2002 Toyota 4RUNNER

I FILED A NHTSA COMPLAINT (ODI NUMBER 10569206 WAS ASSIGNED) ON 13 MARCH 2014 ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. ON 14 MARCH 2014, I TOOK MY 4RUNNER TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LOGGING A COMPLAINT ( CASE NUMBER [XXX] ) WITH THEM ON THE 14TH OF MARCH 2014 AT THEIR OFFICE IN CALIFORNIA AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TELLING ME DOCUMENTATION OF THE ISSUE AT MY DEALERSHIP WOULD HELP ME. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT IN NY AND REMAINED UP NORTH FOR 10 YEARS AND ACCORDING TO EMERSON TOYOTA AUBURN, ME RECORDS AT 85,199 MILES ON 07/11/2012. SERVICE ADVISER, [XXX] CONDITION1 AT 85,199 MILES . USED CAR PREP. VEHICLE BEING WHOLESALED PER RICH. NEEDS ENGINE LIGHT ON, A/C INOP, REAR AXLE HOUSING VERY RUSTED AND CRACKED, HOOD LATCH INOP, RADIATOR LEAKING, FRAME IS SOFT. IT HAD 85,404 MILES WHEN IT CAME TO FLORIDA ON 07 SEPTEMBER 2012 MY 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 WITH ONLY 112109 MILES AT COGGIN TOYOTA AT THE AVENUES DEALERSHIP ON PHILIPS HWY IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA AT 12:20PM ON 14 MARCH 2014 MY COMPLAINT AT THE DEALERSHIP ON 14 MARCH 20014 AT 12:20.........CUSTOMER STATES REAR SUBFRAME IS RUSTED. CHECK AND ADVISE. THEIR FINDINGS AT 12:55PM ON 14 MARCH 2014... CASE NUMBER [XXX], FOUND SEVERE FRAME RUST, HOLES IN FRAME ON RIGHT SIDE, HOLES RUSTED THROUGH FRAME BY GAS TANK ON LEFT SIDE.HOLES RUSTED THROUGH GAS TANK AND LEAKING FUEL. UPPER REAR TRACK BAR BRACKET RUSTED OFF OF REAR END HOUSING, REAR SHOCKS RUSTED OFF. FRONT BRAKE ROTOR BACKING PLATES RUSTED THROUGH. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO FUEL LEAK AND EXTREME RUST THROUGH OF FRAME. I WANT THIS VEHICLE FRAME AND AXLE FIXED OR BOUGHT BACK BY TOYOTA. A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN AUBURN, ME KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO AND SENT IT OUT THE DOOR. TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY ROT! NOW LEAKING ON REAR NON REPLACEABLE YOKE COVER. 1800-2000 DOLLAR FIX. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE AXLE ASSEMBLY HAS NO TAGS!!!! TOLD BY DEALER DOOR TAGS ARE OFTEN WRONG SO ORDERING RECYCLED (IF YOU CAN FIND ONE IN BETTER SHAPE) IS A GAMBLE!!!! HAS BEEN A DEPENDABLE TRUCK OTHER WISE BUT NOW IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY ARE PROFITING FROM THERE DESIGN FLAWS. *TR

(THERE WAS NO CATEGORY OFFERED FOR FRAME). DURING A RECENT AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE FOR BRAKES ON 9-26-13 FOR MY 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, I WAS NOTIFIED OF A RUST PERFORATION IN THE FRAME BODY NEAR A REAR SUPPORT MOUNT FOR THE AXLE MAKING IT UNSAFE FOR OPERATION. THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE RUST FORMS IN THE INTERIOR OF THE FRAME AND WORKS ITS WAY OUT DESTROYING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE. IT SEEMS THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN USED TO WORK AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND KNEW EXACTLY WHERE TO LOOK FROM HIS PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER 4RUNNER FAILURES. THE TOYOTA DEALER INFORMED THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED. MY ?02 4RUNNER IS FROM THE SAME GENERATION (3RD) AND OF SIMILAR DESIGN TO THE TACOMA THAT WAS RECALLED FOR THIS THE DEALER INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THE TORRANCE, CA TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AS HIS DEALERSHIP WOULD BE UNABLE TO ASSIST IN ANYWAY. IT WAS CLEAR THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED THIS BEFORE. THROUGH DISCUSSION WITH TOYOTA CA THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF PROVIDING ANY MEANS OF RELIEF FOR A KNOWN AND WELL DOCUMENTED SAFETY PROBLEM. ONE REP DID COMMENT THAT THE TUNDRA AND SEQUOIA HAD BEEN RECENTLY ADDED TO THE RECALL BUT THE 4RUNNER WAS ?NOT YET? ON THE RECALL LIST. IT SEEMS TOYOTA VIEWS THE PRODUCTS TO BE DIFFERENT DUE TO THE BODY STYLE DIFFERENCES OR US VS JAPANESE BUILT PRODUCTS. THEY ALSO CLEARLY HAVE NO INTENTION TO ESCALATE INTERNALLY. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA AND NTSB. RESEARCH ON LINE SHOWS THAT THERE IS A VERY WIDESPREAD ISSUE THAT TOYOTA IS CLEARLY CHOOSING TO IGNORE. WEB INFORMATION SUGGESTS THAT COLD CLIMATE AND THE AXLE BRACKET IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE EXHAUST, ARE PRIMARY FACTORS. HOW CAN YOU RECALL ONE MODEL FOR A RUSTED FRAME DUE TO SAFETY BUT NOT ANOTHER? PERSONAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE. HUGE NUMBERS OF PHOTOS AND REPORTS AVAILABLE ONLINE - SEARCH " RUSTED FRAME 4RUNNER" OR SIMILAR. *TR

THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING IS RUSTING OUT AND IS SEEPING FLUID. IN ADDITION, THE FRAME IS DANGEROUSLY RUSTED, ESPECIALLY FROM THE REAR AXLE BACK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A VERY REPUTABLE BODY SHOP IN THE AREA, THAT THE FRAME NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE RUST, THIS IS NOT PRACTICAL. TOYOTA IS REPLACING FRAMES ON THEIR TUNDRA PICKUPS DUE TO RUST, BUT REFUSES TO COVER 4RUNNERS, THOUGH THEY SHARE THE SAME FRAME. IF I DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED BY THE DEALER REGULARLY, I WOULD BE UNAWARE OF THE DANGEROUS CONDITION OF THE FRAME. *TR

RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AND STARTED CLEANING IT, AFTER I DROVE IT HOME AND PRESSURE WASHED UNDERCARRIAGE, PIECES OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL STARTED FLYING OFF AND GEAR OIL STARTED RUNNING OUT OF HOLES. I HAVE A 1971 DODGE CHALLENGER WITH ORIGINAL REAR END THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN GARAGE AND HAVE NEVER SEEN A REAREND RUST LIKE THIS. I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT HOW STRONG THE AXLE HOUSING STRUCTURE IS AND IF IT COULD POSSIBLE BREAK IN HALF WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. *TR

MY 4RUNNER HAS 72000 MILES ON IT, AND I JUST REALIZED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS RUSTED THROUGH. THE METAL IS SO THIN THAT THE FLUID IS LEAKING OUT THROUGH THE POURS OF THE METAL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST 3000$+ TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE REAR END. THERE IS NO OTHER RUST UNDER THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THE PUMPKIN HOUSING. AFTER LOOKING AROUND ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, OF THE HOUSING NOT ONLY BEING TOO THIN OF METAL FOR THE APPLICATION, BUT LOW QUALITY STEEL THAT'S PRONE TO CORROSION. *TR