2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED IT FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FRAME RUST AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR A RECALL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC BUT THEY WOULD NOT WELD THE FRAME DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE A CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

I AM WRITING TO REPORT A DEFECT IN THE FRAME OF MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE FRAME EXHIBITS EXTENSIVE RUSTING. THE FRAME HAS HOLES AND HAS SEPARATED ALONG THE BOTTOM WELD. THE SOURCE OF THE WORST RUSTING APPEARS TO BE CONDENSATION FROM THE AC UNIT DRIPPING ONTO THE FRAME AND RUNNING ALONG IT. TOYOTA HAS DECLARED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE TO OPERATE, YET WILL DO NOTHING TO COMPENSATE FOR OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 4RUNNER WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED. THERE IS EXCESSIVE RUST UNDERNEATH THE CARRIAGE/FRAME TO THE POINT WHERE TIRE TECH WOULD NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE SPARE. THE POWER STEERING WHEEL FLUID IS NOW LEAKING FROM THE LINE DUE TO THE RUST. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED 2000 TACOMAS AND TUNDRAS FOR RUST PROBLEMS IN THEIR FRAMES BUT NOT 4RUNNERS OF SAME YEAR. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES THEY WILL GLADLY INSPECT MY FRAME FOR A CHARGE. MY RUSTED SPARE TIRE MOUNT IS A SAFETY HAZARD ITSELF LET ALONE THE OTHER PROBLEMS DEVELOPING.

WE OWN A 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER WHOSE FRAME HAS CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT A TOYOTA DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT (SECOND OPINION) VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT IT WAS AND HAD BEEN COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. MY SON, WHO DROVE IT 600 MILES TO COLLEGE, WAS PUT IN SERIOUS DANGER. WE TOOK A TOTAL LOSS ON THE CAR AFTER HAVING HAD IT DEALER SERVICED SINCE BUYING IT NEW IN 2000. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ACCORDING TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. IT IS PRECISELY THE ISSUE TOYOTA FACED WITH THE TACOMA AND TUNDRA MODELS, WHICH THEY RECALLED AND STOOD BEHIND THROUGH REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT/DOLLAR CREDITS. WE AND THE DEALER CONTACTED TOYOTA DIRECTLY SEVERAL TIMES AND THE COMPANY REFUSES TO STAND BEHIND THE 4RUNNER WITH THE SAME FRAME CORROSION PROBLEM AS THOSE MODELS. *TR

TOOK 2000 4RUNNER IN TO GET MUFFLER REPLACED. THEY DISCOVERED EXTENSIVE FRAME ROT/CORROSION WHERE THE REAR SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM MOUNT TIES INTO THE FRAME. THE WELDED SEAM OF THE BOX TUBING HAS RUSTED OUT. THEY WANTED TO LET US KNOW, BECAUSE THEY FEEL THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. AND, THEY SUGGESTED WE CONTACT TOYOTA TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL OR IF SUB-PAR METAL WAS USED, BECAUSE THE FRAME SHOULDN'T BE IN SUCH A TERRIBLE CONDITION FOR A VEHICLE ITS AGE. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE 2000 4RUNNER, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE RECALLS FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES. WE DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR, KNOWING THAT THE STRUCTURE IS COMPROMISED. AND, WE CERTAINLY CAN'T SELL THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION, KNOWING THAT IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

HEARD A NOISE IN BACK OF CAR..GOT MY TIRES ROTATED, WHILE UP ON THE RACK I NOTICED THE BACK PASSENGER BRACKET THAT HOLDS MY AXEL ON WAS ROTTED IN HALF, CALLED TOYOTA, MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL TOYOTA GARAGE. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE! AXEL COULD FALL OFF, COULD LOSE BREAKS, DRIVE SHAFT COULD FALL OUT PLUS THERE IS A HOLE IN MY FRAME. FRAME ROT AGAIN! WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS YET! THEY DEEMED IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE...WHAT THE[XXX]?? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER IS RUSTED AND FLUID LEACHES RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL SPRAYING FLUID ON TO SPARE WHEEL AND REAR BUMPER AND ANYTHING IN TOW. COVER IS EVIDENTIALLY CHEAP METAL AND IS POORLY DESIGNED AS THE COVER IS WELDED ON AND CANNOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE REAR AXLE. THERE IS NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THIS VEHICLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE AXLE IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION THEREFORE I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED $1500-$2000 FOR A REPLACEMENT AXLE WHICH IS 1/4 OF THE VEHICLE'S VALUE. TOYOTA CHOSE A POOR DESIGN AND MATERIAL FOR THIS PART AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ISSUE AS IT IS THE ONLY WEAK LINK ON THE ENTIRE VEHICLE, UNFORTUNATELY THE REAR AXLE IS NOT AN OPTIONAL PART FOR ITS OPERATION. I HAVE REVIEWED SEVERAL MESSAGE BOARDS AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER 4RUNNER OWNERS IN THE RANGE FROM '99 TO '02 WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE AND ALL REPORT NO OTHER RUST ON THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE LOCATION. MY MECHANIC ADVISES THE ONLY REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE IS THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR AXLE WHEN ONLY A SMALL PLATE HAS FAILED. *TR