2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON 01/24/2015 I FELT AND HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWERVE AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I CAME TO A STOP AND CHECKED THE VEHICLE BUT DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG. I GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND DROVE AT A SLOWER SPEED, WHEN I GOT HOME I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND CHECKED THE UNDER SIDE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS CRACKED WHERE THE CONTROL ARM MOUNTS. I LOOKED ON LINE FOR RECALLS AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND THERE ARE RECALLS FOR THE 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA WHICH SHARES THE SAME PLATFORM THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR FRAME RUST ON THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER. IN ADDITION TO THE CRACK ON THE FRAME THERE IS CONSIDERABLE RUST ON THE ENTIRE FRAME AND I THINK I'M LUCKY TO BE UN HURT AND ALIVE. PLEASE HELP ME AND ALL THE OTHER TOYOTA 4RUNNER OWNERS. THANKS *TR

THE REAR AXLE HOUSING HAS RUSTED THROUGH SUCH THAT DIFFERENTIAL FLUID WAS LEAKING THROUGH A HOLE IN THE METAL AND DRIPPING ONTO THE ROADWAY. THE METAL WAS SO THIN, LIKE PAPER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE ALL OF THE REAR AXLE FLUID COULD LEAK OUT, ALLOWING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL TO FREEZE OR SEIZE UP, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CREATING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. IT COULD ALSO CAUSE OTHER VEHICLES TO LOSE TRACTION ON ROAD DUE TO GEAR OIL LEAKING ONTO ROADWAY. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AXLE HOUSING. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SUPPORTS THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I THINK THE NHTSA NEEDS TO STEP IN AND MAKE TOYOTA ISSUE A RECALL FOR THESE FAULTY DIFFERENTIALS. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT TOYOTA USED INFERIOR METAL TO MANUFACTURER THESE PARTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

WENT TO MY MECHANIC FOR AN FULL EXHAUST REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD FRAME ROT SO EXTENSIVE THAT THE REPAIR SHOULD NOT BE DONE, AND THAT IN FACT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS FRAME FOR THE TACOMA AND THE TUNDRA AS WELL, AND THERE SHOULD BE ONE ON THIS GENERATION OF 4RUNNER. I HAVE A 1989 4RUNNER WITH 250K MILES AND NO SUCH ISSUES WITH FRAME ROT. NOW I'M OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SINCE I'LL HAVE TO JUNK THE CAR AND BUY A NEW ONE. TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *TR

WHEN GETTING THE LEFT/REAR WHEEL BEARING REPAIRED (DUE TO HEAVY RUSTING OF THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING, CAUSING FLUID LOSS), THE TECHNICIAN REPORTED EXTENSIVE FRAME LOSS ALSO DUE TO CORROSION. AFFECTED VEHICLE (OTHERWISE IN GOOD CONDITION) WAS/HAD TO BE JUNKED FOR SAFETY REASONS, THUS FORCING ME TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED. IN N.E. (NORTH EAST) USA, TOYOTA TACOMAS (FRAMES MANUFACTURED IN THE USA) WERE RECALLED FOR THIS CONDITION BUT NOT TOYOTA 4RUNNERS (FRAMES MANUFACTURED IN JAPAN). BOTH MY 4RUNNER CORROSION CONDITIONS ARE NOT UNUSUAL IN N.E. USA! (PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST). SHOULD TOYOTA BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE DOING NOTHING ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION? *TR

VEHICLE SUDDENLY BECAME VERY UNSTABLE AND LOOSE IN THE REAR END WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH. REAR END STARTED SWAYING BACK AND FORTH PUSHING VEHICLE INTO CENTER OF 2 LANE HIGHWAY. ONCE VEHICLE WAS UNDER CONTROL AND OFF THE ROAD FRAME SHOWED SIGNIFICANT RUST. LOWER SUSPENSION ARM MOUNT ON FRAME HAD RUSTED AND BROKE. ROUGHLY 24 INCH SECTION OF THIS FRAME AREA HAD RUSTED OUT. LEAVING NO ATTACHMENT OF THE SUSPENSION ARM TO THE FRAME MOUNT. UPON INSPECTION MANY AREAS OF FRAME ARE SHOWING SIGNIFICANT RUST DAMAGE. VEHICLE US NOW UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 11-12 YEARS. BOUGHT IT WITH 12,000 MILE AND HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE OF IT. ENGINE PURRS LIKE A KITTEN. RUNS AS WELL NOW AS WHEN I BOUGHT IT. TOYOTA WILL NOT WARRANTY A BAD DESIGN/MANUFACTURING PROCESS. CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHOM I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING MANY OF THESE COMING IN AND TOYOTA WILL NOT WARRANTY THE BAD FRAMES. *TR