2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

I HAVE A 2000 4RUNNER SR5 SPORT THAT HAS LIVED ITS LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND. THE CAR IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND THE FRAME OF THE CAR APPEARS TO HAVE SOME SURFACE RUST. I HAD THE EXHAUST REPLACED LAST WEEK AND THEY FOUND THAT THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME HAD TOTALLY ROTTED OUT FROM THE INSIDE, SO THAT THE THERE ARE ONLY THREE SIDES TO THE FOUR OF THE TUBE FRAME LEFT. I HEARD THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD ISSUES WITH FRAMES RUSTING. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN I DRIVE AROUND IN THIS CAR AND I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE NYS THRUWAY IN THE VICINITY OF HARRIMAN, NY, THE STEERING BEGAN TO WANDER, AND THE VEHICLE FELT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP, WHICH INSPECTED THE 4RUNNER AND FOUND EXTREME RUST DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE FRAME SUCH THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN AGAIN, AND COULD ONLY BE SCRAPPED. THEY OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS CLOSE TO BREAKING OFF, WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN KILLED. WE WERE SHOCKED THAT SUCH A DANGEROUS RUST CONDITION COULD DEVELOP IN A TOYOTA 4RUNNER THAT WAS ONLY 12 YEARS OLD, WAS BUILT AND INTENDED FOR HEAVY DUTY USE, AND HAD BEEN MAINTAINED IN STRICT ACCORDANCE WITH THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THIS VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN DRIVEN OFF-ROAD. WE NOTIFIED TOYOTA BY TELEPHONE AND LETTER OF THIS OCCURRENCE, AND WERE INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALL OF THIS MODEL, AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY WOULD DO. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET SHOWED MANY REPORTS OF SIMILAR OCCURRENCES FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT A SAFETY RECALL NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED. *TR

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SCHEDULED 95K MILE SERVICE. I WAS CONTACTED BY THE DEALER AND TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS "NOT WORTH WORKING ON BECAUSE THE ENTIRE FRAME IS ROTTED AND THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN". THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND IS EXCELLENT CONDITION IN ALL OTHER ASPECTS. I SEE MANY INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPEN IN OTHER ON-LINE SITES. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED OTHER VEHICLES IN THE SAME MODEL YEAR (2000 TUNDRA) FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM YET THIS ONE HAS BEEN IGNORED. *TR

BROUGHT MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY THAT WAS LEAKING. ONCE THE TRUCK WAS PUT ON THE LIFT IT WAS QUICKLY DISCOVERED BY THE MECHANIC I HAD MUCH GREATER PROBLEMS THAN A LEAKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL, HE INFORMED ME THAT MY FRAME WAS "JUNK". HE TOLD ME THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL ROT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL STARTING FROM WHERE THE REAR SUSPENSION TIES IN ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. HE SAW NO POINT IN REMOVING GAS TANK ON THE OTHER SIDE TO INVESTIGATE HOW BAD IT MAY BE THERE, THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ENOUGH TO RENDER THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I QUICKLY ASKED IF THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE FRAME TO WHICH HE SAID NO, TOYOTA ISN'T DOING ANYTHING TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE AT THIS TIME. HE TOLD ME A FRAME FOR THIS VEHICLE WOULD COST ME BETWEEN $10-12 THOUSAND DOLLARS! I'VE TAKEN IT TO TWO DIFFERENT HIGHLY QUALIFIED BODY SHOPS AND BOTH HAVE GIVEN ME OUTRAGEOUS QUOTES TO GET THIS FRAME PATCHED, YET BOTH ALSO SAID IT WOULD ONLY BE A TEMPORARY FIX, THAT THE FRAME WOULD IN FACT NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND BOTH ENCOURAGED ME TO STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND AM NOW LEFT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION AS I NO LONGER HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN WELL KEPT AND DEALER SERVICED ITS ENTIRE LIFE IT ONLY HAS 128,000 MILES ON IT. TOYOTA.... STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCTS AND REPLACE THESE FRAMES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. IM SURE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MOTORISTS DRIVING THIS SAME YEAR VEHICLE THAT LOOK TO BE IN GREAT SHAPE AND HAVE NO IDEA THEIR VEHICLES COULD LITERALLY FALL APART AT A MOMENTS NOTICE! *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER INSPECTING HIS VEHICLE THERE WAS RUST AND CORROSION ON THE FRAME. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR RELATED WARRANTIES; HOWEVER, THEY AGREED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR $1200. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I TOOK MY CAR FOR STATE INSPECTION. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE FRAME IS RUSTED OUT AN IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. THE 2000 $RUNNER HAS THE SAME FRAME AS THE 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA IN WHICH TOYOTA BOUGHT BACK THE TACOMAS FROM THE OWNERS FOR 150% OF THE KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE. IF TOYOTA KNOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH ONE MODEL (TACOMA) AND FIXES THEN THEY SHOULD ALSO FIX THE 4RUNNER. *TR