1997 Toyota 4RUNNER

I WANTED TO REPORT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE AND I WAS LUCKY I WASN'T PULLING MY BOAT OR TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. BASICALLY THE FRAME FOR MY 4RUNNER RUSTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. ONE BRACE THAT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME TO STABILIZE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BROKE OFF THE FRAME ON ONE SIDE. THE OTHER SIDE IS HOLDING ON BY A STRING. THERE ARE HOLES IN THE FRAME WITH PIECES MISSING FROM RUSTING OUT. THE FRAME COULD IN MY OPINION BREAK IN HALF NEAR THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. THIS SEEMS SIMILAR OR WORSE THAN WHAT I READ ABOUT THE TACOMA TRUCKS. I BROUGHT IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THAT WAS WHAT THE GUYS SAID THERE. THE WORDS DIRECTLY FROM THE SERVICE GUYS WERE - THIS IS WORSE THAN ANY OF THE TACOMA'S THEY HAVE SEEN. THEY HAD THE REGIONAL TOYOTA REP TAKE PICTURES AND RUN A REPORT AND SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME SOON. THAT WAS ON 9/9/09. NO WORD BACK YET. RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE THAT I KNOW ABOUT SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS REPORTED TO YOU. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION FOR ME AND MULTIPLE OTHERS ON THE ROAD. THEY ADVISED THE FRAME WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE OR TOW ANY ITEMS AND NOT TO HAVE MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE AT ONE TIME. THE ADVISED TO GET THE FRAME WELDED BY A WELDING COMPANY. *TR

NO CRASH OR INJURY,BUT 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER DIFFERENTIAL IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND LEAKS OIL THROUGH NUMEROUS PINHOLES. IT CAN'T BE PATCHED AND REPLACEMENT IS IN THE $1500 RANGE. I CAN'T TAKE THE VEHICLE ON TRIPS. I HAVE FOUND MANY INSTANCES OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ON THE WEB - IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

THE TREADS OF MY CONTINENTAL TIRES SEPARATED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY. MY CAR LOST TRACTION AND SPUN UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY. MY TIRES WERE PURCHASED 5 YEARS AGO AND HAVE ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON THEM. THE OTHER 3 CONTINENTAL TIRES ALSO SHOW SUBSTANTIAL WEAR THAT ARE BEYOND THE TYPICAL WEAR AND TEAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. ON AUGUST 5 2009, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH HE HEARD A NOISE AND OBSERVED THAT THE FRAME BROKE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LEFT TIE ROD CORRODED AND BROKE IN HALF WHICH CAUSED THE FRAME TO FALL OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE FRAME IS NOT REPAIRABLE. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO EXISTING RECALL AND WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 190,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED LIMIT (60 MPH), THE VEHICLE SURGED/JOLTED FORWARD PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE CAUSING ME TO MERGE INTO THE DIRECTION OF A TRACTOR TRAILER. I TRIED TO TURN AWAY FROM TRACTOR TRAILER TO AVOID COLLISION. MY VEHICLE HIT THE REAR TIRE OF THE TRACTOR TRAILER AND I BEGAN TO SWERVE OUT OF CONTROL. MY BRAKES DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP EITHER, THEY DIDN'T FUNCTION. THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING OVER 3+ TIMES, THE CAR WAS TOTALED. ALL PASSENGERS WERE HOSPITALIZED BUT NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEOPLE WERE HURT FROM THE ACCIDENT. MY CONCERN IS REGARDING THE PERIODIC ENGINE SURGE AND/OR JOLTING AND LACK OF BRAKE CONTROL. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED IN ORDER TO AVOID FUTURE INCIDENTS. WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE NOT BEEN KILLED IN THIS AUTO ACCIDENT. *TR

FAIL STATE CAR INSPECTION DUE TO ILLEGAL INSTALLATION OF HEADLIGHTS BY A COMPANY DOING BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF CHESAPEAKE. PREMIER SOUND WHO INSTALLED A $400.00 PLUS HEADLIGHTS ON MY 97 TOYOTA 4RUNNER DID NOT TELL ME THAT THIS HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION. NOW TO REPLACE THE HARNESS ON THIS VEHICLE IN ORDER TO PASS THE STATE INSPECTION WOULD COST ME $900.00 PLUS . IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE STATE WOULD REGULATE AND SAY YOU MUST TELL THE CUSTOMER THAT WHAT I'M INSTALLING IN YOUR VEHICLE IS ILLEGAL? THIS KIND OF PEOPLE ARE DEAD ON THE MONEY TO RIP YOU OFF BY NOT TELLING YOU THAT THIS IS NOT LEGAL. PREMIER SOUND IS JUST IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AIN'T THAT SOMETHING. WHAT CAN I DO NOW. THE LAW MUST BE CHANGE TO MAKE THEM HONEST TO THE COMMUNITY THEY DO BUSINESS WITH. PLEASE HELP CONGRESSMAN OUT THERE AND BE SYMPATHETIC TO THE CITIZEN LIKE ME WHO LIVE IN CHESAPEAKE, VA. SINCERELY, F.I. CANTADA *TR

I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS EXCESSIVE RUST DAMAGE TO THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE, WHICH RESULTED IN HOLE AND A 7 INCH CRACK TO THE FRAME. TOYOTA HAS A FRAME SAFETY RECALL ON 1995-2000 TACOMA. I CONTACTED TOYOTA WITH THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HAVE A 1997 4RUNNER WHICH SITS ON THE SAME FRAME. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

THIS LETTER IS TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC OF A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED WITH OUR TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THIS VEHICLE IS A VERY GOOD VEHICLE OVER ALL AND HAS GIVEN US BARELY NO TROUBLE WHAT SO EVER, WE TAKE GREAT CARE OF THE CAR AND WERE CAUGHT BY SURPRISE WHEN WE WERE ALMOST SET ON FIRE WHILE PREPARING TO RIDE OFF . WE WERE AT A MOTOR CYCLE SHOP LOOKING AT 4 WHEELERS AND DIRTBIKES WITH OUR CHILDREN AND NEPHEW,AS WE WERE PREPARING TO LEAVE THE CAR WAS ON, AND MY ASTHMATIC SON BEGAN TO GASP, MY WIFE BEGAN TO COUGH AND NOTICED THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS SMOKING. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, WE MADE IT OUT OK GETTING THE KIDS OUT AND,THEN OURSELVES AS WE TRIED TO FIND AND CONTAIN THE FIRE. NEARBY CITIZENS HELPED TRYING TO PREVENT A POSSIBLE EXPLOSION USING A EXTINGUISHER, FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME COMPLETELY PUT OUT THE FIRE. THIS OCCURRED IN MARCH AND OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE REPAIR IS BRUTAL. FROM WHAT WE DISCOVERED AT DEALERSHIPS AND USED CAR PARTS, THAT MODEL CAR HAS BEEN REQUIRING THAT PART , THEREFORE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING TO OTHER 1997 4-RUNNERS TO THE EXTENT THAT PLACES HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY SOLD OUT OF THE PART IN MANY STATES. WE DID PURCHASE OURS THROUGH THE DEALER, TO NO SURPRISE WE AREN'T FIRST TO HAVE TO PURCHASE THE PART, THIS IS NOT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, NOR IS IT A ROUTINE CAR PROBLEM. I WROTE TOYOTA AND NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE, I KNOW IT IS AN GREAT COMPANY, WITH QUALITY VEHICLES. WE PAID 29,000+FOR THIS CAR IN CASH....DEFINITELY NOT TO WATCH IT BURN UP...ALL OF THE SUDDEN OVER SOMETHING COMPLETELY DUE TO MANUFACTURING. PLEASE HELP US IN THIS MATTER WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT OVER $3,000 AND NO ONE FEELS ITS FAIR. MY 7 YEAR OLD RESULTED WITH BREATHING PROBLEMS FOR OVER A MONTH, AS WELL DID MY WIFE. MY 12 Y/O HAD STINGING IN HIS EYES FOR 2 DAYS, MY NEPHEW HAD TROUBLE BREATHING AND I BURNED MYSELF AND INHALED SOOT & FIRE EXTINGUISHER FUMES, RESULTING IN CHEST PAIN. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. WE DESERVE OUR MONEY BACK AT THE LEAST FOR REPAIRS. *TR