2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

THE LONGITUDINAL FRAME RAILS ARE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH ON ALL FOUR SIDES OF THE BOX FRAME ON BOTH SIDES. THERE IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT RUST IN THE CROSS RAILS, PARTICULARLY AT THE ATTACH POINTS TO THE SIDE MEMBERS. AN AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP OWNER SAYS THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND NEEDS A COMPLETE FRAME REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGED ITS ENTIRE LIFE AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO RUST ON THE BODY. THE SHOP OWNER SAYS THAT HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF 4RUNNERS WITH THE FRAME IN THIS CONDITION AND THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND SUPPORT THE 4RUNNER AS IT HAS WITH THE SEQUOIA AND THE TACOMA, WHICH ALSO HAVE SEVERE FRAME RUST ISSUES. *TR

WENT TO CHANGE MY OIL AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS ALERTED TO COME AND SEE THE FRAME. IT WAS RUSTED AND HAD HOLES IN THE FRAME. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A CAR THIS OLD. SHAME ON TOYOTA TO NOT RECALL THE VEHICLE! THIS IS AN EMBRACEABLE TO A COMPANY BUILT BY SAFETY, QUALITY AND LOYALTY. CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND THAT A RECALL WAS NOT ISSUED SO THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

AT A REGULAR OIL CHANGE, AT A TOYOTA DEALER, I WAS SHOWN A PICTURE OF A HOLE IN MY FRAME. MY 4RUNNER HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT AND RELIABLE VEHICLE WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE. IT HAS A RUST SPOT ON A BUMPER, AND THAT'S ALL! THIS IS OUR FAMILY VEHICLE, AND IS NOT ABUSED. I ONLY HAVE 154,000 MILES AND FEEL STRONGLY THAT A FRAME ON A VEHICLE SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER, AS IN PAST VEHICLES I'VE OWNED. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH MY 4RUNNER, AND DON'T WANT TO JUNK YARD IT OVER A BAD QUALITY FRAME FROM TOYOTA, BUT IT MAY COME TO THIS IF I CAN'T HAVE IT WELDED. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE, THE HOLE IS IN A WEIGHT BEARING AREA. SHAME ON TOYOTA FOR NOT DOING A RECALL ON THE 4RUNNERS LIKE THEY DID WITH THEIR TRUCKS. SAFETY SHOULD BE FIRST. YES, I DO TRANSPORT CHILDREN IN MY VEHICLE ON A DAILY BASIS, SO AGAIN, SHAME ON THEM. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT OTHERS ARE NOT SAFE, AND SOMEONE SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PRESSING ISSUE. *TR

I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE 4WD SO I BROUGHT THE CAR IN THE MY LOCAL SHOP. WHILE INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE, THE AUTO SHOP DISCOVERED SOME MAJOR FRAME ROT TOWARDS THE BACK RIGHT WHEEL THAT EXTENDED INTO THE ARM THAT HOLDS UP THE BACK WHEELS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR IF I SIMPLY WENT OVER A BAD POT HOLE. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY A SEPARATE AUTO PERSON THAT THE 4WD ISSUES I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING MAY ALSO BE THE RESULT OF THE FRAME RUST WHICH MOST LIKELY WARPED THE FRAME AND MESSED WITH THE GEARS INVOLVED IN 4WD. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION ON THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE A LOOK AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THIS ISSUE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE TOYOTA TACOMA RECALL AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A SIMILAR FASHION. I WAS TOLD BY CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THEM SIMILAR BECAUSE THE TACOMA FRAMES WERE MADE IN AMERICA WHILE THE 4RUNNER FRAMES WERE MADE IN JAPAN. I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT TAKES AWAY THEIR LIABILITY FOR A POORLY MADE VEHICLE WITH CLEAR MANUFACTURING ISSUES. I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER 4RUNNER OWNERS AND KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST MY PROBLEM, THIS IS AN OWNER-WIDE ISSUE AND CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE TRACED BACK TO TOYOTA'S MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THIS VEHICLE. NOW I AM STUCK WITH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT I CANNOT DRIVE WITH A CLEAN CONSCIENCE NOR SELL WITH A CLEAN CONSCIENCE. TOYOTA'S POOR MANUFACTURING HAS LEFT ME LIABILITY ISSUE THAT I THINK SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. I WOULD AT LEAST LIKE TO TRADE IN THE VEHICLE FOR A NEW ONE WITH A SOUND FRAME! *TR

BROUGHT VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP FOR GENERAL MAINTENANCE. SERVICE TECH INDICATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED THROUGH SO BAD THAT THE VEHICLE MIGHT NOT BE SAFE TO DRIVE. SERVICE TECH WAS CONCERNED EVEN LOWERING IT FROM THE LIFT. HE INDICATED THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS ISSUE ON A FAIR NUMBER OF OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES THAT SHARE THE SAME FRAME DESIGN. I'M NOW LEFT WITH A CAR THAT WOULD BE VERY DRIVABLE IF IT WASN'T FOR THE DEFECTIVE FRAME. *TR