1998 Toyota 4RUNNER

THE FRAME ON MY 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH ON THE REAR AND HAS BROKEN IN HALF. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THE TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP (SAME MODEL YEAR TIME-FRAME) HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND HAS BEEN RECALLED, BUT THE 4RUNNER HAS NOT. THE 4RUNNER SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED AND A 15 YEAR EXTENDED FRAME RUST THOUGH WARRANTY APPLIED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED NEAR THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE. THE RUST CAUSED THE FRAME TO FRACTURE COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BECAUSE BOTH THE TOYOTA TACOMA AND TUNDRA WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR OVER 7 YEARS. TODAY, THE ONLY OCCASION OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED. DRIVING I-95 IN NORTH FLORIDA AT APPROX. 72 MPH, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO BEGIN A LANE CHANGE AS I APPROACHED A SLOWER VEHICLE TO THE FRONT. THE ACCELERATOR, OF ITS OWN ACCORD, PRESSED ITSELF TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, REACHING A SPEED OF 93 MPH WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, WHICH WERE TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE; THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN SPEED. I CAME WITHIN A FEW FEET OF REAR-ENDING THE CAR I HAD BEGUN TO GO AROUND, AND JUST BEFORE IMPACT I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, WHICH CUT OFF THE MOTOR. I MOVED FROM THE MIDDLE LANE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, AND WHILE COASTING, TURNED THE KEY BACK TO THE 'ON' POSITION, WITHOUT STARTING THE MOTOR. INSTANTLY THE MOTOR REVVED ON ITS OWN TO TACH REDLINE, AND I TURNED THE KEY TO THE 'ACC' POSITION; THE MOTOR SHUT OFF. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES, AND THE ENTIRE TIME THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED TO THE FLOOR. IT WAS NOT STUCK UNDER THE FLOOR MAT, AS I CHECKED THIS WHILE COASTING. THE PEDAL COULD NOT BE PRIED UP BY MY TOE, BUT WAS STUCK FAST. I HAD REDUCED SPEED TO ABOUT 30 MPH. AFTER 1/2 MI COASTING, THE PEDAL RETURNED TO THE NORMAL POSITION ON ITS OWN, AND I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. IT DROVE NORMALLY THE ENTIRE WAY HOME, ABOUT 60 MILES. IF I HAD PANICKED AND NOT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE WITHIN THE FEW SECONDS I HAD, I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY IMPACTED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH IN EXCESS OF 90MPH. THERE WAS TRAFFIC AROUND ME AT THAT POINT, AND IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MULTIPLE-CAR CRASH. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR AND I CANNOT LET HER DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. I FIND NO RECALLS, BUT THIS SITUATION MOST CERTAINLY WAS VERY REAL, AND VERY DANGEROUS. THIS IS NOT TO BE DISMISSED BY CALLING IT 'DRIVER ERROR', OR A PEDAL STUCK UNDER A MAT. I STAYED RATIONAL, AND CONTROLLED THE SITUATION. DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DIES, NHTSA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AXLE ROD WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 168,641.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED BUT DID NOT HOLD AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES YET THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT AND THE CONTACT RECEIVED A CITATION FOR THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE CONTACTS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 05/18/11