2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

[gmad Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gmad]

I have a new (3 month old) 2010 V6 GXL Prado with an ARB Deluxe Bull bar fitted.
A few weeks after the bar being fitted i started to experience a vibration through the car (which has now done 7,700ks, vibration started to get worse in the last 3-4 weeks) from low speed all the way through to 100ks.
The vibration is not through the steering wheel like wheel balance, it is more like you are driving on a slightly corrugated road and makes the whole car shake and everything in it, even the passenger seat when it is empty rattles.
I have had the car in to Beaurepaires and they say the tyres are fine and i should take the car back to Toyota, just picked the car up from the Toyota dealer and they say the ARB bullbar is causing the problem.
I have been to ARB and they say the bull bar would not cause the problem. Has any one had any experience of such a problem?
My next option is to pay ARB to remove the bar to eliminate or prove what is at fault....which they can't do for 3 weeks!!!

I hope I am not going to be passed from one to another with neither taking ownership of the problem....

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Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

What is the gap between the ARB bar and the body of the vehicle? There is meant to be a significant gap as the body is mounted on rubber mounts onto the chassis. So the body and chassis will move relative to each other.

Also verify that the ARB bar has been installed properly.

[gmad Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gmad]

Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

The gap between Bullbar and bodywork is just over an inch...i can get my fingers in the gap easily.
I struggle to understand how a bullbar can shake a 2+ tonne car, when i physically pull and push the bar it is rock solid...it is booked in at ARB for inspection but they can't get me in until 18th November.
Logic tells me the the car shakes the bar not the other way around.....I am swapping all the wheels and tyres with a friends new Prado wheels (two weeks old) and tyres tomorrow to eliminate for my own sake the wheels and tyres completely.

Then i will pay Toyota another visit dependant on the outcome.

[lissted Member Find all posts View Profile Close lissted]

Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

You need to see if the vibration is there at a certain speed or rpm. If the problem is the wheels or tyres it will only be there at speed but if it is there though out a certain rpm it is engine or drivetrain. The bullbar could have no effect on a vibration. Because it is bolted to the end of the chassis, any vibration in the car is amplified at the furtherest point and you can just see the vibration. It has no moving parts so can't cause a vibration unless some bolts are loose and it is starting to shake more and more. If all the bolts are tight I would undo the 4 bolts each side that hold the bar on, take it off and drive to Toyota and tell them to fix it.
Peter

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

Hi Gmad

I have a 150 v6 with an ARB Deluxe bar and have just come back from a 8500k trip on the worst roads you can find and no vibration. Not sure from your post but I think the problem is more like an out of balance in something like driveshafts (or dare I say Dunlops if you are still running the original tyres), maybe even mud caked on the inside of the rim if Beau's just checked it without taking the wheels off.

The bar does appear to move but this is actually the body moving on the rubber mounts but again it does not feel like anything in the car. We also did a quick drive back to Brisbane after the trip finshed on bitumen (1700kms) and didn't have any vibration then either.

Regards, Richo.

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Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

Today I met with John from ARB in Canningvale.
I could not have experienced better customer service from a company.
John was more than happy to inspect the bar and its fixing points. He also test drove the Prado and even took me to a local tyre retailer for a discussion on the symptoms.
In all he spent around 45 minutes with me too help isolate the problem which we still believe to be with the car (Toyota need to rectify).
I will be going back to Toyota although this time not to the O/Park dealer.
Its very interesting to see and experience the support and response you get from different companies when you are faced with a problem, some are very very good and want to help while others just want to brush you off....

[lissted Member Find all posts View Profile Close lissted]

Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

Good result so for. It is so good to hear about good service. For him to help you out and give you 45 min of his time, he will have a customer for life, pay for his 45 min 100 times over. It is a pity more companies we all deal with don't have this same idea.
Let us know how you go with Toyota, HOPEFULLY they will help you out just as much!!!
Peter

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

Today I met with John from ARB in Canningvale.
I could not have experienced better customer service from a company.
John was more than happy to inspect the bar and its fixing points. He also test drove the Prado and even took me to a local tyre retailer for a discussion on the symptoms.
In all he spent around 45 minutes with me too help isolate the problem which we still believe to be with the car (Toyota need to rectify).
I will be going back to Toyota although this time not to the O/Park dealer.
Its very interesting to see and experience the support and response you get from different companies when you are faced with a problem, some are very very good and want to help while others just want to brush you off....

This is why I use and recomend ARB, dealing with them in all the years 4wdriving has been a pleasure, they may be top end on price but I'm happy to pay for the excellent customer service and products.

Two old sayings that ring true "buyer beware" and "you get what you pay for".

Regards, Richo.

[gmad Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gmad]

Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

Finally the Prado is fixed, visited Midland Toyota who showed what real customer service is all about.
They lent me a loan car for the day, and the Service Manager Trevor could not have been more helpful.
One new drive shaft later and problem the problem has gone.....shame on the Osborne Park dealer!!!

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Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

Good work! What was wrong with the drive shaft?

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: 2010 Prado V6 GXL car Vibration - ARB vs Toyota

I would suggest a letter to the dealer principal, Service manager and also Toyota HO complaints area would be in order.