2002 Toyota 4RUNNER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, SHE CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY, A BROKEN ARM, AND SUSTAINED CUTS ON HER LEGS FROM THE BROKEN GLASS THAT WERE STITCHED. THE CONTACT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DECLARED TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I WAS TRYING TO PASS A CAR DOING A LITTLE OVER 55 MPH AND HEARD A LOUD BANG NOISE. I PULLED OVER AND STOP THE AS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THERE WAS OIL WAS POURING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE MOTOR. THE OIL SERVICE WAS KEPT UP TO DATE AND WAS JUST CHANGED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND THE ENGINE HAD THROWN A ROD. MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. (AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH 4 RUNNER ENGINES WHEN THEY REACH 75000 MLES OR MORE. I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS PROBLEM.) I WAS LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND THAT I WASN'T ON THE EXPRESSWAY IN CHICAGO. I HAVE EMAILED TOYOTA. *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

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