4RUNNER LIMITED BUYER BEWARE X-REAS SUSPENSION FAILS

Total bummer, I feel for you. My hunch is the local mechanic tried to save you money and do the right thing but just didn't understand the system well enough.

FWIW, if it was me, and I thought this mechanic was honest and more competent than suggested by this one event, I'd take it back to him and see if he can replace the rest of the system. Maybe with luck you'll end up spending less in total than the $3900 the dealer quoted.

But if you've soured on this guy, I'd take it back to the dealer, explain what happened, and see how much they'd charge to replace the rest of the system. I don't really know how the XREAS system is configured as a set of parts, but it doesn't seem likely to me that it comes all connected and charged up with fluid. There are long and hard hydraulic lines involved etc. It's got to be a set of parts that the shop has to put together and charge with fluid and bleed. So in theory you'd think they could replace everything but the shocks. Maybe with luck the total cost of that will still be less than the $3900 they quoted, since you might have gotten the shocks for less than the dealer would have charged.

If neither of those things are workable or are cost prohibitive, you might just need to bite the bullet and replace the whole thing with Bilsteins. Your total cost at the end of all that could still be less than the dealer quoted for the new XREAS. Obv, it would have been a long and painful and unnecessarily expensive road to get to that point. But in the end you'd have good new shocks and not have to worry about XREAS complexities anymore.

Wishing you luck!

PS -- are you sure the clunking sound is caused by the XREAS? Is that what the dealer said? It's odd since the suspension seems to be working well otherwise. Talk about a total bummer -- you go through all this only to discover that a new suspension doesn't solve the clunking problem. Yikes. Either way, you might still be better off ripping out all the XREAS and installing Bilsteins and then go from there. So sorry.

 

hey peeps, my name is robert im new here, i have a 2011 4runner limited 4x4. if i remove this xreas system dose that mess with the A TRAX ??

 

Nope, no worries about that.

Why you'd want to remove XREAS on a brand new truck is another question. Unless you are planning to switch to a serious off road suspension with lift etc. Doesn't seem much point otherwise. XREAS works well, it just tends to leak and need replacing after some years (based on the comments on this forum, it's common for people to get many years and tens of thousands of miles out of their XREAS before issues).

 

thank you, well all i been hearing is bad news about this system. but i do want a little bigger tire i have the 265/75/17 i would just do the next size up i do like off roading it nothing serious. im ok ??

 

Sure, a bit bigger tire would be cool. No worries about that messing up anything. The Limited is certainly very capable with no mods. You still have low range, center diff lock and ATRAC. If you later find that you want a more hard core off road setup, then do a lift with new suspension, bigger tires etc.

 

LOL I just noticed that I'd misread your post. I thought you had a 2021 Limited, not a 2011. Same answers apply, but obv your XREAS system already has a lot of use on it (which btw is another example that the system tends to last a decent while -- in your case at least 9/10 years already)

 

so should i leave the system on or remove ??

 

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I really appreciate this awesome and thoughtful response. Indeed, I know the mechanic was trying to do right and was just inexperienced in replacing the entire system. The guy works on newer BMW and Lexus all day long (his small shop lot was filled with them) with a super high ratings on multiple platforms. But, who would have known the 4R XREAS would be the limits of his abilities. I say this sarcastically, because I owned BMW X3 before my current 4R, and it definitely lived up to "Broke My Wallet" - I came running back to Toyota.

You hit the nail on the head. My assumption is just to have him replace the rest of the lines/center control absorbers to complete the system. But, I have also reviewed some guides, including an installation guide (https://www.shockwarehouse.com/news/toyota-4runner-xreas-suspension-replacement-diy-instructions.pdf) that suggest replacing together, which lead to my concern. Would any air in the lines now transfer to the partially replaced system and therefore corrupt any of the system added later.

And finally, you bring up a great point. My assumption of the problem is based on what Toyota dealer said. I can only assume it is air in the lines/rest of the XREAS system. The mechanic looked at rest of suspension and didn't see anything that stood out. The sound comes only when engaging the suspension system (going over bumps/speed bumps) and more so at low speeds. Again, thanks for the great advice and sympathy! I baby my 4R, take to dealer every 5k for all service, and it seems like nonstop issues compared to my previous 2001 4R Limited - maybe I just got lucky there. I don't think I ever had any issues. This one required complete brake system replacement at 85k - nearly $2k worth (I bought used at 72k), battery/power issues at 99k, XREAS going bad at 103k. Maybe it is par for the course...

 

Wish I knew how to guide you on the issue of air in the lines. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer and can only try to reason it out. Logically, to me, there's got to be a way to replace the other parts, charge it with fluid and bleed it. I have to assume that's what the dealer would have to do if they had installed the shocks -- so why couldn't that be done now? That's my thinking anyway -- I'm sorry I don't have more than that for you to go on.

Pls keep us updated on what you end up doing and how it worked out. Who knows, maybe some good can come out of this -- some lessons learned and tips for other folks on the forum. Wishing you the best of luck!

 

hey brothas, so i have my 2011 4runner limited 4x4. its almost 10 years old. im not having any issues with the xreas system but before i do should i remove it ???

 

I'm guessing you didn't get a reply before cause it's a question that only you can really answer.

Having said that, I'm reminded of the old adage: If it ain't broke don't fix it. If it was my truck I wouldn't spend money on it except to fix something that's broken or to make a major upgrade -- and even then only if the rest of the truck seems to have a lot of life left in it. You didn't say how many miles you have on yours. That would seem to be part of the equation. You also didn't say how you use your truck. If you're planning an "overland" adventure then sure, you'd probably want to upgrade a bunch of stuff -- not just the suspension.

 

got it thanks, yes i asked that question i i didnt get a reply back, but thank you for your response i got my answer.

 

If anyone had this system replaced under an extended warranty, was it a Toyota platinum extra care warranty?

 

Xreas removal is no big deal. If you like Xreas keep it until it leaks. If anything happens its easy peasy to throw them in trash and replace with a regular suspension system. Its not like KDSS where you get errors on dash. I have removed xreas on my Limited for a lift setup.

 

I also started experiencing issues with my 2014 4runner limited right around 50k miles with the X-Reas system leaking, it started as a click when I would back out of my driveway on the drivers side. I thought at first that it was a broken tie rod, after asking my mechanic to check it he said all linkages looked fine but he noticed some fluid on the shocks not a lot but he thought it was weird that I would have shocks leaking after only 50k. He cleaned it up and sure enough by my next oil change more leaking. I took it to the dealership for the airbag recall and asked them about the shocks they informed me that even with the extended warranty it would not be covered since it is considered a wearable item like brakes and they would replace the system for $4500. I told them not to bother since they are crooks and I do not trust them farther that I could throw my 4runner.

They had replaced the rack and pinion and lines on my wife's Camry and when all of the fittings started leaking argued that it was nothing that they did, and they charged my 72 year old mother $450 to clean her fuel system on her Avalon that had less that 2k miles on it and was less that 2 years old. Let me just say that I live in the Buffalo area and the dealership I dealt with was on the North side of the area, I will never deal with that group of dealerships again. That was when I found my new shop Bellreng's and I have never been happier with a garage, I am having them replace my suspension with an Eibach system which will also add 2 inches of lift.

X-Reas = Extortion (at least on gen 5)

 

Can you switch out the shocks on KDSS with issues correct?

 

KDSS is separate from shocks. KDSS is an hydraulic system for the sway bar. Any leaks / problems can be fixed by Toyota dealer.

Your shocks does not have to deal with KDSS. You can replace your shocks by any good shop.

 

Yes that’s right, I forgot. Thanks

 

I went with Dobinsons suspension set up. Xreas was leaking lasted about 117k miles. So far very happy with new setup. No noticeable change in ride quality.

 

It happens to my 2019 4Runner Limited, barely driven only 29K, the car is still brand new. Then ... all of a sudden, some days ago, when I went to the dealer at One Toyota of Oakland for a routine maintenance ... the inspection guy told me that "all 4 tires are misaligned", of course they need to be replaced. A big question mark drops in my head: "What's the heck? The 4 Runner was barely driven!". Then sometimes later, the service department reaches out, "ALL 4 SUSPENSIONS" leaks. Oh my God! I am stunned!

Luckily Toyota recognized it is a manufacturer defect, so all 4 suspensions are under warranty, the cost is $4000 including labor. They offer to replace them all free of charge. But still I have to pay for 4 brand new tires including the alignment, althought I have mentioned that the misalignment happened because of the suspension defects.

Thank you for your post, I suggest that all 4Runner's owner have their suspension system check on each routine inspection. And Toyota needs a recall solution to be fair.

 

Who would you trust to perform the suspension system check? The multi-point inspection that doesn’t find the leaking shocks is revealing when they all fail 1000 miles later? I have had driveline grease fittings that were not touched after allegedly getting the U-joints lubed. That’s why I have a couple nice grease guns and fittings now. I’m thinking the dealership model doesn’t look out for the vehicle owners. They run a business model where they charge customers for non-warranty service work and charge Toyota for warranty work. IMO, in a dealership model the owner is the only person that has the incentive to look out for the owner. If the owner is paying a non-dealer for service work, the service provider has an incentive to look out for the owner for repeat business. I’m not saying a dealer service dept can’t be good. But the only way to know is for the owner to verify they did what was asked, correctly. As the vehicles get more complicated it puts the owners more dependent on the dealer. I’m looking at a new Rav 4 for my wife. The engine has a thermostat heater, a variable speed oil pump, an electric variable speed water pump and a coolant flow bypass valve that will likely fail before 50,000 miles. But GM gas trucks have 8 cylinders engines with cylinder de-activation that will fail and you can’t drive the truck. The lawyers are claiming the warranty doesn’t apply because it’s a design flaw and the warranty is for defects and failures of a properly designed component. Toyota has some issues but IMO it’s still the best quality overall available. We just need to continue to get more familiar with our vehicles and look out for ourselves and hold manufacturers accountable when they don’t deliver what they claim.

 

the worn issues of the ALL 4 SUSPENSIONS" leaks. then the dealership is replacing it ,,,no cost of your 4runner tires ..
I was every year, 8K miles rotating my tires ...inspecting it then its all my vehicles over 50yrs ..

 

FYI dealers are not allowed to upsell warranty work. If you come in and they spot something that needs attention, they aren’t supposed to tell you about it unless it’s a safety concern or will lead to imminent breakdown. It’s only supposed to be addressed if it was brought in for a customer complaint relating to it.

So they will look over the suspension for safety concerns, but they are not going to point out minor seeping from the dampeners.

And for the newest member of the I joined the forum to complain about XREAS crew - your 2019 is not almost new, it’s 4-5 years old depending on build date which is a perfectly reasonable lifespan for a shock. They are wear items.

 

All this talk of x-reas is scaring the life out of me.my 2014 4runner limited is now at 101,415 miles and so far there's no leakage.i always check whenever I drive out of parking spot.

 

Lol TCCN just released this today. Skip to about 6:45.

 

@Cajunchuck i saw the video already and skipped to the x-reas part...before u messaged.now I'm feeling regretful that I got a 4runner limited rather than a SR5 Premium. Or any non x-reas trim

 

Saw that post from CCN last week and started feeling the same about getting the LE instead of TRP pro (only models dealer had coming in). So I decided to start researching XREAS replacements. Bothered by CCN comment about replacing the springs and getting body tilt. Hopefully this will be in the distant future but still want to start preparing.

 

@hamsey 2014 runner is worth $15,000 I'm thinking of trading it for a TRD pro but then again I'm not a off-roader so I really don't know what trim to get.that CCN video had me stressed even since I watched it.im trying to avoid the $4,000 job to replace x-reas before it's too late.and this weekend i felt bad about my 4runner truth be told its a 2WD and I slided a little when I came out of a parking spot and onto the icy road.it snowed here in NYC my 4runner's first snow ever I should of went with 4WD but I was on a budget...its gonna snow again this week.i don't know what settings to put my 4runner in.please help any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Not sure why the scare. If XREAS fail you are just looking at 500 bucks to replace with something like Bilstien5100.





Also many more other options if you want lift or no lift. Also aftermarket suspension have less life expectancy than XREAS. Including expensive options like Kings, Fox, etc..

 

@Cajunchuck @hamsey @Limited off-road I like the CCN channel, but this is flat out fear mongering about the XREAS system. Yes, they will fail at some point. Mine did at about 150K and it wasn't even a complete failure. I was leaking at all 4 corners out of the shocks. SLOW leaks. I probably could've driven another 20K like this. When it happened, I got rid of the XREAS system and installed a complete traditional suspension system. New springs, new shocks and struts, new UCAs. I think I was in less than $1500 for (IMO) a far superior suspension system. Mind you, I installed myself so it was just parts. If you wanted to replace the XREAS to remain as original as possible, that's great. But why? I think the CCN is doing a dis-service to LE owners by even going down this road. Don't let it scare you.