2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

I TOOK MY WELL MAINTAINED THIRD GEN 4RUNNER TO THE SHOP TO GET NEW TIRES BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ACTING UP AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE WORN OUT TIRES THAT AFFECTED THE DRIVE, WHICH CAUSED MY CAR TO SWIFT AND JERK BUT TO MY SURPRISE IT WAS ACTUALLY A BROKEN RUSTED FRAME THAT CAUSED THE HAZARD MOVEMENT WHEN DRIVING AND NOT THE TIRES. THE MECHANIC SHOP TOLD ME IT'S NOT FIXABLE AT ALL AND SHOULD NOT DRIVE. THEY RECOMMEND I LOOK INTO A RECALL BECAUSE AS I'M AWARE NOW THIS HAS BECOME A PROBLEM FOR MANY 3RD GENERATION OWNERS OF THE 4RUNNER. I'M THE 3RD OWNER TECHNICALLY 2ND SINCE IT BELONGED TO MY FATHER WHO BOUGHT IT OFF THE FIRST OWNER FOR ME. AND IT'S BEEN WELL MAINTAINED BOTH BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND I.

I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE RECENTLY AND WAS TAKING IT TO HAVE IT SAFETY INSPECTED. DRIVING DOWN A CURVY ROAD, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER STRAIGHT. A LOUD THUNKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER REAR QUARTER. UPON INSPECTION IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR LOWER 4 LINK FRAME ATTACHMENT TOWER (JUST FORWARD OF THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL AND TIRE) HAD DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THIS CONDITION SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY SEVERE METAL DETERIORATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT, HIDING ITSELF UNTIL IT PERFORATED THE FRAME. ON FURTHER INSPECTION THE FRAME WAS FOUND TO BE PERFORATED ALL ALONG THE LOWER INSIDE WALL - FROM THE 4 LINK TOWER TO THE MIDDLE CROSSMEMBER ATTACH POINT . THIS AREA OF THE FRAME IS ADJACENT TO THE MUFFLER AND IS EXPOSED TO EXAGGERATED THERMAL CYCLING ON A DAILY BASIS. SOME METALLURGICAL REACTION TO THIS CONDITION IS CAUSING EXTREME CORROSION OF THE FRAME RAILS TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. THIS IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF 1999 TO 2003 4RUNNERS IN THE SAME EXACT SPOT AND IT'S GOING TO GET SOMEONE SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. MANY PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE ANYTHING IS AMISS UNTIL THEY POKE AROUND THE AREA OF THE INSIDE FRAME RAIL.

I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS TRUCK FOR 2 MONTHS. THE FRAME IS ROTTEN SO BAD THAT THE METAL CO NETTED TO THE REAL TRAILING ARM HAS FALLEN OFF THE FRAME... THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS A 17 YEAR OLD CAR BUT THERE IS NO WAY THE FRAME SHOULD BE ROTTEN THIS BADLY. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE TOYOTA'S OF THESE YEARS AND TOYOTA HAD A RECALL ON TACOMA BUT NOT 4RUNNERS...... I HAVE A HONDA THAT IS 5YEARS OLDER AND DOESN'T HAVE ANY FRAME FOR LIKE THIS.... TOYOTA CAN DO A RECALL ON TACOMA AND TUNDRA THEN THEY CAN FIX THE 4RUNNERS TOO!!!!!!

VEHICLE HAS BEEN FAMILY OWNED SINCE NEW, WELL CARED FOR AND GARAGE KEPT. VEHICLE HAS 123,000 MILES AND LOOKS GREAT. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON 5/26/17 THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED TO SWAY SIDE TO SIDE AND I FEEL IF I WAS GOING ANY FASTER MAY HAVE CAUSED A ROLLOVER. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS INSPECTING ALL COMPONENTS IN FRONT AND REAR WHEN I NOTICED THE TRAILING ARM BRACKET ON THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR END HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME AT THE FACTORY WELD. NO OTHER VISIBLE FRAME RUST THAT I HAVE FOUND SO FAR BUT I HAVE NOT COMPLETELY INSPECTED. WITH TOYOTA HAVING NOTORIOUS FRAME RUST ISSUES AND RECALLS ON THE TACOMA, I CANT BELIEVE THEY HAVEN'T ADDRESSED THE SAME DANGEROUS ISSUE ON THE 4RUNNER. MY WIFE OWNS THE SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR 4RUNNER AND I HAVE ADVISED HER NOT TO DRIVE IT AS WELL UNTIL IT CAN ALSO BE INSPECTED. I HAVE OWNED AT LEAST 10 TOYOTAS IN THE PAST AND WERE IN THE MARKET TO SOON PURCHASE NEW ONES. IF TOYOTA FAILS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE I WILL BE SURE TO SHOP FOR ANOTHER BRAND.

THE FRAME IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL GEN 3 4 RUNNER HAS SEVERE RUST DUE TO A SUBSTANDARD STEEL THAT WAS USED FOR PRODUCTION. THE TACOMA'S FRAMES WERE VOLUNTARILY REPLACED BY TOYOTA . NONE OF THE 4 RUNNERS QUALIFIED EVEN THOUGH THE STEEL USED AND CHASSIS WERE THE SAME. I WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS UNSAFE CHASSIS BY MECHANICS WHO HAS INFORMED ME OF THIS HORRENDOUS CONDITION EXISTS WITH THIS MODEL YEAR AND OTHER YEARS UP UNTIL 2005. THIS CONDITION CAN ,IF NOT ALREADY, CAUSE CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY, AND IS DETREMENTAL TO THE NORMAL OPERATIONS OF OUR HIGHWAYS.