2002 Toyota 4RUNNER

I WAS HAVING SERVICE WORK DONE AT TOYOTA ON MY 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THE VEHICLE'S FRAME WAS RUSTING THROUGH, NEAR THE MUFFLER AND THE FRAME WOULD EVENTUALLY FAIL. HE SAID WAS A KNOWN DEFECT BUT NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE TOYOTA TACOMA HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THE TACOMA. THE RUST HOLES IN THE FRAME POSE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD SEEN OTHER 4RUNNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND EVEN SUGGESTED TO THOSE OWNERS THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRAILING ARM WAS CORRODED AND THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

EXTENSIVE RUST THRU ON DRIVERS SIDE OF FRAME, REAR SUSPENSION LINK RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE COMPLETE FAILURE IN COMING SOON. LAST TWO FEET OF FRAME COMPLETELY GONE. DOUBT IT WILL PASS ANOTHER SAFETY INSPECTION WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT REPAIR. REAR DIFFERENTIAL RUSTED TO THE POINT GEAR OIL LEAKS. THIS IS COMMON ON ALL 4 RUNNERS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED JUST LIKE THE TACOMAS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS CORRODED AND CAUSED THE FRAME TO DETACH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME AND REAR END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

MY 2002 4RUNNER WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM TOYOTA IN NOVEMBER OF 2001. I LIVE IN NEW YORK SO IT DOES SNOW 2 OR 3 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. IT HAS BEEN USED AS A SECOND VEHICLE TO PICK UP SUPPLIES AND THE LIKE, OTHERWISE IT IS RARELY USED. AT THIS TIME IT HAS APPROX. 139000 MILES. THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START AND I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD THERE IS AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF RUST UNDER THE VEHICLE, THE UNDERCARRIAGE, THE FRAME, THE GAS TANK, ETC. THE PROBLEM IS THE FUEL PUMP BUT BECAUSE OF SO MUCH RUST, REMOVING THE GAS TANK TO CHANGE THE FUEL PUMP MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE COMPONENTS CONNECTING THE TANK TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS A SHAME THAT TOYOTA SELLS A VEHICLE THAT MAY NEED TO BE JUNKED DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF RUST IT HAS. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 4RUNNER AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE. I BOUGHT A 1999 CAMRY BRAND NEW PRIOR TO THE 4RUNNER AND I HAD IT FOR 12 YEARS BEFORE GIVING IT TO A FRIEND WHO STILL DRIVES IT TO THIS DAY AND IT HAS NO RUST. THE 4RUNNER RUNS GREAT ALL OF THE YEARS I HAVE OWNED IT BUT I AM BEING TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THE BODY OF MY TRUCK COULD FALL FROM THE FRAME. AT 139000 MILES THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. TOYOTA SHOULD OFFER SOME KIND OF REPAIR TO THESE ISSUES. MY TRUCK LOOKS ALMOST BRAND NEW EXCEPT FOR SOME RUST ON THE FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS AND NOW I MAY HAVE TO JUNK IT. *TR

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

MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SE5 WITH 112,080 MILES. I HAVE SEVERE FRAME RUST ON THIS VEHICLE. HOLES THOUGH FRAME ON RIGHT SIDE AND FRAME TO REAR AXLE IS COMPLETELY BROKEN TO RIGHT SIDE OF ATTACHMENT AT DIFFERENTIAL AXLE. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED THE U.S VERSION OF THE TACOMA TRUCK WHICH IS THE SAME FRAME, ETC. AS THE 4RUNNER BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER WHICH IS MADE IN JAPAN WITH THE SAME ISSUES. THIS VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE AND TRUTH BE KNOWN UNDRIVEABLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. TOYOTA 4RUNNER FORUM IS FULL OF THESE 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ADD THE 3RD GENERATION 4 RUNNER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ON THE TACOMA, TUNDRA AND SEQUOIA VEHICLES. *TR