2000 Toyota 4RUNNER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME RAILS WERE SEVERELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED AT PRIORITY TOYOTA CHESAPEAKE (1800 GREENBRIER PKWY, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320), THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL WAS RUSTED AND HAD SEVERAL HOLES. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 250,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO WOBBLE AND THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE EMERGING FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE. THE CONTACT HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED A METAL BAR HANGING FORM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM WAS RUSTED AND DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,491.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND WENT OVER A SMALL TRANSITION IN THE ROAD AND THE CAR STARTED ROCKING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE, LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO ROLL OVER. ANY TIME THAT THE CAR IS OVER ABOUT 40 MPH AND IT HITS EVEN THE SMALLEST OF BUMPS, THIS IS THE RESULT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, I FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT, INCLUDING ONE OF THE STABILIZERS HANGING LOOSE. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP TO SEE IF IT WAS REPAIRABLE, AND THEY STATED THAT THIS IS THE WORST CASE OF FRAME RUST THEY HAVE EVER SEE, EVEN ON VEHICLES TWICE ITS AGE! AND THAT IT CANNOT SAFELY BE REPAIRED! THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH MANY OTHER 4RUNNERS OF THE SAME AGE, AS EVIDENCED BY READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ON HERE AND THE NTSB WEB SITE, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER WEB SITES OF THIS TYPE. THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT CAUSED THE 2000 TOYOTA TACOMAS TO BE RECALLED. THIS VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE, AND CANNOT BE SOLD TO SOMEONE AT THE PRICE IT SHOULD BE VALUED WITHOUT THIS ISSUE, SO I HAVE LOST THE FULL VALUE OF THIS VEHICLE! THERE IS NO REASON THAT A 17 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF FRAME DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF RUST!

THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC AT MUFFLER MAN SHOWED ME THAT IT IS ABOUT READY TO BREAK ITS RUSTED SO BAD. HE SHOWED ME THAT WHERE THE AC UNIT IS PLACED THE WATER FROM IT RUNS DOWN THE FRAME COLLECTS THERE AND THEN RUSTS OUT THE FRAME. DRIVER SIDE IS GOOD. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY ON A HOIST WHEN THEY SHOWED ME.