Do you have a vibration in your 4R? Dealer having issues diagnosing? (Blaming tires?)

[xp0nex]

Running a set of Toyo RT Trail and no vibrations and I barely see any weights on the wheels. On the other hand, ran a set of Falken AT Trail on a Highlander and no amount of balancing has been able to fix the random vibrations I experienced with these tires. Ran nothing but Michelins before the Falkens and those were always smooth with no vibrations. Could not wait to get the Falkens off.

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[Deleted member 9903]

I had a serious vibration problem on my current car--Audio A6 Allroad. I thought it was the tires too, and did all kinds of stuff with the tires, different pressures, different tires, still there. Dealer had some kind of diagnostics test to check for vibration, said it was a slightly warped drive shaft. They replaced the drive shaft (FOC) and it completely resolved the issue. That was three years ago, and no vibration issues since.

 

[IRFAN0922]

I made this short video to demonstrate the vibration that comes through the driver's side floor from the engine bay.

i have 2026 SR5 4Runner - under 700 Miles .

The 5th-gen 4Runner had a similar issue, where owners experienced both vibration and shaking. needle bearing replacement helped reduce the problem, and switching to better street-oriented (SL-rated) tires also made a noticeable difference. Aggressive off-road tires tend to amplify the vibration specialy older one .

After doing some testing on my 6th-gen 4Runner, the vibration feels different. It's more like a high-frequency "massage machine" vibration than an actual shake. It seems to come from the engine bay, especially when the transmission is engaged.

When the vehicle is moving, the driveshaft, axles, and all other drivetrain components are still rotating. As soon as the transmission disengages, the vibration disappears, even though all of those components are still in motion. That makes me think the vibration is related to the engine or transmission , rather than the tires or other rotating drivetrain components.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'd appreciate hearing your observations or any testing you've done. Please share your comments.

My one-way commute is about 30 minutes. When I arrive at work, both of my feet—especially my left foot—still feel the vibration. It almost feels like the circulation in my left foot has been affected, and the sensation lasts for more than an hour.

This is a serious concern. I recommend that anyone experiencing the same issue open a case with NHTSA so the problem can be properly investigated.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem

 

[josiahg52]

Trailhunter with OE Open Country and it's as smooth as my X5. More body movement, softer suspension, but no vibration, all the way up to 80+ mph. If you're experiencing this issue, frequency analysis is probably the only way to determine if there is an issue and what it is. How many times will you replace the tires, index them, balance, road force balance, etc. the wheels and tires?

 

[StickFigure369]

I'm in a very similar boat here - TRD ORP with michenlin LTX stock (no mods at all on the car). Purchased Monday 10/20/2025, and first long highway trip that Friday and noticed a light vibration through both the wheel, bottom/butt of my seat, both pedals. Clearly visible via the visor shade, hood shake. Noticeable at 65+, but definitely more pronounced 76-79MPH. If I had to describe it - it feels like a very very low setting on a massage gun, almost like a light, continual 'jiggle' - look, i'm not a skinny guy, and the way I truly feel it is in my meaty thighs, calfs, and lovehandles sort of continually vibrating - good luck 'measuring' that lol

Left if back with the dealer the following Tuesday, they claimed they did not notice any abornmal vibration, but claimed couldt not drive at the speeds I experienced for liability (Understandable). So, I went back to drive it with the tech in ride-along, and to what extent I could with moderate traffic, got up to speed and I felt it, but he placed his hand on wheel and he said he didn't really feel it, but it's hard to explain the seat/pedal shake. So... had to come back in the next day to do a ride-along with the foreman. he said he felt some minor shake on the wheel. At this point, feeling like I'm losing my mind, they decided to test each tire via Road Force.

Lo and behold - 1 out of balance (RF, added a 0.5oz weight), 1 out of round (RR, via 2nd Harmonic test 21lbs). They replaced the out of round tire with a new, and placed a 1.5oz weight after a new road force.

This weekend, went on a long drive... and the vibration seems to be no different even after the new tire & balancing weights - still through the wheel, pedals, and most noticeably in the butt of my seat. It still feels like the lowest of low settings on a theragun/massage gun, at a high frequency.

I plan to call the dealership tomorrow, but when I picked it up last Thursday, they told me if it wasn't resolved, I could take a like-vehicle out for a test drive to see if it compares & it's 'just you.' Maybe it is, maybe i'm just getting used to the new ride, but i feel like a persistent jiggle. Frustrated that a $60K+ car is causing me CONSTANT headache and I'll have spent 10+ hours hassling with the dealership. Hoping for the best and will report back.
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I have the same trim/tires on a 2026 & same problem!

 

[josiahg52]

Some may be be surprised, but persistent vibrations can actually be measured pretty easily with a phone accelerometer app or an inexpensive vibration sensor. The point is to use the same device (can't reasonably compare two non-precision device results if you do change devices later), mount it the same way (solidly and in the same method and location), and objectively review the data. It won't diagnose the cause for you, but frequency and amplitude under different conditions could at least help narrow down what it's related to: engine speed, vehicle speed, wheels/tires, drivetrain, etc.

 

[LuLu6G]

Toyo Open Country AT3 doesn’t rumble like the OEMs that was delivered with the vehicle. Lexus and MDX rides differently - smoothly.

 

[Tarekith]

To rule out the needle bearing issue put the 4Runner in 4 hi and it’ll go away. Just fyi for those trying to diagnose, dealing with this myself with a front left noise issue.

 

[josiahg52]

Toyo Open Country AT3 doesn’t rumble like the OEMs that was delivered with the vehicle. Lexus and MDX rides differently - smoothly.

My OEM tire is the Open Country AT3 and they don't rumble at all. . .

And the MDX comparison is even less informative. The Acura MDX is a unibody, pavement-oriented luxury crossover. The sixth-gen 4Runner is a body-on-frame SUV designed around substantially different requirements. Of course their NVH and ride characteristics can differ.

Your “Lexus” statement makes the comparison almost meaningless because which Lexus? Lexus sells everything from road-oriented unibody crossovers to body-on-frame SUVs closely related to Toyota's trucks. An RX and a GX are hardly interchangeable reference points simply because both have Lexus badges.

Not challenging your opinions, experiences, or beliefs, I'm challenging their pertinence to the discussion.

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