2004 Toyota 4Runner Transmission Problems

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SPORTS EDITION. I ALWAYS HEAR RATTLING NOISE WHEN I AM DRIVING 40 MPH. RECENTLY, I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA TO HAVE THIS ISSUE SERVICED. THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE. I WAS GOING DRIVE IT OUT OF STATE WITH MY WIFE FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY, BUT THEY RECOMMENDED I NOT TO DRIVE IT. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSFER CASE. IT WAS GOING TO COST ME OVER $1300, BUT LUCKILY I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY.I HAVE HEARD ABOUT POWER TRAIN PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL OF TOYOTA THAT LED TO IT BEING RECALLED. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS WHEN I COME TO A STOP I HEAR A CLUNKING NOISE. WHEN I MENTIONED THIS ISSUE, TOYOTA SAID ITS THE 4WHEEL DRIVE, BUT I WASN'T USING THE 4W DRIVE WHEN THIS ISSUE OCCURRED FOR ME. EVEN NOW ITS STILL A PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE ON WHAT I SHOULD DO BEFORE SOMETHING GOES WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ID

10362990

Incident

Oct 29, 2010

Mileage

83,600 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MPH AND TAPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND IT BECAME STUCK AND RAPIDLY ACCELERATED THE CAR. I HAD TO SHIFT THE CAR TO NEUTRAL AND TAP THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO GET THE GAS PEDAL UNSTUCK. THE CAR HAD BEEN ON CRUISE CONTROL EARLIER BUT AT THE TIME THAT THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. HITTING THE BRAKE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGE THE GAS PEDAL AS WOULD BE EXPECTED IF IT WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10333845

Incident

May 29, 2010

Mileage

107,000 mi

WHEN COMING TO A STOP MY 4RUNNER WILL MAKE A CLUNK NOISE AS IF I WAS REAR ENDED. IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE TRUNK. TAKING IT TO DEALER, THEY SAID THAT IT IS NORMAL, JUST THE TRANSMISSION IS DOWNSHIFTING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10311470

Incident

Feb 16, 2007

Mileage

28,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING IN CRUISE CONTROL, AND FOOT COMPLETELY OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY SURGE AHEAD IN WHAT FEELS LIKE GOING INTO PASSING GEAR. IT DOES THIS AT VARIOUS TIMES. AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING. SLAMMING ON THE BRAKE SEEMS TO STOP IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10303379

Incident

Nov 1, 2009

Mileage

45,000 mi

I HAVE A 2004 TOY 4-RUNNER, V-8 ALL WHEEL DRIVE THAT I AM GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH, BUT THERE IS ONE ISSUE THAT IS FRIGHTENING. WHEN I COME TO AN ABRUPT STOP THERE IS A FORWARD LUNGE THAT FEELS LIKE I HAVE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD THE BRAKES DO NOT ALWAYS CONTAIN THIS FORWARD MOTION. I HAVE NARROWLY ADVERTED HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SEVERAL TIMES. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT FRANKLY SCARES THE '!@#$% OUT OF ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10292468

Incident

Sep 10, 2006

Mileage

35,000 mi

I HAVE A 2004 LIMITED 4RUNNER TOYOTA, ALL WHEEL DRIVE, WITH V8. AFTER ABOUT 20 THOUSAND MILES, MY VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A VERY LOUD NOISE WHEN COMING TO A STOP, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SURGING FORWARD LIKE I WAS REAR ENDED. THIS NOISE ALSO HAS A DISTINCT METALLIC SOUND AND JARRING VIBRATION EACH AND EVERY TIME. IF THE BRAKE IS NOT PRESSES FIRMLY, THE CAR WILL LOUNGE FORWARD. THIS NOISE AND "CLANKING" ALSO OCCURS WHEN LIFTING MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND NOT IN NEUTRAL. I FIRST REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO TOYOTA ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS A LUBRICATION AND MAINTENANCE ISSUE. THE TRIED TO CHARGE ME 500 DOLLARS FOR A FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE SERVICE. WHEN I PROTESTED THAT THIS WAS NOT IN THE MANUAL, THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY LUBRICATED THE PROPELLER SHAFT AND THAT THEY WOULDN'T CHARGE THIS TIME. TOYOTA INVOICE # W55722. WELL, THAT ELIMINATED ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THE "CLANK" CAME BACK IN ABOUT A MONTH. I HAVE RECENTLY READ THAT ALL LIMITED EDITION 4RUNNERS FROM 03-06 HAVE THIS CLANKING PROBLEM, IN ADDITION TO THE LEXUS GX-470, THAT SHARES THE SAME DRIVESHAFT. HOWEVER, LEXUS IS FIXING THE PROBLEM WHILE TOYOTA IS PLAYING STUPID AND SAYING THAT IT IS NORMAL. CAN YOU PLEASE FORCE TOYOTA TO FIX MY VEHICLE IN THE SAME MANNER THAT LEXUS IS? PLEASE SEE THIS INTERNET LINK TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM: HTTP://WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM/FORUMS/4RUNNER/53302-4RUNNER-V8-CLUNK-IN-DRIVETRAIN/. *JB

NHTSA ID

10205151

Incident

Oct 7, 2006

Mileage

13,000 mi

RESONANCE THROUGH STEERING WHEEL DURING LIGHT TO HEAVY ACCELERATION WHEN TRANS WAS SHIFTING. DEALER, AT THIS TIME SAYS IT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS VEHICLE. 1000'S RPMS AND UP SOMETIMES WORSE THEN OTHERS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10093083

Incident

Aug 1, 2004

Mileage

200 mi

MY 2004 TOYOTA V8 4WD SR5 4RUNNER WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN FEB/2004. AT SPEED 71-73 MPH, IT GENERATES ANNOYING HARMONIC HUMMING NOISE FROM TRANSMISSION AND/OR DRIVELINE. THE NOISE IS MORE NOTICEABLE IN COLD WEATHER THAN IN HOT ONE. IT BECOME LESS NOTICEABLE AT SPEED ABOVE 78 MPH. A TOYOTA DEALER MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE CAR AND CONFIRMED THE NOISE, BUT OFFERED NO HELP TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO. *AK

NHTSA ID

10081225

Incident

Jul 16, 2004

Mileage

20 mi

2004 SR5 V6 4WD EXPERIENCES DRONING VIBRATION OR RUMBLING ON FLOOR, PEDALS, AND STEERING WHEEL WHEN CAR IS DRIVEN BETWEEN 1500-2000 RPM. VIBRATIONS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE FOR AMBIENT TEMPERATURES BELOW 35 DEGREES F. AND VERY BAD BELOW 15 DEGREES F. ALSO BECOMES MORE PREDOMINANT DURING ACCELERATION. VIBRATION DISSAPPEARS WHEN TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AT SAME SPEED. APPEARS PROBLEM IS IN DRIVE TRAIN/TRANSAXEL AND NOT TRANSMISSION. *AK

NHTSA ID

10062559

Incident

Dec 23, 2003

Mileage

1,400 mi