1997 Toyota 4RUNNER

FRAME ON VEHICLE COMPLETELY CRACKED. THERE IS NUMEROUS HOLES AND RUST PERFORATION ON THE FRAME. LOCAL DEALER DEEMED VEHICLE UNSAFE. TOYOTA HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THEIR OLDER FRAMES AND THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF 4RUNNER OWNERS LIKE THEY DID WITH TACOMA AND TUNDRA OWNERS. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER EVERY DAY THAT I DROVE THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE, SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I AM LEFT WITH A VEHICLE THAT IS TOTALLY USELESS. *TR

I TOOK MY 1997 4RUNNER IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT MY FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THAT MY CAR IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I GOT THE OPINION OF TWO OTHER AUTO BODY SHOPS AND THEY ALL AGREED THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND IS BEYOND BEING REPAIRED. TOYOTA OFFERED A BUY BACK PROGRAM FOR THEIR TACOMA'S FOR THE SAME REASON HOWEVER THEY WILL NOT BUY BACK THE 4 RUNNERS. I'VE FOUND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME RUST ISSUE WITH THE FRAMES ON THEIR 4RUNNERS. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD STEP UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING. *TR

THIS 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS PREMATURE STRUCTURAL FRAME FAILURE. THE FRAME IS ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE FRAME ROT IS LOCATED IN THE REAR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WHERE THE REAR SUSPENSION BRACKET IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. THIS IS AN EPIDEMIC AMONG OLDER TOYOTA TRUCKS AND SUV'S. TOYOTA HAS ALREADY RECALLED THE TACOMA'S OF THIS MODEL YEAR DUE TO THE FRAMES ROTTING. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FROM OTHER 4RUNNER OWNERS. IT IS TIME TO PUSH TOYOTA TO HELP ALL OF THE OWNERS OF THESE TOYOTA'S OUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR QUARTER PART OF THE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 243,000.

THE FRAME IS RUSTING THROUGH ON SEVERAL PLACES, BUT ONE PARTICULAR LOCATION IS THE WORST. THIS LOCATION IS THE WELD JOINT BETWEEN A SOLID STEEL BRACKET OF THE SAME SIZE, THICKNESS AND MATERIAL AS THE MAIN FRAME. THIS BRACKET HOLDS THE SWAY-TYPE BAR, WHICH ATTACHES BACK TO THE REAR AXLE. THE WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BRACKET AND THE MAIN FRAME HAS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND IS ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN FRAME. THE JOINT IS ABOUT 8 INCHES LONG. OVER ABOUT 6 INCHES OF THE WELD JOINT, THE AREA IS RUSTED AWAY AND THERE IS A 3/8-INCH GAP BETWEEN PARTS. THE REMAINING 2 INCHES ARE HOLDING TEMPORARILY, BUT IT IS UNSAFE. THIS RUSTED THROUGH AND FAILED FRAME HAS CAUSED THE 1997 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER TO BE UNSAFE, UNDRIVEABLE AND UN-FIXABLE. IT IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IF THE FRAME JOINT RUSTS MORE AND COMPLETELY BREAKS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE UNCONTROLLABLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WOULD SWAY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE FRACTURED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 150,000. UPDATED 09/27/11 *BF

FRAME ON A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ROTTING OUT. VEHICLE NO LONGER ROAD WORTHY AND WILL NOT TAKE A STICKER. HAVE BEEN A TOYOTA MAN MY WHOLE LIFE BUT THIS MAKES ME THINK TWICE ABOUT EVER PURCHASING ANOTHER ONE. IS TOYOTA GOING TO GO GOOD ON THIS? FUNNY HOW THE TACOMA WAS RECALLED BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER! SAME FRAME? I WOULD HAVE TO GUESS YES... *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED FOR UNRELATED MAINTENANCE WHEN HE WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WOULD CRUMBLE. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNREPAIRABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.