2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME WAS RUSTING AND HOLES WERE DEVELOPING ON THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

SUSPENSION SYSTEM RUSTED APART CAUSING THE REAR SHOCKS TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS SEVERE RUST ON THE FRAME THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PROBLEMS OTHER ARE EXPERIENCING WITH FRAME ROT. THERE ARE NEARLY 200 COMPLAINTS ON HERE FOR THIS ISSUE...IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED. I CARY MY 2 YEAR OLD AROUND IN THIS CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. SURPRISED TO FIND SUCH A POOR QUALITY CAR FROM TOYOTA AND THAT THEY AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT WHEN THEY DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT ON OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FRAME AND SAME PROBLEM. *TR

MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT MY PERCH SPRINGS/SHOCK MOUNTS HAD ROTTED OFF. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A WELDER AND TOLD ME THAT THE FRAME WAS SO ROTTED OUT THAT I SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING THEY COULD DO. SAID HE HAD A 2000 TUNDRA WITH THE SAME ISSUE THAT WAS RECALLED AND REPLACED. WHY HASN'T THE 4RUNNER BEEN RECALLED YET? *TR

I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RIDING SAFELY. THEY FOUND EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION ON THE BACK UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE FRAME OF THE CAR POSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY AND ROAD HAZARD. IT WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I DON'T HAVE THE VIN NUMBER YET TO POST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

WE PURCHASED A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS 14 YEARS OLD HOWEVER, THE BODY, ENGINE AND INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WERE IN GREAT CONDITION. WE BECAME AWARE OF THE FRAME RUST WHEN TAKING IT FOR INSPECTION AND HAD SOME REPAIRS MADE IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO PASS STATE INSPECTION. WE TAKE GOOD CARE OF OUR VEHICLES AND WE WERE CHECKING THE BRAKES AND WE WERE GOING TO UNDERCOAT THE FRAME WHEN WE DISCOVERED THE LARGE AMOUNT OF RUST AND DAMAGE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA, THEY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER AND TRANSFERRED MY CALL TO "CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS". SPOKE TO A PHONE REPRESENTATIVE WHO BASICALLY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS CAUSE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS. MY RESPONSE TO THAT WAS OUR 1998 BLAZER NEVER HAD THE AMOUNT OF FRAME RUST THAT THIS 4RUNNER HAS, BOTH DRIVEN IN THE SAME CONDITIONS. CERTAIN TOYOTA MODELS THAT ARE ALSO HAVING FRAME RUST HAVE BEEN COVERED UP TO AS LONG AS 15 YEARS ON FRAME DAMAGE WHY WASN'T THE 4RUNNER. I'M SURE ALL MODELS DURING THIS TIME WERE BUILT WITH BELOW STANDARD FRAME MATERIAL SO WHY WASN'T THIS ADDRESSED WITH ALL MODELS? *TR

TOOK 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 IN FOR INSPECTION. MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SAID FRAME IS BAD. FRAME IS SEVERELY RUSTED AND HAS MULTIPLE HOLES ON PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL AREA IN BOTH THE FRONT AND BACK OF THIS AREA. IT ALSO HAS SEVERE RUST AND HOLES IN THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER SIDE IN THE SAME REAR AREA AND ABOVE THE GAS TANK ON THE DRIVER SIDE. VEHICLE IS CONSIDERED UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE FRAME. SPOKE TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER CUSTOMER SERVICE REPAIR CENTER REP AND INQUIRED ABOUT ANY RECALLS FOR RUSTED FRAME SUCH AS THE BUY BACK PROGRAM THAT TOYOTA HAD FOR THE TACOMA. I WAS INFORMED THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR BUY BACKS FOR THE 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATION CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR BUY BACKS AT THIS TIME. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYONE ELSE I COULD SPEAK TO IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT. REP SAID THEY WOULD NOTIFY ME IF TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL. I TOLD THE REP WHAT GOOD WOULD THAT DO SINCE I WOULD HAVE TO SCRAP THE VEHICLE AND UNLESS TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS A RECALL WOULD NOT HELP ME IF I NO LONGER OWNED THE VEHICLE. I ALSO TOLD THE REP THAT THIS PLACED AN UNDUE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP ON ME BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE SINCE THE 4RUNNER WAS NO LONGER SAFE BECAUSE OF THE FRAME DAMAGE. HE SYMPATHIZED WITH ME BUT SAID THE ONLY THING HE COULD DO FOR ME WAS FILE MY COMPLAINT AND ISSUE ME A CASE NUMBER. SEARCHING THE INTERNET IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF TOYOTA 4RUNNER OWNERS THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. I THINK THE NHTSA NEEDS TO STEP IN AND MAKE TOYOTA ISSUE A RECALL FOR THESE FAULTY FRAMES. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT TOYOTA USED INFERIOR METAL TO MANUFACTURER THESE FRAMES AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE RUSTING OUT PREMATURELY. *TR

I TOOK MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC FOR THE ANNUAL NY STATE INSPECTION. THIS IS A ONE OWNER (ME) VEHICLE WITH ONLY 126,777 MILES. WHAT HE FOUND WAS EXTENSIVE RUST AND PERFORATIONS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME FROM FRONT TO REAR. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND THAT IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. HE SAID WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE COLLAPSE AND FAILURE IN THAT SECTION WHILE DRIVING. I WAS SHOCKED AT THE AMOUNT OF RUST AND DETERIORATION I SAW IN THE FRAME. I CALLED TOYOTA CORP THE SAME DAY AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND DOCUMENT IT. I TOOL IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND THE SERVICE MANAGER COMPLETED A REPORT AND TOOK PHOTOS. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE HAS FRAME PERFORATIONS BEYOND REPAIR AND THAT THE REAR END HOUSING IS POROUS. HE ALSO FOUND AN EXHAUST LEAK. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE 4RUNNER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA HAD A SIMILAR RUST ISSUE AND THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THOSE VEHICLES WHEREBY NEW FRAMES WERE INSTALLED, BUT NOT FOR THE 4RUNNER. HE DID NOT KNOW WHY THE 4RUNNER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURIES AND FATALITIES. THIS IS ALSO AN ECONOMIC CONCERN TO ME. MY 4RUNNER'S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR IS IN VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT CONDITION. IT'S VALUE IS AROUND $7 THOUSAND. I EXPECTED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE FOR A LONG TIME. NOW IT SITS IN MY GARAGE WAITING FOR TOYOTA OR THE DOT TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE. I URGE TOYOTA AND THE DOT TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS FRAME PROBLEM IN ORDER TO AVOID NEEDLESS CUSTOMER INJURIES AND FATALITIES. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER ONE YEAR AGO AT DRY RIDGE TOYOTA USED CARS. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING IN THE REAR END FROM SIDE TO SIDE ON THE HIGHWAY AT ANY SPEED. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WITH THE SIDE TO SIDE REAR END WOBBLING WHICH WAS VISIBLE FROM VEHICLES FOLLOWING BEHIND. UPON HAVING THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT AT A GARAGE AND PUT UP ON A LIFT, THE FRAME UNDERNEATH HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND IS READY TO BREAK. THE GARAGE SAID THEY WOULDN'T REPAIR IT BECAUSE OF LIABILITY ISSUES. THEY SAID IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SO NOW I HAVE A VEHICLE THAT I CANT DRIVE, CANT BE FIXED AND A LOAN TO PAY ON IT. TOYOTA SAID THERE IS NO RECALL ON IT AND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO THEY WILL DO NOTHING. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, IT HAS RUSTED THROUGH IN A YEARS TIME AND ITS ONLY A 2000. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A FAMILY VACATION, THE 4 RUNNER HAD A NEAR CATASTROPHIC FRAME FAILURE. THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THIS FAILURE CAUSED TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND THE INABILITY TO SAFELY OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RENDERED UNSAFE FOR OPERATION AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED. AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTION REVEALED MULTIPLE FAILURE POINTS ALONG THE FRAME RAIL RELATED TO CORROSION. *TR