2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

FUEL GAUGE SEEMS TO BE MALFUNCTIONING OR INACCURATE. MY CONCERNS FOR IT BEING INACCURATE ARE THAT WHEN REFUELING THE TANK AFTER 8-10 MILES THE YELLOW LIGHT HAS COME ON, THE TANK ONLY "FILLS UP" WITH 13.2 GALLONS WHERE THE MANUAL STATES THAT IT HAS A FUEL CAPACITY OF 18.5 GALLONS (PAGE 261 OF MANUAL). AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK, THE NEEDLE SEEMS TO BE AT THE "FULL" LINE. HOWEVER, AFTER ONLY DRIVING 5 MILES ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD OF AT A MAXIMUM 40 MPH, THE NEEDLE OF THE GAUGE "COMES OFF" FULL QUICKLY. ONLY DRIVING 26 MILES, THE NEEDLE IS AT THE 1/4 LINE OF GAUGE. ESTIMATING THE CAR TO GETTING 104 MILES PER TANK.

TOOK MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER TO A MECHANIC AFTER NOTICING THE FRAME LOOKED LIKE IT WAS RUSTED THROUGH IN ONE AREA. MECHANIC SAID THE FRAME WAS SERIOUSLY ROTTED THROUGH IN MANY AREAS AND COULD NOT BE FIXED. HE SAID IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND TOLD ME I'D BE CRAZY TO DRIVE IT DOWN THE HIGHWAY. I HAD JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE 1 MONTH AGO WITH 146,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS CONSIDERED UNSAFE TO DRIVE. UNBELIEVABLE THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THE 4RUNNER FOR THIS PROBLEM YET TOYOTA TRUCKS WITH THE SAME FRAME PROBLEM HAVE HAD RECALLS AND BUY BACK OFFERS. IS TOYOTA WAITING FOR DEATHS TO OCCUR? I HAVE PURCHASED 2 TOYOTA VEHICLES PRIOR TO THIS 4RUNNER. I TRUSTED THE NAME TO BE ONE OF THE SAFEST & MOST RELIABLE. I AM MORTIFIED TO KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WITH ROTTED FRAMES, QUITE POSSIBLY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN IN THEM, THAT COULD RESULT IN A DEATH IF THE FRAME GIVES OUT WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY NHTSA AND HELP TO GET THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER RECALLED FOR THIS ROTTED FRAME PROBLEM. IT IS TRULY A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH!! SHAME ON TOYOTA FOR MAKING LIGHT OF THE PROBLEM. MY TRUST IN THE TOYOTA NAME IS FOREVER TARNISHED. I, LIKE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE POSTED ON HERE, WILL BE WAITING FOR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TO OCCUR. I CERTAINLY WOULD NEVER SELL THIS TO SOMEONE ELSE KNOWING THEY COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE DUE TO THE FRAME FAILING WHILE DRIVING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER I NOTICED IT WAS NOT HANDLING NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WOULD WANDER AND WOULD NOT GO IN THE DIRECTION I WAS TURNING. AFTER GETTING BACK HOME, I INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE CHECKING THE FRONT END SUSPENSION. WHILE UNDER THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THE RIGHT REAR STABILIZER MOUNT HAD RUSTED OFF THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE IS NOW UNDRIVABLE DUE TO THIS HAZARDOUS CONDITION.

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WAS HAVING SWAY BAR LINK REPLACED AND MECHANIC NOTICED EXTENSIVE RUST IN REAR SECTION OF FRAMEON BOTH SIDES,PARTICULARLY AROUND SUSPENSION,INSIDE OF REAR FRAME RAILS,MASSIVE SECTIONS OF FRAME RAIL AFFECTED,AND HOLES/CRACKS IN FRAME. AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM,MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP,LOVE LEXUS OF ST ALBANS,WEST VIRGINIA,THEY SCHEDULED ME AN APPTMNT TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE.WHEN I ARRIVED,THEY DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO RACK THE VEHICLE,I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO FIX IT FOR $7000.00,AND GIGGLED AT BY THE SERVICE MANAGER. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH A DEALERSHIP AGAIN.HE TOLD ME IF IT WAS A TACOMA THEY WOULD REPAIR IT OR BUY IT BACK,BUT SINCE IT WAS A 4RUNNER, IWAS OUT OF LUCK.WITH A DECENT AMOUNT OF MONEY TIED UP IN THIS VEHICLE,AND NO OPTIONS TO REPLACE IT, I NOW HAVE TAKEN IT FROM MY SON AND I AM DRIVING THIS DEATH TRAP MYSELF,ANDCANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE MOST TRUSTED BRAND I EVER KNEW,ONE I HAVE BEEN SHAMELESSLY PROMOTING AND DRIVING FOR OVER 20 YEARS IS TURNING THEIR BACK ON LOYAL CUSTOMERS.I HAVE A FRIEND WHOSE 1999 TACOMA,OLDER THAN MY 4RUNNER,WAS BOUGHT BACK BY THEM THE YEAR BEFORE LAST(THEY GAVE HIM $14,000 FOR HIS TRUCK,WHICH WASRUSTED IN HALF). IF YOU(NHTSA) ARE GOING TO DO NOTHING, I HOPE THAT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IS FILED SOON SO I CAN JOIN. THERE IS NO REASON FOR SUCH BRAZEN DISREGARD FOR SAFETY.I HAVE SEEN SO MANY CASES OF THIS PROBLEM IT IS OUTRAGEOUS.AFTER THE RECIEPT OF MY TAXES I WILL PARK THE VEHICLE,AND REPLACE IT FOR SAFETY CONCERNS.BUT I WILL NOT GET RID OF IT,NOT YET I WANT TOYOTA TO KNOW HOW I FEEL,AND IF THAT MEANS I PARK IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR SHOWROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND WALK AWAY,SO BE IT.BUT I WILL WAIT A WHILE,AND HOPE THEY DO THE RIGHT THING.I OWN A 1993 4RUNNER,AND ITS FRAME IS PERFECT.WHY ARE THEY ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS?I HAVE LOST OVER $5000 AND NOW OWN A HEAP OF JUNK.

WITH ONLY 129,000 MILES AND WITH NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS MY FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH LEAVING MY VEHICLE TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE IS IN GREAT CONDITION IN EVERY OTHER ASPECT, AND WAS NOT DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR MISUSED IN ANY WAY. I NOTICED THE REAR END SWAYING WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD AND TOOK IT IN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC. HE SAID I SHOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND IT WAS ONLY GOOD FOR PARTS AT BEST SINCE THE FRAME IS UNREPAIRABLE. IN ADDITION TO THE OBVIOUS PLACE IT IS CRACKED IT IS RUSTING AWAY IN MULTIPLE OTHER LOCATIONS. I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT RUNS GREAT, BUT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. HAD I NOT NOTICED THE SWAYING I MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR KILLED OTHER MOTORISTS DUE TO THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT.

FRAME RUSTING THROUGH IN FRONT OF VEHICLE....TOYOTA RECALLED THEIR TACOMA TRUCK, WHICH USES THE SAME FRAME AND RUNNING GEAR, BUT NO RECALL ON THE 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNERS WHICH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH FRAME RUST AS THE TACOMA PICKUP TRUCK. I WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK AND SOMETHING "SNAPPED" UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE 4 RUNNER. AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS SAID THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH.