2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

SEVERE CORROSION IN THE STRUCTURAL FRAMING (THE BOX BEAM ON THE RIGHT SIDE) OF THE CAR RESULTED IN THE SUDDEN LOSS OF A PORTION OF THE BOTTOM FLANGE OF THE BOX BEAM. THE PORTION OF THE BOTTOM FLANGE THAT FELL OFF IS ABOUT 3 IN. WIDE BY 14 IN. LONG. THAT PORTION OF THE FAILED FLANGE ALSO INCLUDED THE CONNECTION OF THE STRUCT ROD SUPPORTING THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. THE LOST OF THE STRUCT ROD SUPPORT TO THE STRUCTURAL FRAMING CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWAY WIDELY SIDE TO SIDE AND TO ROLL LEFT TO RIGHT WHILE I WAS TRYING TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE CAR DRIFTED TO THE SIDE WHEN I APPLIED BRAKING TO THE CAR. IT WAS VERY FORTUNATELY THAT WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED, I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD IN LESS THAN 40 MPH, AND THERE WAS NO OTHER CARS IN MY IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING. OTHERWISE, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. AFTER SENDING THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE CORROSION HAS SEVERELY UNDERMINED THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE STRUCTURAL FRAMING OF THE CAR, IN THIS CASE IT WAS THE LONGITUDINAL BOX BEAMS SUPPORTING THE CAR. I DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA OF AMERICA AND THEY INFORMED ME THE WARRANTY FOR CORROSION IS ONLY FOR 60 MONTHS. HOWEVER, I TOLD THEM THE STRUCTURAL FRAMING OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE A MUCH, MUCH LONGER SERVICE LIFE THAN 60 MONTHS. A SUDDEN STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE IN MOTION COULD HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCE. THE ODOMETER READING OF MY CAR IS LESS THAN 63,000 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, A NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HAD TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL IN EXCESS IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE REAR TRAILING ARM HAD CORRODED AND FRACTURED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000. UPDATED 7/9/15*CN

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON 01/24/2015 I FELT AND HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWERVE AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I CAME TO A STOP AND CHECKED THE VEHICLE BUT DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG. I GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND DROVE AT A SLOWER SPEED, WHEN I GOT HOME I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND CHECKED THE UNDER SIDE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS CRACKED WHERE THE CONTROL ARM MOUNTS. I LOOKED ON LINE FOR RECALLS AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND THERE ARE RECALLS FOR THE 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA WHICH SHARES THE SAME PLATFORM THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR FRAME RUST ON THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER. IN ADDITION TO THE CRACK ON THE FRAME THERE IS CONSIDERABLE RUST ON THE ENTIRE FRAME AND I THINK I'M LUCKY TO BE UN HURT AND ALIVE. PLEASE HELP ME AND ALL THE OTHER TOYOTA 4RUNNER OWNERS. THANKS *TR

ON 08/13/2014 MY 16YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING HIS 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ON THE INTERSTATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN RIGHT SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET BUILD INTO THE FRAME FELL OFF THE FRAME AND CRACKED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE FRAME HAD RUSTED FROM INSIDE OUT CAUSING THE WELDED BRACKET TO BREAK AT THE FACTORY WELD. IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA WAS DOING A VOLUNTARY BUY BACK THAT EXPIRED IN 2011. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2013 AND WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF ANY SUCH ISSUES. IT APPEARS TO US SINCE THERE HAS BEEN NO SERVICE CENTERS WILLING TO RE WELD THE BRACKET BACK IN PLACE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO JUNK A GREAT RUNNING GREAT BODY CONDITION CAR DUE TO THIS PROBLEM THAT APPEARS TO BE COMMON. ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE SERVICE GARAGES THAT HAVE INSPECTED FOR REPAIR NONE OF THEM WILL DUE TO LIABILITY AND THAT THERE IS NO GOOD METAL LEFT TO WELD TO AS THE FRAME IS SIMPLY RUSTING INTO HOLES. ANY ADVICE ON FIXES OR RECALLS ETC WOULD BE MUCH HELP. TOYOTA DEALERS ADVISED NOTHING WE COULD DO. *TR

WHILE DRIVING TODAY THE STEERING BECAME UNSTABLE, ERRATIC, AND THE CAR LURCHED OUT OF MY LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A NEW NOISE APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM REAR LEFT TIRE. WHEN I SAFELY PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED VEHICLE I NOTED THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND THAT THE FORWARD WELDED MOUNT FOR THE LOWER SUSPENSION ARM HAD FRACTURED ALONG THE FACTORY WELD AND WAS DANGLING DOWN. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED. IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND PASSED PA STATE INSPECTIONS YEARLY SINCE 2002. *TR

MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SHAKES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 60MPH. IT ALSO DOES THIS WHILE BRAKING. IT IS VISIBLY NOTICEABLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT ALL PASSENGERS IN THE CAR CAN FEEL THE SHAKING AND VIBRATION. IT BECOMES ALMOST VIOLENT AND ALARMING AROUND 70MPH. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS AND NO ONE CAN FIND A SOLUTION. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF POSTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THAT RANGES FROM 96-08 MODELS. *TR