My wife and I just bought our 4Runner on Saturday August 2nd. While driving today in heavy rain and going through some small puddles of water, the truck lost power steering, air conditioning, ABS brakes and the 4 wheel drive system. The truck still ran and was drivable, but not recommended. After calling Toyota about the problem, first they said wait about 5 minutes and see what happens. No good, then they sent a tow truck out to get it. While waiting for the tow, the 4Runner was started and appeared to be back to normal. Toyota claimed that the water had caused the belt to slip causing the loss of power to those things listed.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN "OFF ROADING" TRUCK? It can not even handle a few small puddles.... Anyone else experience this or similar problem? For $34,000 it should go through puddles, right? Or is that the $42,000 vehicle....

Not making a very good impression, Toyota....

 

Sounds like the dealership was feeding you a line to get you off the phone. Water shouldn't cause that kind of belt slippage -- not to mention that the ABS system and 4WD are not connected to the engine belt.

Seriously, I'd see if you could recreate the problem, then take it in with specifics on what causes the problems and what the symptoms are. Something sounds to be very wrong, but it's hard to pinpoint if you can't recreate it.

I've not had any kind of performance problem with mine since I got it in January -- and I have one of the first production V6's that was built.

 

I have gone through some pretty deep puddles here and rather quickly too, I have no problems.

That sounds electrical to me....

 

I would have to agree with that diagnosis.

 

That by no way should be the case. Mine has been swimming quite often and I've never had that happen. I second, or third what was mentioned earlier about recreating the problem.

 

I was thinking of opening the hood and hosing it down while the truck is running. How else can I recreate the situation?
Thanks

 

Wait till the next heavy rain and go driving. If it happens again take it back to the dealer and make them keep it until they find the problem. Make sure they give you a rental, should be free, for the time they have it. Be firm about it but don't yell. Hope this helps.

 

How exactly did you know it lost the 4WD and ABS, the power steering I could see if you went to turn off the road.

Is it a V6 or V8 cause I have been swiming in mine cause of all this rain, I actually drove through water that was washing across the road a civic was underwater in one spot and I drove through it water was as high as my windows on the passenger side, trust me at that moment I was like OHHH SHIZZZZZZZZ, never lost anything, I also took out some people who where tryin to get to their car, they parked where all the water was running down, 4 inches of run off and everyone was crawling slow in their cars and my lane was wide open and I floored it and the tidal wave was huge

 

Hey Edge, get yourself a snorkel. Water was up to the window Toyota makes one tuff truck.

 

I would love a snorkel, everytime I see a news report and they show underpasses all filled with water and a car or 2 with just the top of the roof showing thats all I think, how crazy would it be if you went through that you know some guy in a car would follow you

I was getting off the highway and the water was nomore than a foot or 2 deep and the cars where going through it way slow so I went around them, the water was backing up against the side of the truck not like the whole engine bay was submerged, took like 15 seconds to go through, a guy in a WS6 and a 3000GT where sitting waiting for the water to stop.