2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

MY 2000 4RUNNER WENT IN FOR PENNSYLVANIA STATE INSPECTION AND FAILED DUE TO THE FRAME BEING RUSTED OUT. AS THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION I WAS FORCED TO PAY FOR THE SPOT WHERE THE HOLE WAS TO BE CUT OUT AND WELDED WITH NEW METAL. THE WHOLE UNDERNEATH OF MY 4RUNNER IS RUSTY AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE FRAME THAT ARE TO THE POINT OF POSSIBLY NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS ALSO ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF BEING IN A CRASH AND HAVING A BRITTLE FRAME THAT COULD BREAK IN HALF EASILY. I REALIZE THAT IN COLD WEATHER STATES THERE IS THE THREAT OF SALT AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE CAUSING OXIDATION BUT MY WIFE HAS A 2000 NISSAN THAT HAS SEEN THE SAME EXACT WINTERS AND ROADS AND IS IN 10 TIMES BETTER SHAPE UNDERNEATH THAN MY 4RUNNER. I HAVE TRIED CALLING TOYOTA CORPORATE TO NO AVAIL. I FEEL LIKE LOGGING A COMPLAINT IS ALL I CAN DO. TOYOTA SAYS THEY DIDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH 4RUNNER FRAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE MADE IN JAPAN BUT WHEN I SEE DOMESTIC VEHICLES AND OTHER IMPORT VEHICLES LIKE MY WIFE'S NOT LOOKING LIKE OR HAVING THE RUST ISSUES MINE DOES I'M INCLINED TO SAY THAT TOYOTA IS EITHER LYING OR DOESN'T KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ACTION ON THEIR PART BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS INJURED DUE TO FRAME FAILURE. *KB

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I HAVE NOTICED MY FRAME NEAR THE REAR SUSPENSION IS SO SEVERELY ROTTED THAT THE FRAME WILL NEED TO BE CUT AND RE-WELDED OR REPLACED ALL TOGETHER.THERE ARE MULTIPLE HOLES IN THE BOX FRAME OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME. WATER SEEPS IN THROUGH THE FRAME, CAUSING IT TO RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE RECENTLY AND THEY INFORMED ME AS WELL OF THE EXTENSIVE RUSTING. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS AND WILL BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO TWO REPAIR SHOPS AND THEY BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE DESIGN OF FRAME. THE REST OF THE 4RUNNER IS IN PERFECT CONDITION WITH NO SURFACE RUST, ROT OR OTHER BLEMISHES. HOWEVER, BELOW THE VEHICLE THE FRAME IS RUSTED EXTENSIVELY. *TR

THE REAR AXLE HOUSING HAS RUSTED THROUGH, WHILE THE VEHICLES BODY HAS NO RUST. TOYOTA FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS A DEFECT BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLES YEAR AND MILEAGE. WE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING REFERENCE NUMBER 1109161548. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SUPPORTS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND WILL OCCUR ON THE 4 RUNNER WITH MUCH LESS MILEAGE. THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE ALL OF THE REAR AXLE FLUID COULD LEAK OUT, ALLOWING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL TO FREEZE, CREATING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. TOYOTA HAS A RUST PROBLEM WITH THE TACOMA PICKUP, WHERE THEY REPURCHASED VEHICLES AS A RESULT OF FRAME RUST OUT. WE ARE OF THE OPINION TOYOTA HAS USED INFERIOR METALS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THEIR VEHICLES AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. WHEN I CALLED THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE IN TORRANCE CA. THEY REFUSED TO ALLOW ME TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE IN MANAGEMENT SINCE I DIDN'T AGREE WITH THE DECISION OF THE PERSON I DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS RUSTED AND CAUSED AN OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THE RUST AND CORROSION THAT CAUSED THE OIL LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000. UPDATED 09/27/11 *BF

MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER (163K MILES) FAILED NH STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION TODAY DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME CORROSION. I WAS SHOWN A RUST HOLE THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR IN THE REAR PORTION OF THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURAL FRAME. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP FOR A REPAIR ESTIMATE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME COULD NOT BE FIXED VIA WELDING, DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE RUST ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOXED FRAME. INSTEAD, THE FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED TO ADDRESS ISSUE PROPERLY, SAFELY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY. I WAS INFORMED THAT TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. ACKNOWLEDGES AND REMEDIATES SIMILAR RUST ISSUES WITH ITS TUNDRA AND TACOMA MODELS OF SIMILAR MODEL YEARS, BUT DOES NOT SUPPORT RUST ISSUES WITH ITS 4RUNNER MODEL. *TR

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER FAILED NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME ROT/RUST, MOST EVIDENT AT RIGHT REAR TRAILING ARM MOUNT. CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THIS FRAME ROT IS THE SAME ISSUE TOYOTA FACED WITH THE TACOMA MODEL THAT UTILIZES THE SAME FRAME AS THE 4RUNNER. PER THE TOYOTA NEWS RELEASE OF 3/7/08 TOYOTA PROVIDED TACOMA OWNERS AN " EXTENDED FRAME CORROSION WARRANTY"UP TO 15 YEARS TO PROVIDE "GOODWILL ASSISTANCE TO OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED, OR MAY ENCOUNTER, FRAME PROBLEMS AS A DIRECT RESULT OF RUST PERFORATION". I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THE 4RUNNER FRAME IS ONLY COVERED BY THE COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY OF 3YEARS/36,000 MILES. TOYOTA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE SAME ISSUE IS OCCURRING TO 4RUNNER OWNERS WITH THE SAME FRAME. TOYOTA HAS RECOGNIZED THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THESE FRAMES, ESTABLISHED A PRECIDENT REGARDING REPLACEMENT, YET WILL NOT INCLUDE THE 4RUNNER IN THEIR OFFER OF AN "EXTENDED FRAME CORROSION WARRANTY". THE BODY OF MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE IS IN MINT CONDITION WITH NO RUST, INCLUDING THE UNDERBODY, BUT THE FRAME HAS FAILED UNDER IT! TOYOTA MUST INCLUDE 4RUNNERS IN THEIR "EXTENDED FRAME CORROSION WARRANTY"! *TR

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH THE FRAME ROTTED BY THE MUFFLER . THE ROT GOES ABOUT 3 FEET IN LENGTH BY 1 1/2 INCH. RIGHT WHERE THE LOWER REAR AXLE HOOKS UP TO THE FRAME. THE REAR AXLE HAS ROTTED OUT AND ALL THE FLUID LEAKED OUT CAUSING THE GEARS TO GET CHEWED UP. IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING AT 65 MPH AND THE REAR WHEELS LOCKED UP. DISASTER. IF YOU WOULD LIKE PICTURES ON HOW BAD IT LOOKS I HAVE THEM. THIS IS A CLEAN TRUCK WITH NO DENTS ANYWHERE. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER; THE RIGHT SIDE FRAME AREA APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET OF THE FRAME NEAR THE MUFFLER AREA IS RUSTED OUT. I UNDERSTAND THE TOYOTA TACOMA HAS A FRAME RECALL UP TO YEAR 2000. ISN'T THE TACOMA FRAME AND THE 4RUNNER FRAME THE SAME. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESS AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS STORIES ABOUT RUSTED FRAME ON THE 2000 4RUNNER RUSTED FRAME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT FRAME NEAR THE MUFFLER WAS CORRODED MORE THAN THREE FEET LONG AND APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF INCHES WIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS ADVISED HIM TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND REFUSED TO ASSUME THE REPAIR COST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE WAS MILEAGE 140,000.