2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING AN OIL CHANGE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR SECTIONS OF THE FRAME WERE CORRODED THROUGH. THE TECHNICIAN DECLARED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF KINGSPORT (2525 E STONE DR, KINGSPORT, TN 37660, (423) 246-6611) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION AND STATED THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE RUST AND HOLES IN THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: TAS-906032087. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S FRAME WAS CORRODED. WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WAS PULLING TO THE SIDE. THE CONTACT WAS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND NOTICED THAT THE TRAILING ARM THAT HELD THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BRACKET SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME AND WAS COMPLETELY DETACHED. THE CONTACT WELDED THE BRACKET BACK TO THE FRAME. HE CALLED CORWIN TOYOTA OF FARGO (222 40TH ST S, FARGO, ND 58103, (701) 282-8425) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 255,000. *TT*JB

WENT TO INSPECT MY 4 RUNNER, WAS TOLD I HAVE MAJOR ROT AND RUST ON THE FRAME THEY ARE UNABLE TO INSPECT, VEHICAL IS UNSAFE TO HAVE ON THE ROAD. MY SUV IS MINT WITH LOW MILES HOW CAN THIS BE. I ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF MY VEHICALS.

I TOOK MY 4RUNNER TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT IS WAS PURCHASED AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT NEEDS A NEW FRAME DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST/ROT. I AM BEING TOLD THAT IT IS BEYOND REPAIR AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE AT THIS POINT.

WE WERE HEARING A NOISE IN THE REAR SUSPENSION (LH) WHEN BRAKING OR ACCELERATING. THE CAR WAS NOT STABLE TO DRIVE. WE LIFT THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE FRAME IS RUSTED DUE TO THE MANUFACTUER DID NOT PROTECT IT AT THE FACTORY. THE REAR LEFT SUSPENSION BRACKET WAS ALMOST DISSAPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVEN. WE HAD TO REINFORCE THE AFFECTED PART TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN SERVICE, BUT THE FRAME IS ROTTEN. THE ENGINE, BODY AND INTERIOR ARE IN PERFECT CONDITION BUT THE FRAME.

FRAME HAS EXTREME AND RUSTING AND HAS BEEN REINFORCED BY WELDING NEW STEEL SUPPORT FRAMES

MY FRAME IS SERIOUSLY RUSTED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT MAKING MY VEHICLE UNSAFE. THERE IS RUST IN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS. I JUST VISITED A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED TO REINFORCE OR REPLACE THE FRAME. THE COST FOR REINFORCING THE FRAME IS OVER 5000 DOLLARS. THE VEHICLE IS IN GREAT SHAPE OTHER THAN THE FRAME AND I WAS HOPING TO DRIVE IT FOR AT LEAST A FEW MORE YEARS. YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES WITH OTHER TOYOTAS THAT HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE AND ARE BUILT UPON SIMILAR FRAMES MADE EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. THESE MODELS INCLUDE THE TACOMA, SEQUOIA, AND TUNDRA. IT IS MY OPINION THAT TOYOTA FAILED TO TREAT THEIR FRAMES PROPERLY AND THE DEALER FAILED TO TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO INFORM ME OF THE ISSUE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA WALLINGFORD (859 N COLONY RD, WALLINGFORD, CT 06492) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO BE DRIVEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,363.

EXTREME FRAME RUST. CAR IS LOW MILEAGE, WELL-KEPT, AND OUTWARDLY IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. RECENTLY SUFFERED NEAR-TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. TOWED IT TO SHOP FOR REPAIR. SHOP REFUSED TO REPAIR BRAKES. THEY SAID FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE RUST HAD EATEN AWAY THE POINT WHERE THE BRAKE LINES ATTACHED TO THE FRAME, AND BRAKE FUID WAS LEAKING FROM THAT JUNCTURE. THEY SAID IF THEY REMOVED THE BRAKE LINES TO REPLACE THEM, THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REATTACH THEM BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH GOOD FRAME METAL TO WORK WITH. THEY SAID THE FRAME RUST WAS SO SEVERE THAT THEY FEARED IT COULD BREAK CLEAN THROUGH, OR STEERING OR SUSPENSION PARTS COULD BREAK LOOSE. THEY DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUTTING WHAT THEY BELIEVED TO BE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE BACK ON THE ROAD. THEY ONLY REASON I DISCOVERED THIS WAS THAT THE RUST CAUSED MY BRAKES TO NEARLY FAIL. TOYOTA HAS HAD RECALLS AND LAWSUITS ON IDENTICAL ISSUES INVOLVING TACOMAS AND OTHER TRUCK-FRAMED VEHICLES. THE 4-RUNNER IS A TRUCK-FRAMED VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE PHOTOS THAT THE REPAIR SHOP SENT ME, BUT I CAN'T SEND THEM FFROM THIS COMPUTER.

REAR AXLE BADLY ROTTED. CAR HAS 66,000 MILES ON IT. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT WHICH IS APPARENTLY AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND SENSITIVE PROCESS. THE CORROSION SEEMS TO BE EXTRAORDINARILY PREMATURE AND DUE TO SUBSTANDARD FRAME MATERIALS AND TREATMENT OF SAME. ACTON TOYOTA HAD ALREADY WELDED IN A FRAME BAR 2-3 YEARS AGO. CALLED (800)331-4331 (TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING)SPOKE WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP (ANGIE) AND HER SUPERVISOR (MARIA) WHO STATED THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE FRAME EXPIRED IN 2006, THEY WERE CLEAR ABOUT TOYOTA'S POSITION THAT THEY WILL DO NOTHING W/O A FACTORY RECALL. THIS IS, APPARENTLY, NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE. HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/INV/2018/INBC-DP18002-73038.PDF HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2018/TOYOTA-4RUNNER-FRAME-RUST.SHTML HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2017/TOYOTA-RUSTED-FRAME-SETTLEMENT.SHTML HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2016/TOYOTA-TACOMA-RUSTED-FRAMES-LAWSUIT.SHTML