Problems with 2003 Toyota 4Runner SEATS

I was driving the vehicle at a slow speed and made a turn up a hill. suddenly, i felt the seat jerk backwards and it seemed like the driver's seat went off its track. later, when the vehicle was parked, i checked the seat in an attempt to resecure it to the track, but i could not improve the situation. it seemed as though the seat is not locked anymore. whenever i accelerate or come to a stop, it feels as though the driver seat could come loose as it is not secure to the track anymore. i did some research and found out that there is a toyota technical service bulletin for this issue. the number is nvo11-06. i checked with the dealer, and they said there is no recall to fix this problem. the vehicle owner must pay for parts and labor to fix, with a total cost exceeding $1500 for cars outside of the 3 year/36000 mile warranty. i have a 2003 model vehicle that i purchased on 6/2003, and this tsb was issued on 10/2006 for my vehicle model, which means this tsb was invalid for me at the tsb release. i discovered this problem around 9/2011 because i have very low mileage on the vehicle. many owners are not aware of this issue. i believe this is a safety hazard because even if you are wearing your seatbelt, the driver's seat is not secure and shifts during normal stop of acceleration and can cause whiplash. also, i have felt dizziness during heavy stop and go traffic due to the rocking motion because the seat is not secure to the track. in case of an accident, it is more likely that the seat can become dislodged, thus rendering the seat belt useless during a crash. i am a mechanical engineer and i understand the issue. i have surfed online and many people who have noted this issue have resorted to jerry rigging a fix to the seat because they cannot afford to pay for fixing this defect. i highly recommend a recall for toyota to fix this problem. *tt

I was stopped on the highway behind a truck making a left turn when i was rear ended by another truck going 60 mph. my 4runner was crushed between them, totaled, and my air bags never deployed. i hit the steering wheel so hard i bounced off of it and broke my seat from the momentum. when i awoke i had slid into the back seat (which is all that was really left of the vehicle). although i am thankful to be alive, i feel that at that force, the airbags should have deployed! *tr

My drivers seat is broken and moves when i drive it developed over a few weeks. my seat belt locks some times because of the seat shifting i have never been in accident and only weight 178 i don't know how it broke but the dealerships said it is not covered in the warranty i explained that i thought it was a safety hazard but didn't get any response. *tr

Drivers seat is defective. it once rattled and moved on it's own (just little bit). however, the seat frame has now collapsed over the time period. (please note it has been sinking slowly over a long time period.. i just noticed it in 2008) the frame must have been defective and/or is poorly designed. i am presently sitting on the electronics box which i believe to be the electronics for the side impact air bags. i hope sitting on that does not prematurely set off the air bags which could cause an accident. or short out the air bags so they won't go off when needed. i went to the dealership a few times. i get the run-around and never get a straight answer . now they won't return my calls. *tr

Driver's seat backrest, moves or has a play making it unsafe to drive. *ak

While driving the consumer noticed that the seats height was not adjusted properly. the consumer contacted the dealer who attempted to repair the problem several times but was unable to permanently correct . *bf *nm

Driver seat was too loose and moved back and forth while driving, causing a distraction to the consumer. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak driver's seat moves back and forth while driving. dealership was informed but did not resolve the problem.*mr

The rear seat back rest on passenger side squeaks and makes a rattling noise. if the back rest is folded down the noise goes away. it seems to be the locking mechanism. based on research on the internet, this seems to be a common problem. dealer offered to look at it.*ak

I have noticed movement in my seat when braking and accelerating. movement does not happen all the time, but does happen often. i have informed my dealership, but hey have not found the problem while the car was parked. i still have the movement problem and i intend to document the problem on my work order when i go in for my next servicing, in case i need the documentation for lemon law. hopefully it will not come to that.

The driver's seat for my 2003 toyota 4 runner sport v8, which has a manual adjustment for the seat base fore-to-aft position, has too much play when locked into position. my concern is that the movement, or play, will over time compromise the locked position of the seat base. previous owned cars like a 2001 volkswagen jetta and 1996 toyota rav4, which both had manual seat base adjustments, did not have this issue. i believe all >= 2003 toyota 4runners with manual seat base adjustments have this issue - a local dealer showed me 2 4runners on the lot which also had the seat base movement when locked, and declared this issue "normal". i believe many other 4runner owners are experiencing this: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=676. *ak

There is a whining noise comming from the front differential at all speeds, but noticeable mostly at 80 mph and hiogher. toyota aknowledged, but refuses to repair.*ak also drivers seat is loose and comes out of place during emergency stopping. again toyota is aware, but refuses to correct.

Manual seat of 2003 4 runner sport model continually retracts from elevated position. this makes it difficult to use the rear view mirror when driving. since the seat lowers within 15-30 minutes depending on road surface the seat must be continously raised, creating another unsafe dirving situation. service dealer indicates there is no solution to problem and it is "something i will have to live with"!!*ak

Driver's seat keeps slipping when increasing/decreasing/stopping. it is a manual seat and dealer informed me that this was nothing to be concerned about and that there had been other complaints. it is a noticable shift in seat position. dealer suggested that this is a typical "manual" seat reation. i find this difficult to be comfortable with as i have never had this situation with other vehicles with manual seats. please notify me via email your findings. thanks barbara christian. *ak

Lumbar support in driver seat "pop" and adjust by itself from selected lumbar position. occurs when driving and when parked. dealer states "plastic clips" that hold the s shaped spring secure are faulty.

Front drivers side seat rattles or moves about 1/2 inch when slowing down, going fast & going over bumps.*ak

Front section of seat under legs has come loose. *nlm