2002 Toyota 4RUNNER

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

AFTER NOTICING A STRONG GEAR OIL ODOR AND SEEING THE ACTUAL GEAR OIL ON THE BACK THE OF THE VEHICLE I WAS ALARMED TO FIND OUT THAT THE REAR AXLE HOUSING HAD RUST PERFORATING THE REAR OF THE HOUSING. ONCE THE HOUSING WAS CHECKED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND TURNED AWAY DUE TO FEAR OF DESTROYING THE HOUSING, I REMOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA SR5 4RUNNER WITH EXTREME FRAME ROT FRAME THE INSIDE OUT. EXPERTS AGREE THAT I HAVE ONLY A YEAR OR TWO LEFT WITH THIS FRAME. I HAVE HAD REPAIRS TO PASS INSPECTION BUT THIS IS ONLY A BAND AID. I UNDERSTAND THAT I LIVE IN A STATE WHERE ROAD SALT IS USED, BUT TO HAVE THE FRAME ROT FROM THE INSIDE OUT SHOWS A DESIGN FLAW OR INFERIOR STEEL USED FRO THE FRAME, POSSIBLY INADEQUATE CORROSION PROTECTION. JUST A BAD SCENARIO NOT WHICH WAY YOU PUT IT. ROT FROM THE INSIDE OUT IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER THAT IS IN EXCELLENT BODY AND RUNNING CONDITION WAS IN FOR A ROUTINE SERVICE AND THE DEALER TOLD US THE FRAME HAD A HOLE IN IT AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, IT WAS INSPECTED BY TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF TOYOTA WHO SAID THAT IT IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AND THERE ARE NO "PROGRAMS' AND THEY WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT EVEN THOU THERE IS A HISTORY OF FRAME FAILURES WITH TOYOTA'S. *TR

RE: GOODYEAR DUNLOP GRAND TREK TG35 P265/70R16 TIRE. ON AUGUST 19, 2011, I WAS DRIVING ON I-10 IN FL AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR SUDDENLY GOT VERY BUMPY AND IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, THE REAR RIGHT TIRE EXPLODED ON MY TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BUT MANAGED TO FINALLY PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. AFTER EXAMINING THE DAMAGES TO MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT THE TREAD ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE COMPLETELY SEPARATED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. LUCKILY, THE CAR DID NOT FLIP OR COLLIDE WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. I SUSTAINED PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL INJURIES AND OVER $2000 WORTH OF DAMAGES TO MY CAR AS A RESULT OF THE BLOWOUT. MY CAR ONLY HAS 36K MILES ON IT AND IS ALWAYS KEPT IN THE GARAGE. THE TREAD ON ALL 4 TIRES IS PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW AS IT IS DRIVEN SELDOMLY, WITH REGULAR TIRE ROTATION/BALANCE/MAINTENANCE. THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY REASON FOR A TIRE WITH THIS LITTLE WEAR AND TEAR TO EXPLODE THE WAY IT DID. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND REALIZE THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAD A FAR WORSE OUTCOME, AND THAT THE TIRES ARE INDEED DEFECTIVE. IN ADDITION, MY INSURANCE COMPANY WILL NOT COVER THE EXPENSES OF THE TIRES. NOW I AM FORCED TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES OUT OF POCKET FOR FEAR OF THE SAME SCENARIO AND NOT AS LUCKY OF AN OUTCOME IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. IN MY RESEARCH, I ALSO SAW THAT NHTSA HAS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE TREAD SEPARATION PROBLEMS INVOLVING DUNLOP TIRES SOLD AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON 1995-1999 NISSAN PATHFINDER SUVS. NHTSA SAYS IT HAS RECEIVED SIX REPORTS OF INJURIES IN TWO ROLLOVER CRASHES THAT WERE BLAMED ON TREAD SEPARATIONS ON THE GRANDTREK TG35 TIRE. I FEEL THAT UNLESS I SUSTAINED LIFE-LONG INJURIES, PARALYSIS, OR DEATH WOULD THE TIRE MANUFACTURER COME FORWARD WITH ANY GOODWILL OR COMPENSATION. *TR

I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH APPROXIMATELY 94,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE PRIMARY USE IS DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MILES A DAY OFF HIGHWAY. THE FOLLOWING ALARM LIGHTS CAME ON: BRAKE LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSC LIGHT, TRAC LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, AND THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIKE CALVERT TOYOTA IN HOUSTON, TX TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEIR SCANNER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A CODE FOR THE PROBLEM. THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE ADS CONTROL MODULE (SKID CONTROL SENSOR) WAS AT FAULT AND THUS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER, GRANT MILES ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE ADS CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. THE COST FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR WAS QUOTED AS $2377.01. IT WOULD TAKE 3 TO 5 BUSINESS DAYS FOR THE PART TO BE ORDERED AND REPLACED. I HAD TO RENT A CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND BECAUSE OF THE LENGTHY REPAIR TIME. THE COST OF THE RENTAL CAR IS APPROXIMATELY $289.00. BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE ADS CONTROL MODULE (SKID CONTROL SENSOR-PART # 8954035270), I AM REGISTERING THIS NOTIFICATION WITH THE NHTSA. *TR

2002 4RUNNER SR5 4WD, 141K MILES, COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH REAR DIFFERENTIAL, BOTH REAR AXLE SEALS BUSTED OUT, DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS SEVERAL PIN HOLE LEAKS AND IS THINNED OUT, THE ONLY FIX IS A COMPLETELY NEW REAR END, WHICH IS VERY COSTLY, I AM THE 2ND OWNER, I'VE OWNED A 99 4RUNNER THAT HAD THESE SAME REAR DIFFERENTIAL RUST ISSUES, THE RUST IS RIDICULOUS AND HAS DETERIORATED THE WHOLE UNDERCARRIAGE AND MY 4RUNNER IS GARAGE KEPT AND I WASH IT ALL THE TIME. I CAN'T BELIEVE TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE RUSTING OUT OF REAR DIFFERENTIALS AND REAR AXLE ISSUES. *TR