2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

MY 2000 4RUNNER WENT IN FOR PENNSYLVANIA STATE INSPECTION AND FAILED DUE TO THE FRAME BEING RUSTED OUT. AS THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION I WAS FORCED TO PAY FOR THE SPOT WHERE THE HOLE WAS TO BE CUT OUT AND WELDED WITH NEW METAL. THE WHOLE UNDERNEATH OF MY 4RUNNER IS RUSTY AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE FRAME THAT ARE TO THE POINT OF POSSIBLY NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS ALSO ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF BEING IN A CRASH AND HAVING A BRITTLE FRAME THAT COULD BREAK IN HALF EASILY. I REALIZE THAT IN COLD WEATHER STATES THERE IS THE THREAT OF SALT AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE CAUSING OXIDATION BUT MY WIFE HAS A 2000 NISSAN THAT HAS SEEN THE SAME EXACT WINTERS AND ROADS AND IS IN 10 TIMES BETTER SHAPE UNDERNEATH THAN MY 4RUNNER. I HAVE TRIED CALLING TOYOTA CORPORATE TO NO AVAIL. I FEEL LIKE LOGGING A COMPLAINT IS ALL I CAN DO. TOYOTA SAYS THEY DIDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH 4RUNNER FRAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE MADE IN JAPAN BUT WHEN I SEE DOMESTIC VEHICLES AND OTHER IMPORT VEHICLES LIKE MY WIFE'S NOT LOOKING LIKE OR HAVING THE RUST ISSUES MINE DOES I'M INCLINED TO SAY THAT TOYOTA IS EITHER LYING OR DOESN'T KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ACTION ON THEIR PART BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS INJURED DUE TO FRAME FAILURE. *KB

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I HAVE NOTICED MY FRAME NEAR THE REAR SUSPENSION IS SO SEVERELY ROTTED THAT THE FRAME WILL NEED TO BE CUT AND RE-WELDED OR REPLACED ALL TOGETHER.THERE ARE MULTIPLE HOLES IN THE BOX FRAME OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME. WATER SEEPS IN THROUGH THE FRAME, CAUSING IT TO RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE RECENTLY AND THEY INFORMED ME AS WELL OF THE EXTENSIVE RUSTING. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS AND WILL BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO TWO REPAIR SHOPS AND THEY BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE DESIGN OF FRAME. THE REST OF THE 4RUNNER IS IN PERFECT CONDITION WITH NO SURFACE RUST, ROT OR OTHER BLEMISHES. HOWEVER, BELOW THE VEHICLE THE FRAME IS RUSTED EXTENSIVELY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DEALER WHERE THEY BOTH INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FRACTURED DUE TO RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THE REPAIR. A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO PASS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST THROUGHOUT THE FRAME AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

THE REAR AXLE HOUSING HAS RUSTED THROUGH, WHILE THE VEHICLES BODY HAS NO RUST. TOYOTA FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS A DEFECT BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLES YEAR AND MILEAGE. WE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING REFERENCE NUMBER 1109161548. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SUPPORTS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND WILL OCCUR ON THE 4 RUNNER WITH MUCH LESS MILEAGE. THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE ALL OF THE REAR AXLE FLUID COULD LEAK OUT, ALLOWING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL TO FREEZE, CREATING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. TOYOTA HAS A RUST PROBLEM WITH THE TACOMA PICKUP, WHERE THEY REPURCHASED VEHICLES AS A RESULT OF FRAME RUST OUT. WE ARE OF THE OPINION TOYOTA HAS USED INFERIOR METALS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THEIR VEHICLES AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. WHEN I CALLED THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE IN TORRANCE CA. THEY REFUSED TO ALLOW ME TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE IN MANAGEMENT SINCE I DIDN'T AGREE WITH THE DECISION OF THE PERSON I DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER EQUIPPED WITH SPECTOR ADVANTA SUV LT265/70/R16 TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WERE BLISTERS ON THE SIDEWALLS OF THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE, EXPOSING THE WHITE MATERIAL INSIDE OF THE TREAD. IN ADDITION, THE TREAD ON THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS RAISED AND THE CONTACT BELIEVED IT WAS DUE TO A BROKEN PIECE OF THE TREAD BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE AT 140,000 MILES AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS RUSTED AND CAUSED AN OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THE RUST AND CORROSION THAT CAUSED THE OIL LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000. UPDATED 09/27/11 *BF

MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER (163K MILES) FAILED NH STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION TODAY DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME CORROSION. I WAS SHOWN A RUST HOLE THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR IN THE REAR PORTION OF THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURAL FRAME. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP FOR A REPAIR ESTIMATE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME COULD NOT BE FIXED VIA WELDING, DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE RUST ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOXED FRAME. INSTEAD, THE FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED TO ADDRESS ISSUE PROPERLY, SAFELY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY. I WAS INFORMED THAT TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. ACKNOWLEDGES AND REMEDIATES SIMILAR RUST ISSUES WITH ITS TUNDRA AND TACOMA MODELS OF SIMILAR MODEL YEARS, BUT DOES NOT SUPPORT RUST ISSUES WITH ITS 4RUNNER MODEL. *TR

TODAY, OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBER. THE FRAME RAIL WAS PERFORATED FOR ~24 INCHES ON THE BOTTOM, INSIDE OF THE RAIL, NEXT TO THE MUFFLER AND UP TO AND INCLUDING THE MOUNTING POINT FOR THE REAR WHEEL LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE RAIL WAS PERFORATED TO A WIDTH OF UP TO ~1 INCH. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME AND AM REPORTING IT AS IT COULD BE SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE REVIEWED DESCRIPTIONS AND PICTURES OF THIS ISSUE ON WWW.TOYOTA-4RUNNER.ORG FORUM AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES OF FRAME PERFORATION IN THIS EXACT LOCATION ON 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNERS (SEARCH "FRAME RUST" OR I CAN PROVIDE LINKS). I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AND INFORMED THEM OF THE ISSUE (CASE#110-621-0707) AND THEY INDICATED THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT HAVE AN ONGOING PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.