1996 Toyota 4RUNNER

AS I WAS MERGING ONTO THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY, I INCREASED MY SPEED TO 60 MPH. AFTER GOING OVER AN UNEVEN SURFACE ON THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE POINT WHERE IT FELT AS IF IT WERE GOING TO ROLL. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE WHERE I CHECKED TO SEE WHY THE VEHICLE WAS DOING THIS. TO MY SURPRISE THE REAR CONTROL ARM ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF OF THE FRAME DUE TO WHAT MY OPINION WAS RUST. AFTER RECEIVING A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION BY AN INDIVIDUAL SHOP, THE WHOLE FRAME WAS SHOWN TO HAVE HOLES DUE TO RUST. AFTER THIS DISCOVERY THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT I SHOULD INFORM TOYOTA ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND SEE IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP IN ANY WAY. WHEN I DID CALL TOYOTA THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY WOULD DO. *TR

I HAD A MECHANIC REPLACING ROTORS ON BRAKES AND WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP TODAY, HE TOLD ME THE ENTIRE UNDERSIDE OF MY VEHICLE WAS RUSTING AWAY. HE ADVISED ME TO AVOID HITTING ANY HOLES OR BUMPS IN THE ROAD SINCE THE FRAME SUPPORTING THE GAS TANK IS VERY DAMAGED FROM RUST. HE STATED THAT HE WOULD NOT TRUST DRIVING IT VERY FAR DISTANCES SINCE THINGS WERE GOING TO START FALLING OFF UNDERNEATH. *TR

THE FRAME ON MY 96 4 RUNNER LIMITED IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT LONG ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BY THE GAS TANK WHERE THE REAR BODY MOUNT AND TRAILING ARM MEET THE FRAME. BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FRAME RAILS ARE ROTTED THROUGH. MY 4 RUNNER BODY IS IN PERFECT CONDITION WITH NO RUST. THE REST OF THE FRAME IS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH ONLY MINIMAL SURFACE RUST. WITHOUT PERIODIC INSPECTION IT WOULD NEVER BE KNOWN THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED BECAUSE THE REST OF THE VEHICLEE IS NEAR PERFECT CONDITION. *TR

THE VEHICLE RIGHT REAR VEERED TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE LOWER CONTROL ARM DETACHED (BROKE) FROM FRAME (STRUT ROD FASTENED TO THE FRAME). I LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE BUT REGAINED, NARROWLY MISSING A LITTLE GIRL ON HER BIKE. TOYOTA HAS HAD RECALLS ON TACOMA, TUNDRA, AND SOME SIENNA FOR PREMATURELY RUSTED AND BROKEN FRAMES. I CALLED TOYOTA IN LOCAL TOWN AND THEY SAID MY VIN NUMBER HAS HAD NO RECALL. TO MY RESEARCH, THE 4-RUNNER HAS THE SAME FRAME AND BUILD AS THE TACOMA WITH NUMEROUS RECALLS. MECHANIC STATED THE BREAK SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE KEPT THIS VEHICLE WITHIN ALL MANUFACTURER'S SUGGESTED REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE. I TRUSTED TOYOTA AS A VEHICLE THAT WAS SAFE AND DEPENDABLE. *TR

MY 4 RUNNER HAS AN EXTREMELY ROTTED FRAME THAT RENDERS THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. TOYOTA SAYS THEIR SORRY BUT THIS PROBLEM DOESN'T WARRANT A REPAIR OR RECALL. JUST A LITTLE INVESTIGATING INDICATES THAT THEIR ARE MANY UNHAPPY 4 RUNNER OWNERS WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. I KNOW THAT THEIR TACOMA TRUCK WAS RECALLED FOR FRAME ROT PROBLEMS AND MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT BOTH FRAMES ARE VERY SIMILAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BUMPER AND FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND EXHIBITED MANY HOLES IN THE MIDSECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO PASS INSPECTION AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT A RECALL ON MY 1996 LIMITED 4RUNNER. THERE WAS A REAR COIL SPRING RECALL. I TOOK MY 4RUNNER TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SPRINGS REPLACED AND WAS INFORMED BY THEIR MECHANIC THAT THE FRAME WAS SO RUSTY WITH HOLES THAT THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON IT AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A SERVICE REP LOOK AT THIS ISSUE. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE 4RUNNER BACK AT A LATER DATE. I WAS NOT GIVEN A LOANER CAR EVEN AFTER I WAS TOLD IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. A FEW WEEKS LATER I DROVE THE 4RUNNER BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION BY A TOYOTA SERVICE REP AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. HE STATED THAT THE 4RUNNER WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND TOYOTA WAS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY THEN PERFORMED THE COIL SPRING RECALL AFTER THEY STATED IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I MADE MANY CALLS TO TOYOTA WITH NO HELP. TO STOP ME FROM CALLING THEY STATED THEY WOULD GIVE ME $1000 TOWARDS A NEW OR USED TOYOTA PURCHASED FROM A TOYOTA DEALER. MUCH DOCUMENTATION WAS DONE ON THIS PROBLEM AND NO ONE FROM TOYOTA HAS EVER CONTACTED ME ABOUT MY UNSAFE 4RUNNER BEING REMOVED FROM SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE RUST HOLES IN THE FRAME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME ON THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED WHO STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTING JUST LIKE THE TOYOTA TACOMA RECALL. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE WAS NOT A RECALL SINCE BOTH VEHICLES SHARE THE SAME STRUCTURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 188,000.