1997 Toyota 4RUNNER

TL*-THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR THE 1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER ON 01/05/07. HE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PART AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR AND THEY COULDN'T PUT HIM ON A WAIT LIST UNTIL THE PART CAME IN. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS GIVEN A CASE# 200703090575 BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GIVE HIM A TIME WHEN WILL RECEIVE THE PART. THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WILL GET HIM THE PARTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE ,AND THE VEHICLE WAS ON RECALL AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED IN A TIMELY MANNER. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FAILURES TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 11300. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL LETTER 02V021000 FOR THE SUSPENSION ON THE 1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR 1/26/07. THE CUSTOMER STATED WHEN HE ARRIVED HE WAS TOLD THE PART HAD NOT ARRIVED. THE CUSTOMER WAS UPSET THAT HE WAS NOT CALLED AND TOLD THE PART HAD NOT ARRIVED BEFORE HE GOT THERE. *AK

I HAVE BEEN SENT MANY NOTICES FROM TOYOTA INDICATING A RECALL ON MY 1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX THE RECALL SINCE IT INVOLVED REMOVING AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT IN THE AREA OF THE DEFECT. I WROTE TOYOTA AND TOLD THEM THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THEY REPLIED BY PHONE THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE THE EQUIPMENT FIRST. I CONTINUE TO GET THESE RECALL NOTICES AND AM FINALLY COMPLAINING TO THE NHTSA TO ASSIST IN CONVINCING TOYOTA THAT IT IS THEIR LIABILITY, NOT MINE. THE AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT IN QUESTION IS JUST TWO SMALL AIRBAGS INSERTED IN THE REAR SPRINGS TO ASSIST IN LEVELING THE TRUCK WHEN CARRYING HEAVY LOADS. THE AIRBAGS WILL MOST PROBABLY NOT HAVE TO BE REMOVED TO AFFECT THE REPAIR, BUT THE DEALERS WON'T TOUCH THE TRUCK, SINCE IT ADDS TIME AND THEY WILL LOSE MONEY ON THE FLAT RATE PAID BY TOYOTA. IF THE TRUCK SUSPENSION FAILS, AS IT MIGHT AT THIS LATE STAGE, THE LIABILITY WILL BE SOLELY ON TOYOTA AS I HAVE COMPLIED WITH THEIR REQUESTS TO THE LETTER, WHICH STATES SIMPLY TO BRING THE TRUCK IN FOR THE RETROFIT/INSTALLATION OF NEW PARTS, AND NO WHERE IN THE RECALL LETTER IS THERE ANY LANGUAGE STATING THAT A CUSTOMER WILL BE REFUSED IF ADDITIONAL HOURS OF LABOR WILL BE INVOLVED. IF TOYOTA IS WORRIED ABOUT LIABILITY ISSUES THAT MIGHT ARISE FROM THE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAGS, I WOULD THINK THAT THIS WOULD PALE IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY IF THE REAR SUSPENSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING THIS TRUCK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE WRITTEN THEM LETTERS, SPOKEN TO THEM ON THE PHONE AND THEY CONTINUE TO SEND ME LETTERS RE: THE RECALL AND NOTING THAT THE TRUCK IS UNSAFE. AGAIN, TOYOTA SHOULD AFFECT THIS REPAIR NO MATTER WHAT ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE IN THE AREA OF THE REAR SUSPENSION. IF ANYTHING, THE ADDITION OF THE AIRBAGS HAVE MADE THIS TRUCK MORE STABLE AND SAFER THAN IT WAS WHEN IT WAS DELIVERED. TOYOTA NEEDS TO CONTACT ME WITH THE NAME OF A DEALER WHO WILL INSTITUTE THE RECALL REPAIRS WITH THE TRUCK IN THE CURRENT CONDITION. *JB

ON DECEMBER 27, I RECEIVED NOTICE THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION ON MY 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAD BEEN RECALLED. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ROSEVILLE AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY CAR IN FOR THE "ONE HOUR SERVICE" TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. AFTER TAKING FRIDAY, JANURAY 5 OFF WORK, I MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR THE REPAIRS. I CHECKED IN AND WAS TOLD THE REPAIRS WOULD TAKE CLOSER TO 4 HOURS TO COMPLETE. UPON REGISTERING MY CAR FOR SERVICE, THE DEALERSHIP REALIZED THEY DID NOT HAVE PROPER PARTS IN STOCK (SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKED UPON MAKING THE APPOINTMENT). THEY WERE VERY SURPRISED THAT THE SERVICE HAD NEVER BEEN PERFORMED ON MY CAR, SINCE THE RECALL IS ABOUT FIVE YEARS OLD. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR THREE YEARS, AND I AM VERY SHOCKED THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED SOONER. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR SUSPENSION, AND NOW I KNOW WHY. THE ROSEVILLE DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO ORDERED THE PARTS, BUT I INFORMED THEM THAT I LIVE 3 HOURS AWAY AND HAD NO WAY OF BRINGING MY CAR IN. THE SERVICE MAN LOCATED THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA (APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES AWAY) AND CALLED TO FIND OUT SERVICE HOURS. THE HOURS ARE MON-FRI, 8-5. I AM NOW UNABLE TO BRING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE UNLESS I TAKE ANOTHER DAY OFF WORK AND ARRANGE FOR TRANSPORTATION. I LIVE IN AN AREA THAT HAS A LOT OF ROUGH TERRAIN AND SNOW PLAYS A BIG FACTOR IN THE ROAD CONDITIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THESE ISSUES ARE TO BE RESOLVED. I AM OPERATING A FAULTY PRODUCT, NO FAULT OF WHICH IS MINE. *JB

WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 97 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4WD THAT APPEARED TO HAVE A LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE. I HAVE NOTIFIED TOYOTA AND WAS ISSUED A CASE NUMBER- INCIDENT: 061011-000352. OUR VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 133,000 MILES ON IT AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO ANY OFF ROAD CONDITIONS. VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON BACK STREETS AT LESS THAN 30 MPH WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL DISLODGED AND TUCKED UP UNDER THE WHEEL WELL. ONLY THE STEERING LINKAGE WAS ATTACHED. THESE JOINTS ARE A NON SERVICEABLE PART AND THERE ARE NO WARNINGS OF POSSIBLE FAILURE OR PREVENTATIVE MEASURES. I CAN'T IMAGINE UNDER ANY NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THIS COULD BE OR SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT THIS DESIGN IS EITHER FAULTY BY DESIGN OR AN IMPROPER INSTALLATION FROM THE FACTORY. AFTER EVENTUALLY RECEIVING THE DAMAGED PARTS, I EXAMINED THE LOWER BALL JOINT CLOSELY AND IT WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT THAT THE LUBRICATION IN THE JOINT BECAME HARD AND CLUMPY. I COULD HARDLY MOVE THE JOINT IN ANY RANGE OF MOTION. I WOULD FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS COULD CAUSE UNDUE STRESS ON THE UPPER BALL JOINT, CONSEQUENTLY CAUSING UPPER JOINT SEPARATION. UNDER FURTHER INVESTIGATING I HAVE FOUND RECALL CAMPAIGNS ON LOWER BALL JOINTS ON CERTAIN YEARS AND MODELS. HOWEVER THIS BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY SPANS FROM 4RUNNERS, TUNDRAS, TACOMAS, AND SEQUOIAS, FROM '95 TO '04. AT CONCORD TOYOTA (WERE MY VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED (CA)), I BECAME SUSPICIOUS WITH A FEW INCIDENCES I EXPERIENCED OF A COVERUP OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT PROBLEMS WHICH I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DETAIL IF REQUESTED. I AM AWARE OF TOYOTA??S Q.C. PROBLEMS LIKELY BECAUSE OF THEIR QUEST TO TAKE THE TOP SPOT IN MANUFACTURING AND THEIR SHARED PARTS IN DIFFERENT MODELS. TOYOTAS RESPONSE TO OUR SPECIFIC PROBLEM WAS THAT OUR WARRANTY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. MINE IS THAT THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND WARRANTY. IT IS ABOUT SAFETY AND IS A POTENTIALLY HUGE LIABILITY FOR THEM. I SHARE AN OTHER CONCERN ABOUT THE OLD DRIVERS SIDE BALL JOINT NOW. *JB