2000 Toyota 4runner Transmission Problems

MY 2000 4RUNNER IS RUSTING OUT NEXT TO THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I TAKE IT FOR REGULAR WASHES--AND THIS STILL HAPPENED. I PURCHASED MY 2000 4RUNNER BRAND NEW WITH AN ADDITIONAL UNDERCOATING PROTECTION--BUT YOU WOULD NOT KNOW IT BY LOOKING AT THE RUST DAMAGE. THIS IS THE TELLTALE SPOT, IT SEEMS, FOR 4RUNNERS RUSTING OUT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TOYOTA!!

VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWAY VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE WELD JOINT WHICH JOINS THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM ATTACHMENT POINT TO THE FRAME HAD SEPARATED ALLOWING TO CONTROL ARM TO MOVE FORWARD AN BACK. THIS IN TURN ALLOWED THE REAR AXLE TO TURN FROM SIDE TO SIDE. ON INSPECTION THE FRAME IS HEAVILY RUSTED IN THIS AREA AND THE WELD HAS GIVEN WAY AND IS TEARING APART FROM FRONT TO BACK. THE JOINT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS ALSO RUSTED, BUT THE JOINT HAS NOT YET SEPARATED.

EXPERIENCED SOFT HUM LIKE NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. REAR END HOUSING FOUND TO BE SEVERELY RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE THE INTERNAL FLUID IS SEEPING OUT THRU THE REAR OF THAT HOUSING. NON REPARABLE, NEEDS REPLACED MINIMUM $3000. DEALER SAID THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM & HAD CONTACTED TOYOTA OF THIS SITUATION. DEALER WAS TOLD IT HAPPENS & TOYOTA WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HAS BEEN A GOOD VEHICLE OTHERWISE. DISHEARTENED & FINANCIALLY STRESSED! *TR

I DISCOVERED THIS MORNING THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING COVER IS LEAKING OIL THE VEHICLE HAS HAD SOME MAJOR RUST ISSUES WHICH HAVE AFFECTED THE STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL WELL BEING OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,130 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 144,133. UPDATED 11/27/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONATACTED A CLAIM WAS FILED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLED WAS SOLD AS SALVAGE. THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. SEVERAL TIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START LAEVING THE CONSUMER STRANDED. IT WOULD STALL IN TRAFFIC. A NEW CLUTCH AND SAFETY CLUTCH WERE INSTALLED, NEW STARTER ALSO. THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD STALL. THE VEHICLE DID NOT COME WITH AN ALARM BUT THE LOCKS WOULD FAIL AS WELL, LOCKING THE CONSUMER EITHER IN OR OUT OF THE CAR. UPDATED 12/10/2012 *JS

REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS RUSTED THROUGH, LEAKS FLUID, AND IS IRREPARABLE. *TR

REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH SUCH THAT DIFFERENTIAL FLUID IS LEACHING DIRECTLY THROUGH THE METAL AND DRIPPING ONTO THE ROADWAY. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE DIFFERENTIAL SEIZING UP AND CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, OR OTHER VEHICLES TO LOSE TRACTION ON ROAD DUE TO GEAR OIL LEAKING ONTO ROADWAY. TOYOTA DOES NOT SELL DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING AND INSISTS ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. RUST PROBLEM FIRST OBSERVED IN 2005 AND STEADILY BECOMING WORSE EACH MONTH. NO REPAIRS YET MADE BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE COST. OWNER IS EXPECTING AND WAITING FOR A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASING IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. IT IS BEYOND REPAIR AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE UNIT. *TR

REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER IS RUSTED AND FLUID LEACHES RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL SPRAYING FLUID ON TO SPARE WHEEL AND REAR BUMPER AND ANYTHING IN TOW. COVER IS EVIDENTIALLY CHEAP METAL AND IS POORLY DESIGNED AS THE COVER IS WELDED ON AND CANNOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE REAR AXLE. THERE IS NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THIS VEHICLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE AXLE IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION THEREFORE I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED $1500-$2000 FOR A REPLACEMENT AXLE WHICH IS 1/4 OF THE VEHICLE'S VALUE. TOYOTA CHOSE A POOR DESIGN AND MATERIAL FOR THIS PART AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ISSUE AS IT IS THE ONLY WEAK LINK ON THE ENTIRE VEHICLE, UNFORTUNATELY THE REAR AXLE IS NOT AN OPTIONAL PART FOR ITS OPERATION. I HAVE REVIEWED SEVERAL MESSAGE BOARDS AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER 4RUNNER OWNERS IN THE RANGE FROM '99 TO '02 WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE AND ALL REPORT NO OTHER RUST ON THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE LOCATION. MY MECHANIC ADVISES THE ONLY REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE IS THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR AXLE WHEN ONLY A SMALL PLATE HAS FAILED. *TR

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 6CYL 78000 MILES. NOTICED REAR END DIFFERENTIAL IS LEAKING OIL. DEALER SAYS IT IS BECAUSE I PARK IT ON DIRT DRIVEWAY. NOT LEAKING AT SEAL OR NORMAL CONNECTION POINT. IS COMING THROUGH THE METAL ITSELF. THEY SAID THE METAL HAS BECOME ' POROUS '. LAST 4 RUNNER HAD 340,000 MILES ON IT AND NEVER HAD A DROP COME THROUGH THE METAL AND WAS USED EXTENSIVELY OFF ROAD. THIS VEHICLE MINIMALLY. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART THROUGH SUBSTANDARD MANUFACTURING PROCESS OR INFERIOR METAL. I AM GETTING NO HELP FROM DEALER IN FIXING THIS PROBLEM. HAVE SEEN ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH SAME ISSUE ON LINE AND WAS REFERRED TO THIS SITE THROUGH A LINK. *TR

NO INJURY OR CRASH . . . REPORTING WHAT I BELIEVE MAY BE A DESIGN DEFECT WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY BE A SAFETY DANGER. --- THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING IN THE 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER I OWN SEEMS TO BE RUSTING UNUSUALLY QUICKLY. THIS IS A 10-YEAR OLD VEHICLE, BUT IT ONLY HAS 113,715 MILES ON THE ODOMETER WHEN IT SUSTAINED A LEAK DUE TO CORROSION. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AS BOTH THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND MY LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THEY ARE SEEING THIS ISSUE WITH TOYOTAS. THE LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT IT SEEMS TO BE DUE TO TOYOTA HAVING THINNER METAL IN THE HOUSING. *TR

RUSTED & LEAKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING ON 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. *TR

REAR DIFFERENTIAL FLUID LEAK DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUSTING OF HOUSING IN GEAR CARRIER AREA. *TR

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER DIED AND BROKE DOWN COMPLETELY ON US 68, A VERY BUSY SIX LANE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SERVICE IN MORGANTOWN WV. DIFFERENTIAL WAS FIXED ON 18 NOV. BY AFTERNOON A PINHOLE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL COVER. MOST OIL HAD LEAKED OUT IN APPROXIMATELY 2 HRS. MECHANIC SAYS PINION WAS CRACKED IN HALF - NEW PARTS WERE OEM FROM TOYOTA,. BUT A NEW DIFFERENTIAL COVER IS NOT AVAILABLE. APPARENTLY ONLY AS A NEW AXLE. MECHANIC WILL MIG WELD THE COVER. APPROXIMATE COST FOR EVERYTHING $2000. SEEMS WEIRD THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT SUPPORT ITS CUSTOMERS BY MAKING NEW COVERS AVAILABLE. ESPECIALLY SINCE MANY CUSTOMERS IN CANADA AND UPPER US HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER HAD CORROSION, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID WAS LEAKING. AS A CONSEQUENCE THE DIFFERENTIAL COULD FREEZE AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT SELL A COVER FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL, BUT THE WHOLE DIFFERENTIAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS A REAR DIFFERENTIAL RUST THROUGH ISSUE RELEASING GEAR OIL ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING MY REAR END TO SEIZE POSSIBLY CAUSING A CRASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 120912. UPDATED 03/10/10 *BF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD RUSTED IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, WHICH ALLOWED GEAR OIL TO BE RELEASED ONTO THE ROAD. UPDATED 05/17/10

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER - SR5 4WD - MANUAL TRANSMISSION: REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING RUST-OUT WITH PINHOLE LEAKS CAUSING GEAR OIL TO LEAK. *TR

I HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE OF MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 2000 4RUNNER SR5. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN I COMPLETELY LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS. THE MOTOR WAS RACING BUT NO POWER WAS GETTING TO THE WHEELS. IT WAS A SUDDEN AND TOTAL LOSS OF POWER TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO COAST ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE RIGHT AND WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY. I THEN TRIED ALL GEARS INCLUDING REVERSE BUT NONE WORKED THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. A USED TRANSMISSION WAS USED (REBUILT WAS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR CONSIDERABLY MORE MONEY). NO REAL DIAGNOSIS WAS MADE OF THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE AND TRANSMISSION HAD ABOUT 82000 MILES USAGE AT THE TIME. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS PERIODICALLY CHECKED AND ALWAYS WAS FINE BUT HAD NEVER BEEN REPLACED (THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TO CHECK IT EVERY 30000 MILES, BUT DOESN'T SAY TO REPLACE IT UNLESS OPERATING UNDER SPECIAL CONDITIONS LIKE TOWING WHICH I NEVER DID). *JB

LOUD NOISE IN REAR END OF VEHICLE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP KEPT SAYING IT WAS MY TIRES. UNTIL, I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE AT 85,000 MILES. FRONT & REAR BEARINGS WERE GAULDED. "NEVER" DROVE 4 RUNNER UNDER SPECIAL CONDITIONS! VEHICLE MAINTENANCE WAS ALWAYS KEPT UP TO DATE. HAVE "ALL" RECORDS. REAR DIFFERENTIAL PINION BEARINGS, CARRIER BEARINGS, CRUSH SLEEVE, PINION SEAL, DIFFERENTIAL GASKET, SPACER AND GEAR OIL ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED AND REPAIRED. WHEN ASKED TO SEE OLD PARTS. WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE SENT BACK TO TOYOTA! *JB

THE CV JOINT BOLT AND CLIP ON MY 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER FELL OFF CAUSING THE SPINDLE TO BEND, THE AXLE AND CV JOINT TO BE DESTROYED. THE CLIP COULDN'T BE FOUND, ONLY THE BOLT. LUCKILY WE WERE IN A PARKING LOT OR SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. WE MET A MECHANIC WHO HAD JUST SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM W/ ANOTHER 4 RUNNER AND WE LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY. *JB

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BENT TO THE RIGHT, OUT OF CONTROL, THEN HIT THE DIVIDER AS A RESULT OF A BROKEN AXLE. *BF IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AXLE CENTER WAS TOTALLY BROKEN AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE GOING OUT. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE EMOTIONAL STREES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *SC

VEHICLE MAKES A "CLUNK" OR "BUMP" IN THE REAR AFTER COMING TO A STOP AND RELEASING THE BRAKE. SHIFTER ALSO JUMPS FORWARD DURRING THE "CLUNK". *AK

MY 2000 TOYOTA FOUR RUNNER TRANSMISSION MAKES A LOUD WHINING NOISE AND WHEN I PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL DOWN IT GETS STUCK . I AM UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR AND THE VEHICLE KEEPS ROLLING. THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE TURNED OFF TO STOP FROM GETTING INTO ACCIDENT.*AK

REAR AXLE BROKE CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER 3 TIMES. MR

TRANSFER CASE EXPLODED OFF THE VEHICLE AT 75 MPH WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE TRANSFER CASE NO LONGER EXISTS, DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION, FRONT AND REAR DRIVE SHAFTS AND MUFFLER.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

THERE IS NOISE COMING FROM CLUTCH PEDAL WHICH CAUSED PREMATURE FAILURE OF CLUTCH.*AK