1998 Toyota 4RUNNER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,000.

THE FRAME ON MY TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS SEVERE RUSTING. RIGHT NOW THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN. THE MOUNT ON THE CHASSIS THAT HOLDS THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM HAS COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF THE FRAME. LOOKS JUST LIKE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I'M WITHOUT A CAR AND WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I UNDERSTAND A NEW FRAME COULD COST $10,000 AND A NEW CAR COULD COST $47,000. MY TOYOTA HAS 240,000 MILES AND OTHERWISE RUNS GREAT. I DO LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST AND HAVE LIVED IN VERMONT DURING THE WINTERS. I TRY TO WASH MY CAR AND CHASSIS OFTEN DUE TO THE SALT. MANY PEOPLE ASK IF MY CAR IS FOR SALE BECAUSE I KEEP IT IN SUCH GOOD SHAPE BUT I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE RUSTING CHASSIS PROBLEM. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO NEXT, HELP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT BEFORE WOBBLING VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FRAME WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000.

THE FRAME OR THE CHASSIS AND ALL AROUND IT ARE HEAVILY CORRODED THAT I WAS ADVISED BY THE INSPECTOR AND THE TIRE PLACE (COSTCO) WHERE I BROUGHT THE CAR FOR TIRE REPLACEMENT NOT TO DRIVE IT AS IT IS UNSAFE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TOYOTA TACOMA OF THE SAME YEAR WITH THE SAME KIND OH CHASSIS WAS RECALLED BY TOYOTA. MY QUESTION IS WHY NOT DO THE SAME FOR THE 4RUNNER?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED HOWEVER, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING HOISTED ON THE LIFT, THE SUB FRAME FRACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS SEVERE FRAME RUST TO THE SUB FRAME. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS COMPROMISED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO REPAIR WHILE ON A LIFT. THE RADIATOR WAS REPAIRED, HOWEVER THE FRAME RUST FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TORSION BAR ALSO FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,000.

THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAS SERIOUS SIGNS OF FRAME DECAY THAT SHOULD NOT BE PRESENT ON A VEHICLE OF THIS AGE AND USE. THERE ARE THREE AREAS OF FRAME PERFORATION THAT SUGGEST A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL AND/OR DESIGN OF THE FRAME. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE PREVALENT ON 1998 MODELS OF THIS SAME VEHICLE AS I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE WITHIN THE NHTSA SITE AS WELL AS OTHER SITES AROUND THE INTERNET. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND WAS MET WITH AN UNWILLINGNESS TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH PHOTOS OF THE FRAME PERFORATION TO SHOW THE EXTENT OF THE DETERIORATION.

I WAS IN REVERSE AND A JOLT AND POP OCCURRED IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT WHERE MY SON WAS SEATED. HE FELT IT AT HIS FEET AND ALL OTHER PASSENGERS HEARD AND FELT A JOLT. WHEN I RETURNED HOME I CRAWLED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED RUST AND STRESS CRACKS ON THE INSIDE OF THE REAR PASSENGER TORSION BAR.WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE WITH MY TWO FINGERS I PUSHED THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME RAIL. THE VEHICLE IS NOT ROAD WORTHY. MY BRAKING PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN I HAVE TO STOP SUDDENLY IN SNOW OR EXTREME WET ROAD SURFACES THERE IS A METAL GRINDING AN NO BRAKES. WHEN THIS OCCURS IN SNOW I WAS IN 4WHEEL HIGH. I HAD NO BRAKES SO I PUT THE VEHICLE IN 2 WHEEL AND HAD BRAKES. IN RAIN I PUMPED THE BRAKES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET BRAKES. ALL DRIVING BRAKES OCCURRED AT 35 MPH IN CITY DRIVING WITH NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME.

LIKE THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF TOYOTA COMPLAINTS, FRAME RUST. TOOK THE 1998 4RUNNER FOR NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE DONE BECAUSE OF MASSIVE EROSION DUE TO RUST ON THE FRAME CONNECTING REAR CONTROL ARMS. 4RUNNER ESSENTIALLY UNDRIVEABLE AT THIS AT THIS POINT. CONTACTED TOYOTA HQ AND, AS EVERYONE ELSE ON THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS SITE SAYS, THEY WOULD DO NOTHING ALTHOUGH THEY DID TAKE CARE OF THE TACOMA PROBLEM.