Scott72

Hi, I'm a new member and have been following this forum for a few weeks. Great info. I bought a 2003 4runner Sport V-8 two months ago. My Tahoe Sport was sucking me dry after it's second blow Tranny in three years, so that was it. I've owned 3 other Toyota trucks and also have a 1990 Pickup with 174K on it -most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Anyway, I absoulutely love the new 4runner, but as with many it has a number of annoying rattles. I fixed the Sunroof rattle with a little rubber house and grease. I have 2 questions:
I just developed a real annoying dash rattle. When I brake it sounds like a marble rolling around near the glove box. I emptied the box just to be sure I wasn't crazy. You can also hear it when I accelerate. Any one have this rattle?
Also from day one my hatch has rattled when I hit a good bump. I'm pretty sure it is the hatch, but could be the headliner way in the rear. It's definetely not the back seat. Any ideas? I haven't gotten the front seat clunk yet, though it does move a tad side to side on a sharp corner.
Like a said, I love the truck, I just think Toyota could have done a tad more R&D before releasing it. At this point my new truck has more rattles then my 1990 pickup, which is a little disturbing. Thanks for any info.....

EricM

I haven't had too many rattling problems...not even the sunroof rattle (mine is a late 03, built in July). I have a slight rattle/buzz from the passenger door panel but that's it.

I've got the common driveline vibration problem (under light to moderate throttle at highway speed) as well as the intermittent tire balance (shaking steering wheel) problem that mysteriously comes and goes.

FirstToy

Hey, I have that too. It rarely happens but sometimes the steering wheel shakes slightly for a while (always at freeway speeds, never notice it any other time)...I was thinking it might be the Dunlops out of balance.
Do you have Dunlops on yours?

EDGE

I had so many noises when I got mine I was cause my Pathfinder I got rid of never had a noise in it since new and this thing sounded like someone knocked a china cabinet over when I was driving, try driving in Manhattan or Queens with those messed up roads but before I realized it, they where nolonger their, for some odd reason the truck was dead quiet from 2000 miles on on wood

The noises slowly just got quieter and quieter then gone

I figured it was made like a house and needed to settle, the weirdest thing with it was the moonroof did not work the 1st 1000 miles now it works perfect.

People ask me if Toyota is better than Nissan, so far just about equal

khaug

Our '03 (10/02 build) now has 19K miles on it and the only problem has been squeaky seats, which my dealer hasn't been able to correct so far. It's been an excellent truck.

thyron

turn the radio up

toyota2

My 03 sport had the steering wheel problem to. It started right after I got it and after the dealer tried a couple of different things that did not work, they finally put a new set of michelin's on it and it has never happend since. By the way it had the dunlops on it to begin with.

Woodbert

I had a rear headliner rattle that went away when I put on the Dueler A/T tires and got rid of the Dunlop AT20.

EricM

Yeah, I've got Dunlops on mine. I've got two different vibration problems... one may be tire related, the other definitely is not.

I'm wondering if the tire related one might not be due to X-REAS rather than the tires... some sort of strange harmonic frequency caused by very slight balance issues being transmitted across X-REAS to the opposite corner of the car. I can drive the same stretch of road at the same speed and only encounter the vibration some of the time. My tire vibration problem will usually last only until a make a long, sweeping turn (like an expressway on-ramp)... I figure it must be changing the tires' relative rotational position to one another when that occurs so any off-balance conditions cancel one another out (or the harmonic frequency isn't hit anymore).

My non-tire vibration is driveline related. It's felt as a rythmic vibration/roughness (almost a grinding feel) through the accelerator pedal and steering wheel when on-throttle (either cruising or accelerating) in the 55-65mph speed range in 5th gear. If I hold the transmission in 4th, it doesn't occur. From what I've read, this appears to be a fairly common V-8 4Runner problem (characteristic?).

The dealer said "If it's still there at the first service interval, we'll have a driveline specialist look at it". Past experience has shown me that these problems usually do clear themselves up as the shocks, springs, body & engine mounts, bushings, etc. all start to loosen up (and their harmonic frequency changes).

Woodbert

Eric,

I think your reasoning has alot of merit. My symptoms for the rear headliner were almost identical to what you describe. Same stretch of road everyday, some times a few times a day and sometimes a rattle, others not. I was going to take it to the dealer once and when I started driving over, no noise and I drove around for more than an hour and couldn't get the rattle to occur.

I agree that it must be a harmonic situation, to some extent relating to the Dunlops. I was REALLY surprised that with the Revo's on there is no rattle.

FirstToy

I think it maybe just that the Dunlops suck.

The accelerator pedal is a "fly-by-wire" that isn't physically connected - that's what I've heard anyway. Maybe it's a characteristic of the fly-by wire on the V8?

I can only say that the problems I have encountered are very minor and nitpicks (little jiggle in the seat, out of balance tires, etc). My Nissan...reliable but had many more serious issues to clear up during warranty period (leaking rear main seal, broken window regulators-repeatedly, various trim falling off, etc).

Scott72

I can also say that my problems have been very minor. Just a few rattles. The dash rattle went away. The marble sound (whatever was lose) is now gone. Now it's just down to the hatch/headliner. Mine isn't a vibration, but more of a clunk. Kinda like the hatch needs ajustment when I hit a bump. No vibration problems. Trust me, this truck is a dream compared to my Chevy Tahoe. In 90K with the tahoe I went though 2 trannies, water pump, fuel pump, ignition module, heater core...it goes on and on. I do plan on getting rid of the Dunlops asap, they seem pretty bad. I had Toyo Open Country AT's on my Tahoe and loved them. It's between those, the Nittos, and the Brigestone's.

AndroT100

I now have 1600 miles on my 2003 V8 Sport 4x4, and I have had the opportunity to drive a couple of thousand miles in my partner's 2003 V8 LTD 4x4. In his, there was a rattle in the back that I located while he was driving. It was the expandable cover for the "trunk" area. When retracted, it would rattle, when deployed, it wouldn't!

In mine, I have been thankfully free of rattles thus far. I have two issues that do exist...a clunking in the brakes that is intermittent but frequent when slowing to a stop...almost like I am feeling, through the brake pedal, the truck hit a bump in the road as I am stopping that really isn't there. Also my driver's seat almost rocks from the looseness of its construction. While looking under the seat and moving it at the same time, I can see that the tolerances of the components allow for movement that I experience going around corners, over bumps, etc.. I am planning on telling Toyota Service when I go in for the 5000 mile visit.

If anyone has any ideas on my brake situation, they would be much welcomed.

Thanks.