1996 Toyota 4RUNNER

SECOND OWNER OF THIS SUV THAT I HAVE OWNED FOR 12 YEARS. FRAME RUST ISSUES HAVE PROCEEDED TO THE POINT WHERE ONE MONTH AGO, THE LEFT REAR LATERAL AXLE LINK BRACKET BROKE FREE FROM THE FRAME. THE CAR IS NOW UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE REAR AXLE IS NOT TIED TO THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. MECHANIC TOLD ME IT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE FIXED/WELDED, BUT THE REST OF THE FRAME IS SO BAD THERE ISN'T MUCH TO WELD TO. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS GENERATION 4RUNNER AND ITS FRAME RUST ISSUES. I ALSO FOUND MANY CASES WHERE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH THE AXLE LINK BRACKET HAS OCCURRED. THIS REALLY SEEMS TO BE A BROADER ISSUE THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT REMEDIED FOR 4RUNNER OWNERS. DISAPPOINTED THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO KEEP THIS LONGER LIKE I'D PLANNED.

I HAVE OWNED MY 4RUNNER FOR 26 YEARS AND I HAVE METICULOUSLY CARED FOR IT. ONE OF MY SHOCKS GAVE WAY AND I BROUGHT IT IN FOR MY TECHNICIAN TO INSPECT IT. UPON MY HIS INSPECTION I WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME AND OTHER PARTS UNDER THE TRUCK SUCH AS THE GAS LINE. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY ENGINE RUNS STRONG WITH 209K ON IT. MY TECHNICIAN WOULD NOT DO ANY REPAIRS TO THIS FRAME BECAUSE OF HOW COORS ICE IT WAS. HE SHOWED ME SEVERAL FINGERS GOING THROUGH A STRESS POINT NEAR THE REAR AXEL. THE TRUCK LOOKS BEAUTIFUL AND IS NOW USELESS WITH THE RUSTY FRAME. I LIVE IN SALTY CT AND BELIEVE THE FRAME WAS NOT PROPERLY CONDITIONED FROM THE FRAME FACTORY. VIN NUMBER: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FRAME BROKE DUE TO RUST BY THE LOWER CONTROL ARM GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD DOING ABOUT 30MPH ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GO OFF THE ROAD. HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO FIND OUT IT WAS RUSTED THROUGH IN SEVERAL PLACES AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR OF 4RUNNER. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IT COULD OF COSTED ME MY LIFE OR SOMEONE ELSE'S AND BEING AS COMMON OF A PROBLEM AS IT IS I FEEL IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED THERE'S NO REASON A FRAME SHOULD RUST AS BAD AND AS QUICK AS THIS CONSIDERING IT HAS BEEN UNDERCOATED EVERY YEAR OF ITS LIFE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO WOBBLE UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER SIDE HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 224,000.

HI, THE FRAME IS EXTREMELY RUSTED. IT HAD A SMALL TEAR ON A WELD. NOW IT HAS A LARGE TEAR IN THE FRAME. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS RUSTING AT ALL THE WELD POINTS AT A ACCELERATED RATE AND OR THE FRAME ITSELF IS NOT THICK ENOUGH. I HAVE READ OF HUNDREDS OF OTHERS THAT OWN THIS CAR AND THE FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH. I KNOW THAT THE TACOMA HAS BEEN RECALLED AND IT HAS THE EXACT SAME FRAME-------PLEASE ADVISE AS THIS CAR IS NOT EVEN 20 YEARS OLD......THE CAR IS IN GREAT CONDITION OTHERWISE AND IN NO WAY SHOULD BE READY FOR THE JUNK YARD........

I RECENTLY BOUGHT MY 1996 4RUNNER AT THE BEGINNING OF 2015. THERE WAS SOME RUST ON THE FRAME BUT NO NOTICEABLE DAMAGE FROM THE OUTSIDE. NOW, SIX MONTHS LATER I HAD IT LOOKED AT BECAUSE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BECAME INCREASINGLY LOUD. THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE FRAME WHILE LOOKING AT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND HE FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAD ROTTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. HE RECOMMENDED I DO NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE AS IT IS UNSAFE. HE SAID HE WOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO REPAIR DAMAGE SUCH AS MY 4RUNNER HAS. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 166,000 MILES ON IT. THERE IS NO REASON THE FRAME SHOULD BE AS DAMAGED AS IT IS OR TO HAVE IT RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH MY SON IN THE CAR WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE TRUCK AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED WITH A LOSS OF CONTROL. LUCKILY IT WAS IN THE AFTERNOON AND RUSH HOUR HAD YET TO HIT SO THE NEAREST CARS/TRUCKS WERE ABLE TO AVOID ME. I LIMPED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK ONLY TO SEE THAT THE FRAME RAIL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD COMPLETELY SNAPPED IN HALF. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT HAD CLEARLY RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I HAVE KEPT THE TRUCK IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, REGULAR MAINTENANCE, ETC AND EVEN CHECKED FOR RUST SINCE I KNEW THIS WAS AN ISSUE. HOWEVER SINCE IT RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, I HAD NEVER EVEN NOTICED. GOT IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO WOULD PROCEED TO INFORM ME THAT THE ONLY FIX FOR IT WAS A NEW FRAME. PERFECT 4RUNNER, LOW MILES, WITH EXCELLENT CARE TAKEN TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD LAST 300K, AND NOW ITS WORTH LESS THAN A ROTTEN BANANA. TALK ABOUT A PUNCH TO THE FACE. IM JUST THANKFUL MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT HURT IN THIS MESS. I'VE READ ABOUT THE CONSTANT RUST ISSUES WITH THESE TRUCKS AND I PRAY THAT IT DOESN'T HURT AN ENTIRE FAMILY SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE OTHER THAN THEIR WALLET. *TR