2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

VEHICLE HAD NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF FRAME RUST. DROVE VEHICLE OVER A SMALL BUMP AT 5MPH & HEARD A SOUND FROM REAR. PARKED CAR. WHEN DRIVING AWAY LATER NOTICED A SWAY IN LOW SPEED DRIVING. GOT OUT AND SAW THE REAR DRIVERS FRAME RAIL HAD CRACKED WHERE IT MOUNTS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. THAT SECTION HAD TO HAVE RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AS IT IS A BOXED FRAME AND THERE WAS NO VISIBLE RUST ON THE OUTER FRAME. THIS IS A VERY ALARMING ISSUE AND A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN NORTHEAST BUT GARAGED. WE'VE HAD RUSTED BODY PANELS ONLY ON MUCH OLDER CARS - THIS SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR FLAW IN VEHICLE DESIGN. ESPECIALLY AS IT ISN'T VISIBLE AND JUST RECENTLY PASSED A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS PERFORMING A REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE FOR AN UNRELATED FAILURE WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY 17 YEAR OLD WAS DRIVING OUR 4RUNNER, AND IT BEGAN SWAYING ALL OVER THE ROAD. LUCKILY, HE WAS ONLY A COUPLE MILES FROM HOME, AND MADE IT BACK SAFELY. THE FRAME HAS ROTTED AWAY FROM THE INSIDE OUT, LEAVING THE REAR AXLE COMPONENTS NOT PROPERLY "ATTACHED", AND MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE. THE BODY ON THIS VEHICLE IS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION, AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE UP TO 200,000 MILES, WHICH SHOULD NOT BE UNCOMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE TYPE. I'VE CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND FILED A COMPLAINT. I WAS TOLD NOTHING WILL BE DONE AND NO FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS WILL BE MADE EITHER. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS GENERATION 4RUNNER, AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE MADE TO OFFER TO FIX OR MAKE FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS VEHICLE JUST AS THEY HAVE DONE WITH THE TOYOTA TACOMA WITH ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FRAME. *TR

WHILE HAVING MY 2000 4RUNNER SERVICED RECENTLY, MY MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT MY CARRIAGE FRAME WAS CRACKED AND ROTTING. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALER IN BRISTOL CT, WHO PUT VEHICLE ON HOIST AND CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM. I WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NO RECALL OR TSB ON MY SUV, AND PROBABLY NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THEY SAID THEY WOULD SEND INFO & PICTURES TO DISTRICT OFFICE FOR REVIEW AND ADVISE WHEN THEY HEARD BACK. I ASKED THEM ABOUT FIXING IT IN THE MEANTIME, BUT THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T ACCEPT THE LIABILITY? I CAN EMAIL PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO REVIEW THESE AS WELL. I AM HAVING IT WELDED IN THE MEANTIME, AS THE CRACK WAS RATHER SEVERE. MY MECHANIC AND TOYOTA BOTH ADVISED THAT IF THE CRACK BROKE THRU WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR AXLE WOULD COME LOOSE FROM THE FRAME. THE ESTIMATE TO FIX MY SUV IS APX. $1,500, WHICH INCLUDES REPLACING THE GAS TANK UNDER-SHIELD, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A CHUNK OF SWISS CHEESE AS WELL. PLEASE ADVISE OF ANY RECOURSE I MAY HAVE. *TR

I DISCOVERED THAT MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS SEVER INTERIOR FRAME ROT IN FRONT OF THE REAR TRAILING ARM CONNECTION POINTS, MORE SO ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. THIS WILL BECOME VERY UNSAFE AFTER A WHILE IF NOTHING IS DONE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. I REMEMBER TOYOTA RECALLING TACOMAS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. WHY WILL THEY NOT UPHOLD TOYOTA QUALITY AND SAFETY AND RECALL A VEHICLE THAT IS BUILT ON BASICALLY THE SAME FRAME AS THE TACOMA? THE REST OF THE BODY IS PERFECT. THAT IN ITSELF PROVES A DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FLAW OF THE FRAME. *TR

FRAME HAS SEVERE RUST THAT HAS CAUSED THE FRAME TO BECOME WEAK AND UNSAFE. MULTIPLE HOLES IN FRAME HAVE DEVELOPED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN WASHED REGULARLY AND STORED INDOORS FOR YEARS BUT HAS SEVERE FRAME ROT. TOYOTA WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE THEY SAY THERE WAS NEVER ANY PROBLEM WITH THE 4RUNNER FRAMES JUST THE TACOMA AND TUNDRA HAD ISSUES. THE FRAME ON THE 96-02 4RUNNERS ARE THE SAME AS THE TACOMA, ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE REAR SUSPENSION SETUP. THEY APPEAR TO HAVE THE SAME RUST ISSUES. *TR