I bought this about 2 months ago. Here is my laundrylist of problems.

Just let me know what you guys think, if any of you have had experience with any of these.

1. I have an exhaust leak when cold. Once it warms up, it goes away. Its leaking by the head where the pipe meets the flange...or so thats where they fail, according to a tech at Toyota. Toyota wants $2500 for replacing both manifolds (they say the passenger side one needs done too). The price for one manifold is $677. I found an old man in the middle of nowhere who will weld on it for $75 an hour, i think i'm gonna go that route. I just hope i don't break any bolts removing it. I have a can of PB Blaster, i'm gonna hit 'em a couple times a day for a few days before i try and loosen any bolts.

2. Sunroof leak. No the drain tubes are not clogged....its leaking directly in from the front edge onto the headliner, onto me. Headliner gets wet in heavy rain. I need a sunroof assembly i think, haven't priced it yet. Any ideas?

3. Windshield trim. Whoever put a windshield in it before i owned it CUT the trim from the edges rather than pulling it out. It didn't last long at 75mph after they glued it back on. I yanked them both out, now i have to dig the "male" part out of the groove on the edge of the windshield. Toyota price of left and right windshield trim $56 each.....$112 for both.

4. Frozen drivers front brake caliper. Found this when i got out of the car the other day after a 2.5 mile trip on the highway. I smelt burning brakes when i got out, touched the drivers wheel, it was HOT....touched the passenger wheel, it was just warm. Oreilly's in town here has a caliper coming tomorrow...$80 plus $60 core.

Just let me know what you guys think, if any of you have had experience with any of these.

 

only item I've had that you spoke of is the sunroof issue. I can't remember what BS the tech told me but it was not helpful. hit the screws with some silicone sealer and see if that helps.

 

here's an update for those that care...

i FINALLY got my exhaust manifold off. i worship PB Blaster now. i used a breaker bar and fit it in there close to the block, climbed on the engine and got them off. i took it to a local welding shop, they welded it up for $25....it took about 3 minutes. it took longer for him to run my credit card than it did to weld it. i then went to the local Toyota dealer and got a new gasket for it. $26. i'm gonna try and reuse all of my nuts and studs (the nuts are rusted to the studs). to replace them all would be about $90, eh.

my brake caliper came into Oreilly's, i told them its for a 17" wheel when they asked. but the caliper is obviously for a larger diamer rotor. the right caliper comes tomorrow....hopefully its the right one.

lesson...don't buy new exhaust manifolds when they crack, just weld them.

words for searches later:
4.7
exhaust
manfold
weld
crack
brake caliper
4.7L
V8
exhaust leak

 

Yea dude, the '03 LTD uses the 16" brakes, even though it came with 17" wheels. Remember that when you have to replace your rotors.

 

Wow, did you buy this from a third party person or dealership?

 

the best way to describe it is an "almost dealership". the way i talked him down $1000 is by finding some of these problems (like exhaust leak, dirty trans fluid, loose bumper) and saying i won't make you fix them if you cut the price by $1000.


update: got the new drivers caliper installed, bled it twice. it still feels mushy though. i'm not sure if its mushy because i've been driving my racecar around with these. Didn't even find air the 2nd time, but did find air when i bled the PASSENGER side. weird. maybe i'll bleed the rears just for the hell of it.

 

ah, worked! thanks. can you elaborate on this though? why did they do that? only on the 03's? only on the limiteds?

 

Only Toyota knows... I think they went to the bigger brake parts on the LTD starting in 2005 (possibly 2004, but I'm sure it was '05). The LTD and SR5 had the same size parts, the Sport had the larger brakes.

When it comes time to replace you rotors, measure them before you order (if going non Toyota) and confirm the size, don't trust the "2003 4Runner Limited". I went with Centric rotors and am very happy.

 

Only have had a few problems w/ my 03. I have a rattle in the sunroof, but no leak. The drivers seat is shakey if I raise it off the floor. I'm 6'5" so I never raise it off the floor.
I also had to replace front cat. converters. $1,500..
I'm told the "boots on the front axle need replaced. They are starting to leak.
Other than that 192,000 realitively trouble free miles.
Jeff

 

Can I buy two 17" rotors and two 17" calipers and just do a "conversion" to the bigger style brakes?

My rotors are warped and now my passenger caliper is frozen.

 

does anyone know if the studs can be replaced if you break one for the exhaust manifolds? I fear I may snap one off because of how rusted mine are.

 

all of my manifold nuts stayed on my studs when i removed them, effectively making the stud/nut combo a bolt instead.

 

how did you manage to get to the bolts behind the coils?