2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

TURNED THE REAR DEFROSTER ON AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. TURNED OFF THE DEFROSTER AND THEN COUPLE MINUTES LATER, REAR WINDOW EXPLODED AND TOTALLY BROKE. DID THIS LEAVING MY NEIGHBORHOOD SO ONLY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH. IT WAS ABOUT 53 DEGREES AND RAINY.

THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 01/26/2017 AND WAS DRIVEN IN UPSTATE NEW YORK UNTIL 1/1/2018 WHEN I RELOCATED TO MY CURRENT ADDRESS IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR MY NEW CAREER. THE FRAME OF MY TOYOTA 4RUNNER IS SEVERELY RUSTING CAUSING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE TO BE COMPROMISED AND CAUSING DANGEROUS DAMAGE TO STEERING, BRAKE, SUSPENSION, FUEL COMPONENTS THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE ON THEIR MOUNTING POINTS AND THROUGHOUT THEIR SYSTEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS IN START AND STOP TRAFFIC RETURNING TO HOME WHEN LEAVING A STOP LIGHT A LOUD THUD SOUND CAME FROM THE REAR PASSENGER CORNER OF THE VEHICLE, ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS MOBILE UNDER SPEEDS OF 30 MPH THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE "FISHTAILING" HOWEVER SPEEDS OVER 30MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD SLOWLY "FISHTAIL" AND WOULD AGGRESSIVELY GET WORSE UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS HOME AND PARKED I DISCOVERED THE MOUNTING PORTION OF THE VEHICLE REAR TRAILING ARM HAD RUSTED AND BECAME UNATTACHED RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE. ATTACHED ARE PHOTOS OF THE RUST DAMAGE TO THE REAR PASSENGER TRAILING ARM AND FRAME.

WHILE I WAS I DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED WHILE I WAS USING THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER. I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL JUST PRIOR TO IT EXPLODING GLASS ALL OVER THE BACK CARGO AREA

WHEN USING THE REAR DEFROSTER IN THE COLD, THE REAR HATCH WINDOW SHATTERED. COMMON ISSUE AND TOYOTA DOES KNOW ABOUT IT BUT ONLY OFFERED 1 YEAR ENHANCED WARRANTY. WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED AND TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER THIS SAFETY HAZARD AS MY CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH 3RD ROW SEATING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURE WAS FLAKING AND METAL HAD DETACHED FROM THE FRAME ONTO THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHO DETERMINED THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS RUSTED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

FRAME IS RUSTED EXCESSIVELY. GARAGE KEPT EVERY WINTER. MY REAR DRIVER SIDE SWAY BAR HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OFF THE FRAME.

THE FRAME IS SO RUSTED EVERYWHERE THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ONE HUGE HOLE IS COMPLETELY BROKEN THROUGH BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAME AND THE BOTTOM PLATE HAS CRACKED THROUGH. I HAVE A HIGHLY REPUTABLE WELDING SHOP SET TO REPAIR AND PATCH THIS BUT I FEEL TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS BEFORE IT COSTS ME EVERYTHING.

HI, I AM WRITING THIS LETTER IN REGARDS TO THE POTENTIAL RECALL OF THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER ROTTING FRAMES. I PURCHASED A BEAUTIFUL 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SPORT IN OCT OF 2018 THIS SUV HAD LESS THAN 130,000 MILES, THE BODY AND INTERIOR ARE IN IMMACULATE CONDITION' I LOVED IT. THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER I TAKE IT TO A SHOP TO HAVE THE SWAY BAR BUSHINGS DONE AND FIND OUT FROM THAT SHOP THAT THE FRAME IS OVERLY RUSTED THEY STATED TOYOTA HAS A RECALL ON RUSTED FRAMES AND TELLS ME TO GO TO A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER AND LOOK INTO IT, SO I DID THE FOLLOWING DAY AND THEY TOLD ME THEY RECALLED THE TUNDRA, SEQUOIA AND THE TACOMA BUT HAVEN'T RECALLED THE 4RUNNER THE TOYOTA SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A FLOOD OF 4RUNNER OWNERS BRINGING THEIR SUVS TO BE INSPECTED AND SOME WERE SO SEVERE AND THE 4RUNNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED' HE RECOMMENDED THAT WE UNDERCOAT IT UNTIL A RECALL HAPPENS, SO MY HUSBAND TAKES IT AND SPENDS ABOUT 250.00 AND UNDERCOATS THE WHOLE UNDERNEATH. NOW IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AND WE BROUGHT OUR 4RUNNER TO A SHOP TO HAVE SOME SHOCK AND STRUT WORK DONE AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE FRAME IS OVERLY RUSTED AGAIN AND THE UNDERCOAT HAS WORN OFF AND NOW THERE ARE SEVERE CRACKS IN THE FRONT AND THE REAR OF OUR FRAME, I AM TOTALLY SICKENED AND AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS NOW. BEFORE BUYING THIS 4RUNNER I DID RESEARCH AND WAS LOOKING FOR A TOP RATED SUV THAT WAS RELIABLE AND SAFE IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE 4RUNNER WAS THERE' NOW LOOK WHAT I HAVE A VERY UNSAFE CAR NOT ONLY FOR ME BUT ALSO MY FAMILY AND TO OTHER FAMILIES THAT ARE OUT ON THE ROAD. I PURCHASED THIS SUV FOR 8,700.00 USING UP YEARS OF MONEY SAVED AND NOW IM FINDING OUT THAT I WILL NEED TO BRING IT INTO A FRAME SHOP FOR EITHER WELDING AND OR POSSIBLE FRAME REPLACEMENT.

DID AN OIL CHANGE YESTERDAY, AND AS USUAL I DO AN INSPECTION ON MY UNDERCARRIAGE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS FINE, (I.E. LEAKS, MAKING SURE THE SUSPENSION IS TIGHT, ETC) AND I AM NOTICING EXCESSIVE FRAME CORROSION, WHICH IS WORRISOME AS I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THE TACOMAS, TUNDRAS, AND SEQUOIAS, BUT NOTHING FOR THE 4RUNNERS. ITS STARTING TO GET PRETTY BAD AND I REALLY WOULDNT WANT MY FRAME TO FAIL AS THE REST OF THE TRUCK IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I JUST WANT TOYOTA TO MAKE IT RIGHT LIKE THEY DID FOR THE OTHERS. I LOVE THIS TRUCK AND WOULD NOT WANT SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC TO HAPPEN

REAR HATCH WINDOW SHATTERED DUE TO OVERHEATING OF DEFROSTER. OVERHEATED WHILE IN MOTION. SHATTERED AFTER PARKED.