1999 Toyota 4RUNNER

I HAVE BOUGHT TOYOTA'S FOR 25 + YEARS AND ALWAYS KEEP THEM WELL-MAINTAINED. THE VISIBLE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. A FEW YEARS AGO, I TOOK MY 4RUNNER IN FOR A MUFFLER REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A REAL PROBLEM WITH A RUSTING FRAME AND THAT THERE WERE SPOTS THAT WERE ACTUALLY TOTAL PERFORATION/HOLES. TWO YEARS LATER, MY VEHICLE WAS IN FOR A FUEL GAUGE ISSUE AND THE SHOP CALLED TO SAY THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT SAFELY RAISE THE CAR. THE RUST ON THE FRAME WAS SO BAD THE PADS ON THE HOIST SLIPPED THRU HOLES IN THE FRAME. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AGAIN, THIS TIME TO THE DUNNING TOYOTA DEALER IN ANN ARBOR, MI. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AGREED TO HAVE THE TOYOTA TECHNICAL REP. LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. IT TOOK SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THE REP. COULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OF THE FRAME CORROSION. I ASKED IF THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE AND WAS TOLD "PROBABLY NOT". MONTHS LATER, MY VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE TOYOTA DEALER....UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR UPDATED 5/22/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE YET. UPDATED 06/12/2013 *JS STATUS UPDATE 07/31/14

WAS DRIVING THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD AT 15 MPH AND A BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE REAR AXLE IN PLACE SNAPPED OFF THE FRAME. UPON INSPECTION THE FRAME APPEARS TO HAVE RUSTED STRAIGHT THROUGH. I UNDERSTAND THE CAR IS OLD AND HAS A LOT OF MILES BUT I DO NOT THINK THAT THE FRAME SHOULD BE THE FIRST THING TO GO ON A VEHICLE. THE REST OF THE CAR IS IN GREAT CONDITION CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, ITS A SHAME THAT DUE TO A FRAME MALFUNCTION THE CAR IS NO LONGER USABLE. WE ARE JUST LUCKY THEY CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DIDN'T HAPPEN AT SPEED. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS TO REQUEST THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO FRAME RUST AND CORROSION PROBLEMS IN THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE ISSUES WITH SEVERELY RUSTED FRAMES IN THE TUNDRAS AND THE 1995-2000 AND 2001-04 TOYOTA TACOMA. I OWN A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH 99,000 MILES THAT HAS EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME AND REAR AXLE. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DUE TO ONE OR MULTIPLE FACTORS. IT COULD BE DUE TO POOR PAINT OR POOR PREPARATION PRIOR TO PAINTING, DUE TO POOR STEEL OR DUE TO CONTAMINATION AT WELDS (FOR THE FRAME) THAT CAUSED THE PAINT TO FAIL RUST PROCEEDS VERY RAPIDLY FROM THE WELDS ON THE FRAME WHILE THE REAR AXLE IT SEEMS THE PAINT IS WORTHLESS TO PROTECT THE METAL. *TR

HAVING MAJOR FRAME ROT ON 99 4RUNNER. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED TUNDRA AND TACOMA FOR SAME ISSUES AND NOTHING FOR THE 4RUNNER. THE TACOMA AND RUNNER HAVE SAME FRAMES, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE. READING THE RECALL THEIR IS A SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT THE REAR SUSPENDED SPARE WHICH THE 4RUNNERS HAVE, SEVERE ROT WHICH IS COMMON ON ALL, BREAK LINE FAILURE WHICH HAPPENED TO MINE. DOES MY FAMILY OR SOMEONE ELSES NEED TO BE IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT FOR THIS TO BE ADDRESSED?.. TOYOTA HAS GIVEN ME THE RUN AROUND, I HOPE YOU CAN HELP. MY NEXT RECOURSE IS EITHER THE MEDIA OR AN ATTORNEY. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! TOYOTA IS ADDRESSING ONLY THE SURFACE HERE. THANK YOU *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS TO REQUEST THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO FRAME RUST AND CORROSION PROBLEMS IN THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE ISSUES WITH SEVERELY RUSTED FRAMES IN THE TUNDRAS AND THE 1995-2000 AND 2001-04 TOYOTA TACOMA. I OWN A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH 71,000 MILE THAT IS SEVERELY RUSTED. SO MUCH SO THAT MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHILE SOME MAY BLAME THE CLIMATE FOR THE RUST, I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE TO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT BASED A DESIGN FLAW. I ALSO OWN A 1994 HONDA CIVIC THAT HAS BEEN THROUGH THE SAME CLIMATE AS THE 4RUNNER YET DOES NOT HAVE THIS DANGEROUS RUST ISSUE. UNFORTUNATELY I AM NOT ALONE IN EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. A SEARCH OF YOUR DATABASE SHOWS OVER 30 RUST COMPLAINTS (AS OF 7/9/2012) AND THIS IS ONLY BASED ON REVIEW OF THE 1999 4RUNNER MODEL. TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR THE BRAKES AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT REAR AND LEFT REAR FRAME WAS COVERED WITH RUST. THE RIGHT FRAME WAS WORSE THAN THE LEFT AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FRAME AND THEY COULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 231,000. UPDATED 08/7/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRAME RUST ON LOCATED ON THE TRAILING ARM AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. UPDATED 08/16/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE WHEN HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE RUST BEGAN NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE AND ENDED NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT IT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 164,000.

FRAME RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT BROKE. WHEN IT HAPPENED IT ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. LEFT THE VEHICLE IN A CONDITION THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THIS VEHICLE HAS HIGH MILES BUT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION OTHERWISE. NO RUST ANYWHERE ON THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THE FRAME. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I'VE SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER 4RUNNERS. *TR