2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY STATIONARY AT DEALER GETTING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. THE TECHNICIAN CALLED ME BACK TO THE SHOP TO SHOW ME WHAT HE FOUND WITH THE VEHICLE ON THE LIFT. EXCESSIVE RUST & CORROSION ON THE FRAME RAILS TO THE POINT WHERE THE VEHICLE WILL SOON BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT IF THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SIDE IMPACT, THE DAMAGE & POSSIBLE INJURIES TO OCCUPANTS WOULD BE MUCH WORSE DUE TO THE DIMINISHED INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME. I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING INTO MY OPTIONS SUCH AS WELDING FRAME REINFORCEMENT BUT I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE FRAMES ON THESE MODELS AS THEY DID WITH THE TACOMAS, SEQUOIAS, & TUNDRAS WHICH HAVE THE EXACT SAME FRAMES & EXPERIENCE THE EXACT SAME RUST & CORROSION PROBLEM.

HEAVY RUST AND ROT HOLES NEAR WELDS POSSIBLE CAUSING VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE. SAME ISSUE TACOMA HAD. THE DATE IS UNKNOWN JUST PUTTING A RANDOM DATE IN. *TR

I FOUND OUT IN LATE 2018 OR EARLY 2019 THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED THROUGH. AFTER LOOKING CLOSER THE RUSTED OUT AREA IS 2 FOOT LONG BY 3 INCH WIDE. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT BUT CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY WHILE DRIVE G IT.

THE TRAILING ARM MOUNT ON THE FRAME BROKE OFF. THE STABILIZER BAR END LINK MOUNT BROKE FREE OF THE FRAME

I'VE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THESE MODELS AND YEARS ..... ARE RIDDLED WITH EXCESSIVE RUST. UNSAFE RUST TO THE POINT THAT MY VEHICLE WILL NO LONGER PASS INSPECTION. THE RUST HAS COMPROMISED THE FRAME WHERE IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY FAMILY TO TRAVEL IN!!! MY PROBLEM WAS DETECTED BY MY MECHANIC AFTER ROUTINE SERVICE.

THE FRAME IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. MY 4RUNNER WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND HAS BEEN BABIED AND USED FOR SHORT COMMUTE I HAVE READ ABOUT NUMEROUS OTHER 4RUNNER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE RUSTED CAR FRAME IS UNSAFE FOR DRIVING . I'M TOLD THE FRAME IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN BABIED AND IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION EXCEPT FOR THE FRAME. THE IS NO RUST ON THE BODY OR OTHER PLACES... JUST THE FRAME THAT MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR SHOULD HAVE A LOT OF LIFE LEFT IN IT AS THE ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SELL IT FOR PARTS. I'M TOLD THAT TOYOTA HAS REPLACED SOME FRAMES AND THEY DO THIS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. APPARENTLY THE 4RUNNER IS ON THE SAME FRAME AS A COUPLE OF THEIR TRCKS (TUNDRA, ETC.) THE TRUCK FRAMES ARE ALSO RUSTING AND GOING BAD. TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE BAD FRAMES. I LIVE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF VIRGINIA. I DO NOT LIVE IN THE RUST BELT. WE GET VERY LITTLE SNOW AND ICE. THE FRAMES HAVE A FACTORY DEFECT. ANY FRAME, WHEN USED IN THE CAPACITY AS WE HAVE USED OUR 4RUNNER SHOULD NEVER GO BAD AS THIS ONE HAS. THE FRAME IS A SERIOUS CAR SAFETY ISSUE. FROM READING THE INTERNET, THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR TOYOTAS AS THERE ARE MANY MANY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM AS MINE (BAD RUSTED FRAMES THAT MAKE THEIR VEHICLES UNDRIVEABLE). PLEASE HAVE TOYOTA REPLACE THE FRAMES. IF THEY ARE UNWILLING TO DO THIS, THEN AT LEAST GIVE A GENERAL TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TOYOTA VEHICLE. . I NEVER WOULD HAVE BOUGHT MY 4$UNNER IF I NEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEM.

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I WAS AWARE THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUES WITH THE TACOMA, TUNDRA, AND SEQUOIA VEHICLES WITH RUSTING FRAMES, BUT I WAS UNAWARE THAT THE 4RUNNERS WERE PLAGUED WITH THE SAME FRAME ROT ISSUES. I HAVE OWNED THE 4RUNNER FOR OVER A YEAR AND HAVE HAD TO REPAIR THE FRAME DUE TO RUST THROUGH ISSUES NOW ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS. THE FRAME IS VERTUALLY A TOTAL LOSS. THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE GREAT, BUT THE FRAME RUST HAS MADE THE VEHICLE TOO UNSAFE TO CONTINUE TO OWN.

THE FRAME IS ROTTING AND CRACKING. IT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND HAS BEEN USED FOR SHORT COMMUTES. IT IS NOW UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY KIDS.

WHILE DRIVING MY ABS, BREAK, VSC TRAC AND VSC OFF LIGHT CAME ON SOLID. IT WAS ALL ACCOMPANIED BY AN ALARM. I WAS IN HEADING DOWN A HILL IN THE SNOW. RIGHT AFTER THE ALERTS CAME ON I HAD A HARD BREAK PEDAL WITH NO MOVEMENT AND NO BREAKS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BREAK AS IN SNOW THAT WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE ONLINE AND ITS CONCERNING THAT IF ABS STOPS/FAULTS YOU LOSE ALL ABILITY TO BREAK AT ALL.

ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER COMPLETE FRONT BRAKE REPLACEMENT:ROTORS, CALIPERS, PADS,WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEED DOWNHILL ON GOOD HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING STRONGLY. STOPPED AT MECHANICS TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I HAD THE TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED. LEFT FRONT BRAKE ROTOR WAS EXTREMELY HOT, DIAGNOSED AS WARPED ROTOR. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY,CALIPER AND ROTOR AGAIN. NOW ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER THE VIBRATION IS BACK AGAIN. THIS SHOULD NOT BE. THIS HAS ALL HAPPENED WITHIN THE PAST 15000 MILES. SOMETHING MORE IS WRONG THAT IS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION BUT I DON'T SEE WHAT IT IS.