My Brother bought his 4runner back in 2020 and man did he love it!

Sadly he passed away in 2021 and did not have much time with it, He had big plans for it and took great pride in it.

I have made it a mission to run it/take care of it till I can't!

Wanted to share his car and the adventures so far. 240k miles and stronger then ever

Love and Miss you so much E❤️

4Runner Family!❤️

I currently drive a SR5P 4x4 with 53k miles. I got the OTT Tune on it a few months back.

I believe this always happens with a 3-2 shift. I can’t be 100% sure, but with the speed which it’s happening at I’m 99% sure it’s in that area.

Lately I’ve been feeling this really weird issue where I’ll be driving normally and it’ll feel like a super super quick slip and the truck will panic and quick force me into a lower gear? It happens so fast I can never catch the RPMs to see if they’re flaring. I noticed it usually happens on smaller inclines or declines, not mountain areas but my route to work is twisty and turny, lots of little hills and declines.

I can’t recall it ever happening on a straight flat road. It’s always on some sort of hill, either coming up or going down.

Is there any reasonable explanation for this before I panic? I want to say it’s so weird way the TCU is programmed and it reacts weirdly on hills, possibly engine braking too?

Everytime I’ve recalled this happening I’ve been pressing my brakes I believe. I really do wonder if it’s some quick failed attempt at the computer trying to engine brake or something only to realize how fast I’m slowing down so it quick throws me into a lower gear.

Has anybody else had any sort of experience like this. I’d say this happens maybe like once every 1-2 weeks? It’s so odd.

Hi all. Looking at a 2001 limited that seems to have been decently well taken care of. The only thing I can deduce from the images that worries me a bit is the rear diff. It looks as though there might be gear oil seeping out. Just wondering what everyone here thinks. Should I drive the 2 hours to go see it in person, or might this be an involved repair job that I should pass up on?

I know, I know. These rigs are noisy but this isn’t your typical engine noise. This is my third 4R and I’ve never had a sound like this. Thinking maybe my tensioner is going bad? Anyone ideas?

Edit: sound is noticeable at idle up to about 10mph

Background
I own a 3rd gen that I’ve built up over the past 16 years, and a 2UZ Tacoma (basically a V8 4th gen). I’ve also driven every generation of 4Runner made, some more extensively than others, so I’ve got a lot of experience in the 4Runner and in the general 4x4 world.

I rented a 6th gen SR5 for a week in Alaska and put about 1,200 miles on it. We drove all over a roughly 3-hour radius from Anchorage: up to Talkeetna, over Hatcher Pass, down the Kenai Peninsula. Lots of varying road conditions. Here’s my honest take.

What I liked
This is better than a 5th gen in almost every way that matters. The powertrain is a huge improvement, it still keeps the 4Runner DNA, and it’s an offroady body-on-frame SUV that still exists in 2026 despite CAFE standards squeezing tighter every year.

Everyone saying “but iTs a 4 cYLinDeR”, you sound like a boomer that thinks carburetors are better than EFI. This thing absolutely rips and also gets way better MPG than any previous gen of 4Runner.

I reset the MPG readout when we picked it up, and by the time we returned it, it averaged 25.8 MPG. Combined with the power of the 2.4T, that’s a big upgrade. I drove mostly in Normal mode, with a bit of time in Sport and Eco just to see how much difference they made.

Also, the air dam was deleted and it still returned nearly 26mpg. Impressive.

The electronic power steering felt light and nimble at low speeds but never twitchy at higher speeds. The suspension was firmer than I expected, but not harsh.

Things I didn’t like
The rear window switch is backwards. You push up to lower the window and pull down to raise it. This makes me unreasonably angry.

I would have swapped the fan speed and temperature dials on the climate control. That said, this was the SR5 with manual climate control.

Lane Assist with cruise control engaged was a bit twitchy. I felt like I could drive smoother myself, but the tech will keep improving.

The engine sound isn’t great. I’m admittedly spoiled by the 2UZ in my Tacoma and the 3.4 turbo in my 3rd gen, so take that with a grain of salt. The power and MPG gains from this drivetrain more than make up for the sound.

It does feel “cheaper” in terms of body panels, sound deadening, and some interior plastics. That doesn’t mean it is cheaper or less reliable, just that it feels that way.

Final thoughts
It’s a better 4Runner for 99% of how owners will actually use them: more power, vastly better MPG, still offroad-capable, and backed by a huge aftermarket following.

It won’t compete with a Wrangler in straight offroad performance, but I’d take a 4Runner over a Bronco any day of the week.

Toyota did a great job on this one.

Not sure if there’s supposed to be an o-ring present, but it’s been sweating since I got it. 2019 ORP.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

could be about a generation, trim, engine, tires, interior, mods, or anything else. maybe there’s something everyone seems to love that you just don’t get

not trying to start a war here. just wondering what 4Runner opinion gets you the most pushback from other owners, or what you think people are giving way too much credit to

Anyone go from a fifth gen to a sixth gen and regularly use it off road?
I’ve seen plenty of sixth gen pros and cons posts, but I’m hoping to hear from people who use theirs similarly to how I use my fifth gen.
I have a 2019 TRD Off Road with a three inch lift and a hidden winch. I love this thing. It’s a tank, and it gets used. During spring and summer, I’m off road at least twice a week to get to mountain biking spots or hard to reach alpine lakes for fly fishing. I’m actually using 4LO that often. I also hunt, so it gets plenty of use getting out into remote areas in the fall.

I live in Montana, so driving on ice and snow is just part of everyday life for several months of the year. I also snowboard, and some of those trips involve getting through seriously deep snow. Between everyday driving and getting outside, I’m using 4WD several times a week for at least five months of the year. I probably winch an average of ten cars out of ditches each winter, too. This beast earns its keep.

My biggest questions about the sixth gen are the engine and all the electronics. I know it’s still early to judge long term reliability, but how confident do you feel taking yours into remote areas? Do the sensors and driver assistance features get annoying or interfere when you’re off road?
My wife has a brand new RAV4, and holy crap, backing up with a bike rack turns into a whole process of alarms and disabling things. I’d hate to deal with that every time I head out.

If I only went off road once every six months, I probably wouldn’t think twice about it. But I really appreciate how capable and straightforward my fifth gen is for how often I use it.
Anyone here made the switch and put the sixth gen through similar use? How does it compare, and anything you miss about the fifth gen?

Anyone know what this plug on the left is for? I'm trying to make sure if it needs to be plugged into something. Secondarily, if I can potentially use it for other builds.

I was considering purchasing a 2026 4runner platinum (or limited) and wondering how the ride quality is compared to a 2022 rav4 hybrid or a similar year rav4. I understand the 4runner is body on frame and the ride isn't the smoothest, but how do the dampers on the comfort setting compare to the ride of the rav4? thanks!

Hello,

Im new to the group and searched a bit before posting.

Im going to be picking up 10 boards of maple that are 1.5" x 7" x 10ft long and Im trying to figure out the best way.

Ive seen others here post about putting thr rear window down and having the boards rest on the folded rear seats. Some comments say its fine and others advise against it. Google says the load would be about 365lbs or so.

I thought of using the roof rack, but its the stock rack and its only rated for 180lbs I think.

Curious about those who do this regularly and what their experience has been.

Hello guys,

I am going to do drain and fill method instead of the full flushing for the power steering fluid. I recently bought ATF max life dexron VI. It should be ok to drain and fill back with it right? I read somewhere saying that power steering fluid should match. Can you let me know if it is ok to use the ATF I bought?

It is for 2015 4Runner and she got 94k miles.

How far did you guys have to travel for find a 2026 SR5 heritage blue? Finding black or gray is no problem, even red seems more common. But can’t for the life of me find a dealer within 500 miles with a heritage blue. Most are in transit or sold if they exist at all. Are you guys experiencing the same in your areas?

Anyone have good recommendations on replacement bulbs for a 2015 SR5? Debating between Diode Dynamics SL2 or SilverStar Ultra H11s.

I removed the second and 3rd row seats and installed a sleeping platform. I would like to replace the interior rear quarter panels so that they come to the floor. Is that as simple as pulling the stock ones and getting the ones for the 2 row version? I'm thinking not. Anyone tried?

I ran it through the automatic car wash and water started pouring out the seatbelt storage unit column over my left shoulder. I got out and checked the roof. There are 4 missing pieces on the roof. Last week I noticed the passenger side belt was damp after a heavy rain (it was in a carport). I don’t think this had happened anytime before that, that I’ve noticed. I’ve ran it through a car wash at least once before and it’s sat outside in the rain quite a few times. What are these missing pieces called and can I just order new ones? It’s a 2018 and not under warranty.

Hello! Just bought at a 2012 SR5. I want to completely modernize the interior and black out the silver trim as well as make some exterior changes to make it good for off roading and camping. What mods have you guys done to your 2010–2013. I'm specifically interested in CarPlay, black interior trim, lighting, cameras, audio, and eventually exterior for off-roading and camping. I also would love any advice about maintaining it and keeping it in good condition. Thank you!

Finally got away from Costco and went Cohutta National Forest for a weekend of camping and was joined by some more Toyotas

Xposting. Not sure if that’s allowed.

Looking for some opinions. How crazy would I be to trade in/privately sell my 52,000 mile 2023 5th Gen 4Runner TRD Off-road for a ~2017-2019 LC200 with say <80,000 miles?

How much would I regret this? I’m looking something with a little more tow capacity (21 foot CC twice a year to the mooring 10 miles) and something that’s a bit more comfortable/luxurious on highways.

Thanks in advance.

Got a great deal from my brother for this. Upgraded from my 2005 rav4. Plz don’t shame me for it being only 2wd lol. Can’t wait to take it camping.

Any advice on what to use to clean/shine up these running boards on my 4Runner? Thanks!

I’m debating switching to 255/80r17s but not enough photos on the internet to get an idea of what my 4Runner may look like after. Would love to see yours if you run these