Hermes

After reading another post about a blown rear axle seal I think it is time Toyota did something. Is there any way to get Toyota to look at how common the rear axle seal problem has become? It seems to me that too many people have problems with the rear axle seals for it to be all human error, for example, when a technician incorrectly replaces a seal. There are many posts on this and other forums with people having these problems. I think most would agree that readers of these forums tend to be the individuals that pay attention to regular maintenance. There is obviously a problem here and Toyota needs to address it like they did with the head gasket campaign.

I myself have not had this problem (yet), but I am glad I have an extended warranty.

HBoss

I've only experienced it once so far, but I've only had the 4Runner for about 15 months. I expect more rear axle seal problems, although I'm not sure how many. I don't like the fact that it covers the brakes in gear oil, making it dangerous to drive.

So what can we all do to get this fixed once and for all (recalled)?

Nate C

I had one go... fixed it at the 100k mile service though...

Runner4

I just had mine replaced about 2 months ago. My 4Runner had about 80000 miles on it then. After hearing how common it is, I am just waiting for the other side to go soon.

Funny thing was when I called toyota for an estimate, the service writer knew right off the top of his head how much it would cost to replace the axl seal. He said those repairs are veery common in the 4Runners.

jacksonpt

Ok... since it sounds like I'm due for a blown seal any day now... what's the dealer's repair cost for this problem?

Runner4

If I remember correctly, it was about $240 for one side.

DavidO06

I agree. This problem really must be considered more by Toyota and maybe something like a recal should be considered. I have had the problem too many times. It is hard to notice when it is blown, so many may not even realize that they have the problem.

cvlighthouse

I had the same problem with the rear axle seals on my 96 runner. A toyota dealership replaced the seals but some how the brakes locked up 50 miles later. The dealer said it was the fluid that had leaked on to the rear brake pads. The aftermarket warranty guy said there is no way the fluid could have leaked on my brakes. I made a report with toyota two months ago, but I haven't had any word back yet...Toyota are you listening?

PhxTRDRunner

wow, I had no idea about the axle seals...I guess I should pay attention! How many miles are you guys getting out of your Runners before they go? And how do I know if mine are good still? I don't see any leaks..but that doesn't always mean anything. Is there any preventative maintenance I can do?

Hermes

My concern is that it seems to be a very common problem, but more importantly a safety hazard as it nullifies the rear brakes. Not a good thing on a 4000lb vehicle.

Maybe we need to make a collective complaint to Toyota or NHTSA?

Corey, what do you think about a sticky thread so we can gather more info and complaints? This would be a good thing to do collectively at 4ROC (if we ever get it going )

Jay

The leak will show up on the inside sidewall of both rear tires.

There is no preventive maintanence you can do to prevent this.

Jay

btw: I have seen problems with Toyota's come and go. I was working in the dealership when we saw our first 3.0L headgasket blown, way before the recall came out. We started to see them more and more, than.... it was a recall.

I think we need a poll to see when the common axle seal starts leaking. I have seen 80,000 & 100,000 in this thread. I know it has happened earlier.

I just dont see that the axle seal recall would be any good, unless Toyota redesined something. I am still not sure what causes one to leak over another. (assuming the axle isnt bent, which I have heard of)

Please answer this question.

cvlighthouse

70,000 miles on it when they were replaced. If you do have them replaced than you should have them replace the rear shoes also. I guess it's usually standard they replace the shoes, but in my case they didn't and my brakes were locked up at 7 in the morning when they were cold. Work had to wait for the tow truck! Good thing I wasnt camping..

CMUpike

so according to jay, if you're rear axle seal is blown, it will leak on the inner sidewalls of the rear tires. Is there anything else that would indicate this problem? How bad does it leak? Will it leave a puddle on the ground where you park? or maybe even just around the tires where you park?

i'm at 105,000 miles so i'm starting to freak out a bit. I just took my truck into the dealership today, for the ticking problem i've been having earlier. I would just like to know if that's something that i need to tell them to check and replace while it's in the shop.

The ticking noise went away for about a week, so i thought that it may have been something loose in the engine bay somewhere just clacking around. But the other day, the noise just came back. The mechanics at the dealership said that they've never heard anything like it before. so i don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's apparently coming from the oil pan area. They said that they'd have to lift it, and try to figure out exactly what's causing it.

Jay

If the leak is bad enough, it will contaminate the rear brake shoes and under certain conditions the rear brakes grab and lock up pre-maturely while braking.

The amount of gear oil lost is small, the concern is more about the contamination of the brakes.

No. Just look up under your truck at the sidewalls of your tire. If they are clean from oil, odds are your just fine. Otherwise look inside the rear brake drum, at the brake shoes themselves and inspect for wet gear oil.

Jay

Also, Im POSITIVE this is not as wide spread of a problem as it appears. Many (Most??) 4Runners will never see this problem.

Hermes

Sorry Jay, I’m not trying to stir up trouble, really. However, in my line of work, when you see an issue repeatedly coming up it forces you to take a closer look to see if there is a common cause. I have seen many posts on 4Runner forums over the last few years dealing with this problem. I’m willing to speculate that for every post on a 4Runner forum there are many more unreported seals going bad by owners who aren’t as passionate (insane) as those of us on the forums. That leads me to believe there may be a flaw in the design.

For comparisons sake, how many head gaskets came through your dealership prior to the recall? I find it a little strange that one post indicated that the service rep knew the cost right away to repair the seal. Remember, repetition is the key to memorization.

joshik

this is only for 4runners? how bout pickups?

smr4runner

I know some you have had reoccurring seal problems. But how many of you have the extended breather diff mod. I found my breather to be pushed up against something causing it not to breath. Hense I blew the seal.

I make sure to check it every chance I get. Especially right before I go for a trail run.

For those of you who have this mod, its simple to check. Loosen the hose from the diff and blow into the hose like your blowing spit wads through a straw. If your unable to push air through than you might want to check your breather. This takes five minutes to do. Believe me. It will save you $$$.

NerfHerder-97SR5-

Im going to go check mine right now!

HBoss

I still haven't gotten around to doing my extended diff breather and at the time my seals were found to be leaking the factory diff breather was fine. So if this is part of the poll, tally one for "not using extended diff breather".

I've only had the seal leak once. I hope that will be the only occurence.