2002 Toyota 4RUNNER

WHEN I HAD MY STATE INSPECTION IN JANUARY OF 2020, THE MACHANIC TOLD ME THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION AGAIN. IT IS SEVERELY RUSTED THROUGH AND IN HIS OPINION IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. A FEW WEEKS LATER, I WAS TRAVELLING TO MY FATHER'S RESIDENCE AND THE BRAKES GAVE OUT. THE TECHNICIAN THAT REPAIRED MY BRAKE LINE ALSO TOLD ME AND DOCUMENTED ON THE BILL THAT THE TRUCK IS REALLY NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 18 YEARS, AND ONLY DRIVEN IT FIVE WINTERS. I WASH THE TRUCK NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE WINTER TO REMOVE SALT. IT IS MY ONLY VEHICLE, AND I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW ONE. WHY WASN'T THIS INCLUDED IN THE FRAME RECALL FROM TOYOTA?!? NOW I'M NERVOUS ABOUT MY SAFETY AND THOSE ON THE ROADWAYS.

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH A SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME. MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 70K ORIGINAL MILES ON IT, NO BODY RUST, BUT AN EXTREMELY RUSTED UNDERCARRIAGE AND FRAME. I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO CONTINUALLY DRIVE WITH THIS PROBLEM, AS IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE AND COULD AFFECT OTHER COMPONENTS SUCH AS STEERING, SUSPENSION, BRAKES, ETC. SEEING AS HOW TOYOTA HAS ALREADY HAD A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEIR TRUCKS OF THE SAME YEAR FOR UNSAFE RUSTED FRAMES, I FEEL MY 4RUNNER SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE FRAME REPLACEMENT RECALL.

THE FRAME OF THIS 4RUNNER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE RUST SINCE THE TIME I GOT IT USED FROM A DEALER. ONCE THEIR UNDERCOATING WORE OFF, MY MECHANIC REPLACED RUSTED UP BRAKE LINES BACK ABOUT 9 YEARS AGO. HE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS VERY RUSTY AND THEY DID A NEW RUST TREATMENT. FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS I HAVE BEEN BATTLING ISSUES RELATED TO THE FRAME. A PLATE WAS PUT IN TO STRENGTHEN AN AREA. IT ONLY HAS 164K ON IT, I REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION AT 125K, AND THE BODY IS IN GOOD SHAPE. JUST THAT THE RUST IS SPREADING EVERYWHERE UNDERNEATH. WE TRIED TO GET IT ADDRESSED IN THE PREVIOUS TOYOTA FRAME RECALL BUT IT WAS NOT FOR THIS AGE FOR WHATEVER REASON. EVERY REPAIR HAS BEEN MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO RUSTING BOLTS, MUFFLERS RUSTING EARLY, BRAKE LINES BUSTING DUE TO RUST, THE TOW HITCH RUSTED THROUGH. NOW THERE IS A GAPING HOLE IN THE REAR SIDE OF THE FRAME SUPPORTING THE CAB. AFTER BEING UNDER THE CAR TRYING TO SCRAPE RUST OFF, AND TO PUT SOME RUST RESTORE/PROTECTION, I SAW THE NEW HOLE AND GOT FED UP. SO I SEE YOU ARE NOW INVESTIGATING THIS YEAR 4RUNNER TO ADD TO THEIR RECALL. PLEASE...DO! SOMETHING SERIOUS COULD HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING IT AND IT WILL JUST STAY MOSTLY PARKED UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED. BRAKE FAILURE WHEN MY SON WAS DRIVING WAS ALREADY SCARY ENOUGH. THANK YOU.

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AROUND CURVES. SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MILES PER HOUR ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD, THE ANTI SKID LIGHT ILLUMINATES WITHOUT WARNING ON A DRY PAVED ROAD WITH A SUBSEQUENT SUDDEN PULL TO THE RIGHT AND "GRINDING" NOISE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE TOYOTA DEALER CAN NOT HELP, SINCE HE CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE LATEST OCCURRENCE PULLED THE VEHICLE ACROSS THE CENTER LINE INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. (HAD THERE BEEN ONCOMING TRAFFIC THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT)

VIBRATION FROM BRAKING CAUSING VERY DECREASED VEHICLE CONTROL POSING VERY INCREASED ACCIDENT RISK. TOYOTA FOUR RUNNER 02 LIMITED, RECURRENCE OF PULSING BRAKE PEDAL AND VERY HIGH VEHICLE VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING. THIS OCCURS AFTER SHORT OR LONG MOUNTAIN DESCENTS AT NORMAL / POSTED HIGHWAY SPEEDS UNDER NORMAL PASSENGER LOADS (NOT HAULING), CLEAR DRY CONDITIONS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE. FIRST TIME, THE FRONT ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT THE DEALER BY THE PREVIOUS OWNERS EXPENSE UNDER 60K MILES. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT MOST 7K MILES A YEAR. THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED OVER AND OVER AND POSES A SERIOUS HAZARD TO OCCUPANTS AND OTHER HIGHWAY TRAVELERS. SEARCHING THE WEB, THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF WARPED ROTORS WHICH TOYOTA DEALERS ARE SAYING IS DRIVER ERROR / NORMAL USE. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE MUCH AND NOT HARD. MY USE WOULD QUALIFY AS NORMAL HIGHWAY TRAVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BY ME IN 2008 AND I HAVE REPLACED ROTORS EVERY YEAR. I HAVE PURCHASED THE SLOTTED ROTORS WITH CERAMIC AS WELL AS SEMI METALLIC WITH NO BENEFIT . CERTAINLY THE EXPENSE OF AGAIN REPLACING ROTORS IS CONCERNING, BUT REALLY, THE AMOUNT OF VIBRATION AND DECREASED CONTROL CAUSES ME TO BE VERY CONCERNED FOR MY, AND OTHERS, SAFETY. EVEN IF THE ROTORS ARE REPLACED, IT SEEMS VERY LIKELY THAT THE VIBRATION AND LOSS OF CONTROL WILL RETURN IN A FEW THOUSAND MILES OF NORMAL USE. I WOULD LIKE TOYOTA TO ADMIT THEIR VEHICLES HAVE FAULTY ASSEMBLY WHICH CAUSES EXCESSIVE WEAR ON PADS AND ROTORS. I NOW JUST TOOK IT IN AGAIN, AND THIS WILL BE THE 4TH SET OF ROTORS, PADS AND REAR DRUMS! *TR