2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

I BOUGHT A TOYOTA YEAR AGO, MY FIRST EVER CAR PAYMENT, COUNTING ON TOYOTAS BEING RELIABLE. NOW I HAVE 4RUNNER IN DRIVE WAY WITH BROKEN REAR TRAILING ARM & FRAME ROTT I WISH DEALER WHICH SHOULD IT TO ME OR TOYOTA WOULD STEP IN. WIFE & 15 MONTH OLD BABY TRAVELING 35-40MPH FELT RIGHT REAR DROP LIKE TIRE WENT SIDE WAYS... TRUCK WOBBLED/ROCKED LIKE BOAT IN WATER. LIKELY NEEDS NEW FRAME

WHILE DRIVING TODAY THE STEERING BECAME UNSTABLE, ERRATIC, AND THE CAR LURCHED OUT OF MY LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A NEW NOISE APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM REAR LEFT TIRE. WHEN I SAFELY PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED VEHICLE I NOTED THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND THAT THE FORWARD WELDED MOUNT FOR THE LOWER SUSPENSION ARM HAD FRACTURED ALONG THE FACTORY WELD AND WAS DANGLING DOWN. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED. IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND PASSED PA STATE INSPECTIONS YEARLY SINCE 2002. *TR

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS MAJOR FRAME ISSUES THAT COULD BREAK AT ANYTIME AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT! THESE FRAMES RUST OUT WITHOUT THE OWNERS KNOWING. THESE ARE FAMILY VEHICLES THAT ARE DRIVEN FOR MANY YEARS AND TOYOTA HAS HAD ISSUES WITH OTHER FRAMES ON DIFFERENT MODELS BUT SAME YEAR VEHICLES. TOYOTA HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THESE FRAMES AND HAS NEVER RECALLED THESE MODELS. FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND OTHERS PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER! *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