2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS MAJOR FRAME ISSUES THAT COULD BREAK AT ANYTIME AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT! THESE FRAMES RUST OUT WITHOUT THE OWNERS KNOWING. THESE ARE FAMILY VEHICLES THAT ARE DRIVEN FOR MANY YEARS AND TOYOTA HAS HAD ISSUES WITH OTHER FRAMES ON DIFFERENT MODELS BUT SAME YEAR VEHICLES. TOYOTA HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THESE FRAMES AND HAS NEVER RECALLED THESE MODELS. FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND OTHERS PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT THE DEALER, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME SUFFERED FROM MASSIVE CORROSION AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

VEHICLE HAD NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF FRAME RUST. DROVE VEHICLE OVER A SMALL BUMP AT 5MPH & HEARD A SOUND FROM REAR. PARKED CAR. WHEN DRIVING AWAY LATER NOTICED A SWAY IN LOW SPEED DRIVING. GOT OUT AND SAW THE REAR DRIVERS FRAME RAIL HAD CRACKED WHERE IT MOUNTS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. THAT SECTION HAD TO HAVE RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AS IT IS A BOXED FRAME AND THERE WAS NO VISIBLE RUST ON THE OUTER FRAME. THIS IS A VERY ALARMING ISSUE AND A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN NORTHEAST BUT GARAGED. WE'VE HAD RUSTED BODY PANELS ONLY ON MUCH OLDER CARS - THIS SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR FLAW IN VEHICLE DESIGN. ESPECIALLY AS IT ISN'T VISIBLE AND JUST RECENTLY PASSED A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS PERFORMING A REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE FOR AN UNRELATED FAILURE WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY 17 YEAR OLD WAS DRIVING OUR 4RUNNER, AND IT BEGAN SWAYING ALL OVER THE ROAD. LUCKILY, HE WAS ONLY A COUPLE MILES FROM HOME, AND MADE IT BACK SAFELY. THE FRAME HAS ROTTED AWAY FROM THE INSIDE OUT, LEAVING THE REAR AXLE COMPONENTS NOT PROPERLY "ATTACHED", AND MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE. THE BODY ON THIS VEHICLE IS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION, AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE UP TO 200,000 MILES, WHICH SHOULD NOT BE UNCOMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE TYPE. I'VE CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND FILED A COMPLAINT. I WAS TOLD NOTHING WILL BE DONE AND NO FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS WILL BE MADE EITHER. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS GENERATION 4RUNNER, AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE MADE TO OFFER TO FIX OR MAKE FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS VEHICLE JUST AS THEY HAVE DONE WITH THE TOYOTA TACOMA WITH ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FRAME. *TR

WHILE HAVING MY 2000 4RUNNER SERVICED RECENTLY, MY MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT MY CARRIAGE FRAME WAS CRACKED AND ROTTING. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALER IN BRISTOL CT, WHO PUT VEHICLE ON HOIST AND CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM. I WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NO RECALL OR TSB ON MY SUV, AND PROBABLY NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THEY SAID THEY WOULD SEND INFO & PICTURES TO DISTRICT OFFICE FOR REVIEW AND ADVISE WHEN THEY HEARD BACK. I ASKED THEM ABOUT FIXING IT IN THE MEANTIME, BUT THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T ACCEPT THE LIABILITY? I CAN EMAIL PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO REVIEW THESE AS WELL. I AM HAVING IT WELDED IN THE MEANTIME, AS THE CRACK WAS RATHER SEVERE. MY MECHANIC AND TOYOTA BOTH ADVISED THAT IF THE CRACK BROKE THRU WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR AXLE WOULD COME LOOSE FROM THE FRAME. THE ESTIMATE TO FIX MY SUV IS APX. $1,500, WHICH INCLUDES REPLACING THE GAS TANK UNDER-SHIELD, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A CHUNK OF SWISS CHEESE AS WELL. PLEASE ADVISE OF ANY RECOURSE I MAY HAVE. *TR