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Comments
I am 6'2" and 243lbs. I have a '03 Sport w/sunroof.
I find the sitting position and front cabin space to be more than adequate. I had a 02 4unner, old style, and the fit was TIGHT. That is why I traded for the bigger, redesigned '03.
The new Explorer, I owned three consecutive Explorers before buying my first 4Runner, has some towing issues, if you tow. Comparing the Explorer to the 4Runner after two years, the Toyota has held up much better, mechanically and trim.
The Explorers left me stranded, Ford warranty tow twice. And another time I drove it directly to the dealer after the thermostat stuck open at only 12,000 miles. These were brand new Ford Explorers that I purchased from the local Ford guy.
Cheers
Pat
The other family car is a '03 Subie Forester. My wife loves it.
Good luck on your decision.
That dealer should get some kind of award for creativity. Taking a defect and making it into a safety device.....brilliant, brilliant!!!!!!!!
That response from your dealer should win the BS award!
Cheers
Pat
In some ways it is funny but mostly it pisses me off. Most people are so intimidated about cars, and car salesmen and service writers know this, that they would take this excuse, maybe not whole heartedly, but none the less they would live with their "safety feature".
That salesman should be fired! Lying, ignorant, lazy, arrogant and condescending describes most car salesman. It's a disgrace.
Sorry for the rant.
tidester, host
He lied. He was ignorant for not knowing about his own product. He was lazy by shooting off an answer without even bothering to check the problem out. He was arrogant and condescending by confidently giving answers about something he knew nothing about or to avoid the problem from going any further.
They have bad reputations for good reason. Sad but true.
Ask me about my wife's experiences with service writers and I'll tell you more.
However, one need not invoke bodily fluids to express annoyance on a family friendly message board.
tidester, host
Of course, my 4Runner dealer must have known I drive fast, and "disabled the warning
device." ;-)
They do this by letting them drive my 4 Runner in and out of their service department.
.
In case it helps, make sure that the cross-bars on the roof rack are facing the right way. This is determined by looking at the arrows on the croos bars mounts, which should be pointing forward. When I got my 4Runner, the front cross-bar's arrow was pointing back and it made a veryloud "howling" noise, regardless of how far forward or back I positioned the cross-bar.
Once the dealer changed the position of the cross-bar so the arrow would point forward, the noise disappeared completely. mY 04 4Runner Limited v8 is extremely quiet.
Hope this helps!
As for the fan noise, if you get it for 10-15 seconds right after start-up, that's just the radiator fan clutch, and it's normal. It makes a considerable roar until the fluid in the clutch redistributes itself and the fan slows down. If the engine gets hot enough and you're stopped, you'll hear it again.
Cheers
Pat
Please fill out a Contact us form and we'll holler at John V. too.
Steve, Host
Don't forget to vote:
Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004
Steve, Host
Interestingly, the problem went away recently. It seems that it is worse when it's cold outside. I guess it must be related to transmission. Maybe the oil is too viscous? I wonder if you still have the problem. Here in Baltimore, it is very warm now.
Having said that, I also think that all engines are rougher at low rpm. One of the problems could be the fact that the automatic transmission is set to use too low rpm for cruising. For city driving, rpm sometimes settles down at 1,300 rpm! It's amazing that the engine still has quite a power down there, but it is not as soomth as 2,000 - 3,000 range. I think it's natural.
Is the problem(s) corrected in the 2004?
Thanks