1999 Toyota 4RUNNER: jerking or lurching

Filed Jan 9, 2019 · Suspension, Wheels · 166,900 miles · FL · crash · 1 injury

While driving in the right lane on a 3 lane highway at approx. 65mph, while feeling the vehicle jerk to the right, thrusting the vehicle onto the right shoulder. While trying to compensate to the left, the vehicle, immediately rolled 3-4 times across the 3 lanes of traffic, onto the left shoulder. The left rear axle and wheel was no where to be found.

Filed Jan 14, 2016 · Electrical, Engine · 180,000 miles · MD

The vehicle stalls, incosistently, but, on a frequent basis, at any given time, then will be fine for a long period of time. It eats batteries. I've had to replace the battery every year. A local automotive electrical specialist replaced the b+ cable from the battery to the starter, and the problem went away for a year, but, has since returned. I recently upgraded to a battery with more cranking watts, and have een improvement. However. There's the issue of the hesitation, jerking, and loss of power, when taking off after 1st start of the day, replaced plugs, and battery and did a tune - up, but, it made no difference. Very dangerous and have almost been involved in accidents multiple times, as a result, including dying while towing a trailer, smack dab in the middle of a 4-way intersection of a traffic - choked coastal highway in the middle of a popular beach resort, featuring over 200 outlet shops and malls, mid-day, on the 4th of july weekend, and a saturday at that,, and having to contact roadside assistance 5 times, to get it going again, to get to my destination, less than 6 miles away, and having to drive on the road's shoulder the whole way, in case of another break-down,

Filed Jan 16, 2009 · Steering · 100,000 miles · TX · crash

-started the vehicle. -moved forward a few feet -started to turn steering wheel left, noticed steering was heavier than normal as well as unusual noise -car jerked and shot left... Tried to steer to avoid hitting obstacles but was unable to due to the extreme heaviness of the steering wheel. Due to this incident the vehicle was towed directly to the shop for repairs -mechanic immediately notice unusual separation of the rack and pinion.

Filed Feb 24, 2008 · Fuel system · 104,000 miles · TN

My daughter was driving home from school, approximately a 3 mile drive, her 1999 4 runner began jerking and then the engine died. She was able to restart it and drive for several hundred yards when it did the same thing. This time the car would not restart. My wife went to pick her up and she was able to restart the car again and drive approximately the same distance when it died again, this time the car would not restart. I had to have it towed and its currently at a repair station waiting to be diagnosed. I've heard there is a service bulletin regarding a fuel pickup tube/sensor problem but I haven't been able to find it. Why hasn't toyota had a recall yet?

Filed Feb 7, 2003 · Brakes, Steering · 59,000 miles · LA · crash · 1 injury

As I was driving down a 4 lane highway, the steering wheel suddenly jerked out of my hands to the right. I was unable to turn the steering wheel back to the left to correct. The roads were wet from an earlier rain; there was no standing water, no pot holes, or other visible defects in the road. I was in the left lane, traveling about 60mph. The car spun out of control - doing 2 complete spins on the highway, then into the ditch on the right; hitting trees, flipping, hitting more trees, and finally coming to a halt straddling the ditch perpendicular to the highway. Since there was no visible defects in the road that would have caused the steering to act like that, I'd like to know if there is any mechanical problem which would have caused the steering wheel to jerk so hard to the right and keep me from being able to correct it. I've been told that perhaps the front right brake locked up, the tie rod broke, or some kind of steering defect. Please let me know what I should look for.

Filed Dec 12, 2002 · Brakes, Lights · CO

Tires: the tires did not physically fail, however after only 10,000 miles, they were practically bald - all 4. I requested that the dealer replace the tires which they refused to do althought they acknowledged that the tires were dangerously worn. The service technician informed me "off the record" that they knew this to be a problem with the vehicle - that the tires which came "stock" from the factory were in fact "too small" to bear the weight of the vehicle. In light of the safety issues regarding bridgestone?firestone at that time, I elected to replace all 4 tires at my cost. Tail lights: the taillights began failing very shortly after I purchased the vehicle. Whenever I took it into the dealer, they informed me that it was just a burned out lamp which was not covered by my warranty. This has continued to occur and now I don't even bother with the dealer. I have noted numerous 4runners on the road with the same problem which is what prompted me to check your web site. At one point the service manager at the dealership mentioned his suprise that "the warning indicator light did not come on" when the lamp went out. Apparently there is an indicator light that should alert the driver to a blown bulb...I've never seen one and mine has gone out 3 times. Now it is habit for me to check my tail lights whenever I drive at night. Brakes: on various occasions, I have experienced a severe "shuddering" of the car and a loud "clanking" noise when going from high speed to lower speed (not sudden braking) as in exiting the highway . One time, the car was shuddering so violently that it jerked into another lane. The dealer basically told me I was imagining things. This shuddering has occurred on 3 separate occasions and each time I returned the car to the dealer and was told there was no problem. One time, they agreed to manually check all 4 brakes - at my cost and declared that there was nothing wrong. I hesitate to drive in slippery conditions. Ts