2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

THERE WAS NO INCIDENT, THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ON BOTH SIDES. I BROUGHT MY 4RUNNER IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, NOT TO THE RUDY LUTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN GOLDEN VALLEY, MN, WHERE I NORMALLY BRING FOR REGULAR SERVICE, BUT TO MINNETONKA AUTO. THEY NOTICED THE FRAME WAS RUSTED THROUGH ON BOTH SIDES, VERY VISIBLY... I COULD STICK MY HAND IN THE RUSTED HOLES. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY AND RECOMMENDED I CONTACT TOYOTA DIRECTLY. THERE IS NO RUST ON THE BODY OF MY TRUCK, JUST THE FRAME. THE DEALERSHIP SENT ME TO TOYOTA CORPORATE. TOYOTA CORPORATE SAID THEY HAD NO PROGRAMS FOR THE 4RUNNER, AND COULDNT OFFER ME ANY OTHER OPTIONS OR SOLUTIONS, OTHER THAN CONTACT YOUR DEALERSHIP. I CALLED RUDY LUTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN GOLDEN VALLEY, MN AGAIN, THEY SAID THEY HAVE OTHER CASES, BUT CORPORATE WASNT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I GUESS THEY ARE WAITING FOR A FEW PEOPLE TO DIE FIRST, BEFORE SPENDING ANY $$ TO FIX THEIR DEFECTIVE FRAMES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE BEING DIAGNOSED BY A MECHANIC FOR A UNRELATED ISSUE, THE MECHANIC INFORMED THAT THERE WAS RUST COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE FRAME. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EXHAUST PIPE, THE CADILLAC CONVERTER AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE RUSTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY 4RUNNER AND NOTICE THE BACK BRAKES WERE MAKING NOISE. I ALSO NOTICED A KNOCKING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WAS BROKE. WHILE DRIVING MY CAR TO THE SHOP I FELT LIKE THE BACKEND WAS SWAYING. I DROP MY CAR OFF EXPECTING TO HAVE SOME BRAKE WORK DONE, POSSIBLY EVEN A SWAY BAR OR SOMETHING REPLACED. THE MECHANIC CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY CANNOT EVEN LOOK AT MY CAR BECAUSE IF THEY PUT IT ON THE RACK, IT WILL BREAK IN HALF. MY FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CRACKED IN HALF. NOW THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE WITH THE FRAME FOR A WHILE. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTS I CALL TOYOTA TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL. I CALL TOYOTA AND THERE IS NO RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2000 4RUNNER. I DID HOWEVER FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON A 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA FRAME FOR THE ISSUE OF RUST AND FRAMES CRACKING. THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND TOYOTA TACOMA BOTH HAVE THE EXACT SAME FRAME. IF THERE IS A RECALL ON ONE, WHY WOULDN'T THERE BE A RECALL ON THE OTHER? I BELIEVE THE REASON IS BECAUSE TOYOTA SOLD MORE 4RUNNERS IN 2000 THAN THEY DID TACOMAS. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO RECALL THE 4RUNNER FOR FEAR OF LOSING SO MUCH MONEY. THEY ARE PUTTING LIVES AT RISK BY NOT OWING UP TO THIS ERROR.

TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP FOR MAINTENANCE. SHOP MECHANIC CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD THERE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE INSIDE AND BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL WHERE THE REAR CONTROL ARM ATTACHES TO THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE IS IN OTHERWISE FANTASTIC CONDITION AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. HE INFORMED ME THAT FRAME ISSUES IN THE EARLY 2000S PLAGUES MANY TOYOTA VEHICLES INCLUDING THE 4RUNNER. HE SAID THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT ALL IN ITS CURRENT STATE. I WANT TOYOTA TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. IT APPEARS TO AFFECT MOST 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNERS AND IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE ONLY WARNING SIGN IS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTING THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTROL ARM FRACTURED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE WORK AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME IS RUSTED AND IS UNSAFE. I LOOKED INTO THIS AND FOUND THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD MANY RECALLS ON THIS ISSUE. THE 4-RUNNER THAT I OWN DOES NOT HAVE THE RECALL. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS SO I WANTED TO FILE ONE AS WELL. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE ISSUE IS PREVALENT IN THESE VEHICLES. MANY 4-RUNNER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE ISSUE.

VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWAY VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE WELD JOINT WHICH JOINS THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM ATTACHMENT POINT TO THE FRAME HAD SEPARATED ALLOWING TO CONTROL ARM TO MOVE FORWARD AN BACK. THIS IN TURN ALLOWED THE REAR AXLE TO TURN FROM SIDE TO SIDE. ON INSPECTION THE FRAME IS HEAVILY RUSTED IN THIS AREA AND THE WELD HAS GIVEN WAY AND IS TEARING APART FROM FRONT TO BACK. THE JOINT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS ALSO RUSTED, BUT THE JOINT HAS NOT YET SEPARATED.