnts on the 4Runner

 

There are problems with every vehicle and there is no perfect vehicle, but the Japan built 4Runner is the most reliable vehicle sold in America over the last decade for a reason. It's built well and is fairly simple, but far from perfect. I love mine.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/most-reliable-cars-decade-according-consumer-reports.html/

 

4Runners are a gas, oil, filters and tires only vehicle unless you want to modify then it become a fun money pit. They also hold their value like few other SUVs.

 

Even after 3 months I still find myself noticing small details of how well built this truck is. The detail in how the back seats are covered, for example. Or the intricacy of the inner door panels. Or the insulation under the hood. Not a big deal to most people, but the overall quality of this truck far exceeds that of other vehicles in the price range imo.

And I think some of what it's lacking is, over time, going to be what makes the truck hold its value. Fewer things to break or fail (electronics/computers).

 

How does the 4Runner perform in the mountains? I live at 8700 feet. Hopefully better than my Taco.

 

What don't you like about the Tacoma at high elevation?

 

It's going to perform better than the 3rd gen Tacoma due the fact that Tacoma/Camry engine is not a truck engine in the first place. The 4.0 also doesn't really come alive until 4000 rpm but I still think the 4.0 is better than the 3.5. That said I am sure the power will be down on any vehicle at that elevation.

 

4Runner is a huge upgrade over a third generation Tacoma imo.

 

My 15 tacoma had a wobbly steering wheel but only after being parked all day long. Ive noticed the 4runner does too. Goes away after a few miles

 

The 3rd gen Tacomas are totally crap. The smaller engine is pretty much useless, the tranny can't hold a gear for more than 1 minute, even on straight level roads. Even worse in the mountains. Wish I would have kept my 11.

 

I had an '11 also with a manual trans. Should have kept it. I still have a Tom
Woods one piece driveshaft for it from a group buy...geez I need to sell that thing.

 

There's a night and day difference between the 3.5 in the Taco and 4.0 in the 4runner. The engine/trans combo in the 4r is buttery smooth and you will hardly ever (if ever) get an unneeded downshift. The transmission is totally "normal." I'm sure you know how the Taco can barely cruise at 75 on an interstate without acting crazy and not to mention gutless. The 4r has none of that. It has MUCH more part-throttle torque.

I don't have any brake problems with my 4r other than they are strong and touchy. (coming from a Taco) Shimmy/wobble is just from tires being out of round sitting, mainly in cold weather. All my vehicles have done that, and it's more related to tire brand. Goes away after a couple miles.

 

I have a new 2019 4Runner and have noticed shimmy between 50-60 mph. I have an appointment with service at the dealer. I’m hoping balancing is the problem and it’s an easy fix.

 

I hope your dealer's balancing can fix your shimmy. Good luck. From what I read and from my personal experience, the steering wheel shimmy (that most members reference) typically happens at 60+ mph, so maybe yours is truly a tire balance issue.

 

I hope so. I had an appointment at the dealership yesterday, but we had the “hurricane “ winds in Oklahoma Monday night and it knocked the power out at the dealership for 2 days. Hopefully tomorrow

 

Never heard of the brake issue. I have heard of steering wobble/vibration issues in some newer 4Rs, but it seems a random issue, at least not something easy to tie down to a specific cause/feature/model, etc. If it's a real, persistent issue, it appears to be only on the newest 5gs.

A '16 Limited owner here with 72k+ and no issues whatsoever on mine.

*Revised to add: some 4R owners see the wobble/vibration issue and get a solution in balancing the tires. A few do not, including someone who was on this forum, then found an answer on another forum, then sold his/her 4R

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