1999 Toyota 4RUNNER

THE VEHICLE STALLS, INCOSISTENTLY, BUT, ON A FREQUENT BASIS, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, THEN WILL BE FINE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. IT EATS BATTERIES. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY EVERY YEAR. A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST REPLACED THE B+ CABLE FROM THE BATTERY TO THE STARTER, AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A YEAR, BUT, HAS SINCE RETURNED. I RECENTLY UPGRADED TO A BATTERY WITH MORE CRANKING WATTS, AND HAVE EEN IMPROVEMENT. HOWEVER. THERE'S THE ISSUE OF THE HESITATION, JERKING, AND LOSS OF POWER, WHEN TAKING OFF AFTER 1ST START OF THE DAY, REPLACED PLUGS, AND BATTERY AND DID A TUNE - UP, BUT, IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. VERY DANGEROUS AND HAVE ALMOST BEEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS MULTIPLE TIMES, AS A RESULT, INCLUDING DYING WHILE TOWING A TRAILER, SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4-WAY INTERSECTION OF A TRAFFIC - CHOKED COASTAL HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF A POPULAR BEACH RESORT, FEATURING OVER 200 OUTLET SHOPS AND MALLS, MID-DAY, ON THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, AND A SATURDAY AT THAT,, AND HAVING TO CONTACT ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 TIMES, TO GET IT GOING AGAIN, TO GET TO MY DESTINATION, LESS THAN 6 MILES AWAY, AND HAVING TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD'S SHOULDER THE WHOLE WAY, IN CASE OF ANOTHER BREAK-DOWN,

THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. PARTICULARLY WHERE THE CONTROL ARMS ARE WELDED TO THE BODY. IN ADDITION, THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND HAS RESULTED IN GEAR OIL LEAKING THROUGH MULTIPLE HOLES IN THE DIFFERENTIAL COVER. THE ENTIRE REAR END WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE ISSUE. *JS

MY 1999 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER HAS A SEVERE ISSUE WITH A ROTTED OUT FRAME. I WAS SIMPLY BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND CAME TO A HALT WHEN I HEARD A THUMP. AS I PRECEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IT BECAME APPARENT THE BACKEND WAS NOT RESPONDING WELL. I COULD FEEL THE BACK END SWAYING AND IT FELT AS IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SUSPENSION. I TOOK IT IN FOR INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD THE FRAME HAD ROTTED OUT RIGHT WHERE THE SPRINGS ATTACH TO THE FRAME ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE FRAME. THE RIGHT SIDE IS ROTTED AS WELL BUT THE FRAME IS STILL ATTACHED. *TR

THE REAR AXLE SEALS REPEATEDLY FAIL ON THIS VEHICLE, I'M NOW HAVING TO MAKE A FOURTH COSTLY REPLACEMENT OF BOTH THE REAR AXLE SEAL AND CONTAMINATED BRAKE SHOES. FOR THE FOURTH TIME THE REAR AXLE SEAL HAS FAILED WHICH LEAKS BRAKE FLUID ONTO REAR BRAKE SHOES, RESULTING IN SEVERE REDUCTION OF REAR BRAKING POWER. ALSO, AS A RESULT THE FRONT BRAKES ARE PLACED UNDER UNDUE PRESSURE AND WARPING OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS OCCURS WHICH MUST ALSO BE ADDRESSED. WHILE I HAVE PREVIOUSLY FILED COMPLAINTS OVER THIS SAME ISSUE SINCE 2005 WITH BOTH TOYOTA AND THE NHTSB, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL INITIATED. THE LAST TIME MY REAR AXLE SEALS WERE REPLACED WAS LESS THAN 20,000 MILES AGO. THIS VEHICLE ONLY SEES NORMAL WEAR AND USAGE. I AM NOT THE ONLY COMPLAINT AS MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE BASED ON TOYOTA FORUM DISCUSSIONS AND A SEARCH OF NHTSB COMPLAINT FILINGS. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AGAIN REFUSED TO ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY WITH TODAYS COMPLAINT FILING ON 7/31/12. *TR

MY TRUCK WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A LONG TRIP. THE DIFFERENTIAL STARTING MAKING A WHINING NOISE THAT GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER. I STOPPED AT AN OIL CHANGE PLACE AT MY DESTINATION TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE FLUID. IT WAS ALMOST EMPTY. TOPPED IT UP AND CHANCED DRIVING IT 400 MILES BACK TO CHICAGO. I MADE IT OK AND HAD MECHANIC LOOK AT IT. THE DIFFERENTIAL WAS SO RUSTED THAT IT HAD HOLES THAT ALLOWED IT TO LEAK. THE MECHANIC TRIED TO FIND A USED ONE BUT THEY ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. AN INTERNET SEARCH TURNED UP COUNTLESS EXAMPLES OF RUSTED DIFFERENTIALS ON TOYOTA TRUCKS SPANNING MANY YEARS. THERE IS ALSO EXTENSIVE RUSTING ON THE FRAME, AXLE SPARE TIRE MOUNT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A LONG TERM TOYOTA PROBLEM. *TR

REAR AXLE HOUSING DEVELOPS PREMATURE AND DETRIMENTAL METAL SCALING AND RUST, CAUSING DIFFERENTIAL BELL HOUSING TO LEAK GEAR OIL. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF 1999 THROUGH 2002 4RUNNERS IN A CONSISTENT MANNER AND PATTERN. TOYOTA MOTORS HAS FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND USES THE DEFENSE THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY PERIOD. HOWEVER, A CONSISTENT PATTERN OF QUALITY IN THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM SHOULD WARRANT AN INVESTIGATION BY NHTSA AS TOYOTA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HIDE AND DISTORT CLAIMS BY THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMER IN ORDER TO COVER UP THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS. PLEASE SEE HTTP://WWW.4RUNNERFORUM.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=1948 FOR ONE OF THE MANY THREADS RELATED TO THIS TOPIC THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS PERSISTENT AND TOYOTA HAS FAILED TO RECOGNIZE IT. *TT

FRAME ON 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS RUSTED THROUGH IN FRONT OF REAR AXLE ATTACHMENT ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES. REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER HAS ALSO RUSTED TO POINT WHERE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID IS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND WASHED REGULARLY WITH NO RUST ANYWHERE BUT FRAME AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND MUST BE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO MECHANIC. TOYOTA STATES THAT THEY HAVE A VOLUNTARY BUY-BACK PROGRAM ON TACOMA'S OF SAME VINTAGE, BUT NOT FOR THE 4RUNNER? *LN