2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. WE PULLED OVER TO A VACANT PARKING LOT AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, BEFORE WE COULD GET OF THE CAR THE BACK WINDOW EXPLODED INTO LOTS OF SMALL PIECES. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT BECAUSE GLASSED LANDED IN THE BACK SEAT AS WELL AS THE PARKING LOT. WE NOTICED THAT THE DEFROST BUTTON WAS ON AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION. THE WEATHER WAS COOL AT APPROX. 47 DEGREES ON JANUARY 3, 2019 AROUND 8:45 PM. I DID GET THE GLASS REPLACED BY SAFELITE. THE WINDOW INSTALLER CONFIRMED THAT THE WIRES FOR THE DEFROSTER HAD MELTED. I DID CALL TOYOTA TO REPORT THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY SAID IT WAS BEYOND THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM DEADLINE OF APRIL 30, 2018. CLEARLY TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DID OFFER PRIOR TO APRIL 30, 2018 AN EXTENDED PROGRAM THAT WOULD HELP TO REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS WHOSE WINDOW EXPLODED. NO RECALLS WERE PROVIDED FOR POSSIBLE WINDOW EXPLOSIONS FOR 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNERS.

TURNING OUT OF PARKING LOT. REAR DEFROST WAS ON. STARTED SMELLING A "BURNING SMELL" AND SECONDS LATER MY REAR GLASS SHATTERED.

TURNING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AND HAD REAR DEFROSTER ON. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES SMELLED A "BURNING SMELL" AND SECONDS LATER MY BACK GLASS SHATTERED.

MY 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED HAS EXCESSIVE RUST CORROSION THROUGHOUT THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FRAME, SUSPENSION, BRAKES, WHEELS, EXHAUST SYSTEM AND BOLTS/BRACING. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT AXLES DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND A THIRD PARTY MECHANIC. WHILE DRIVING, THE SKID PLATE DETACHED FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND WAS DRAGGING BENEATH THE CAR AFTER THE METAL ON THE PLATE RUSTED OUT AROUND THE BOLTS. SIMILARLY, THE HEAT SHIELD DETACHED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER THE BOLTS RUSTED OUT. WHEN I REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES (PADS & DISCS), I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE BRAND NEW CALIPERS BECAUSE THE CURRENT CALIPERS WERE SO RUSTED AND SEIZED AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT REATTACH THEM. I HAVE CONTINUED TO USE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND THE CONSENSUS HAS BEEN AS FOLLOWS: SELL THE 4RUNNER BECAUSE IT IS EXCESSIVELY RUSTED WOULD BE A MONEY PIT TO REPAIR. CURRENTLY, THE DEALERSHIP HAS RECOMMENDED I REPLACE THE STEERING RACK AND PINION DUE TO LEAKS CAUSED BY RUST. MOREOVER, THE VEHICLE HAS DUEL EXHAUST LEAKS IN BOTH EXHAUST MANIFOLDS DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THE WORK BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE RUST. IT HAS COST ME THOUSANDS TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN, ALL OF WHICH IS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE RUST. THE SUSPENSION AND FRAME, INCLUDING THE SHOCKS, STRUTS, AND BOLTS ARE EXCESSIVELY RUSTED AND I HAVE BEEN URGED TO REPAIR OR SELL THE VEHICLE BY MULTIPLE MECHANICS AND DEALERSHIPS, THOUGH THE COST TO DO SO WOULD FAR EXCEED THE COST OF THE VEHICLE. ALL OF THE AFOREMENTIONED IS DETAILED IN PAPERWORK FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND SUPPLEMENTED BY PAPERWORK FROM THIRD PARTY MECHANICS HERE IN SAN DIEGO. THE VEHICLE HAS 90K MILES ON IT AND HAS FOLLOWED SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE METICULOUSLY.

TOOK MY 4RUNNER IN TO GET A NEW MUFFLER SINCE IT STARTED TO RUST OFF AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT AND HAS A FEW SMALL RUST HOLES THAT CAR WILL NOT BE GOOD FOR MUCH LONGER.

THE FRAME IS ABNORMALLY RUSTED TO THE POINT ON PERFERATION IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

STRUCTURAL - FRAME RUST. TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THE 4RUNNER DUE TO FRAME RUST EXPERIENCED ON THE TACOMA. ATTACHED ARE PICTURES OF UNDERBODY. THIS VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION AND I AM LOCATED IN CALIFORNIA WHERE LAWS ARE STRICT.

ST LAST YEAR, TOYOTA SETTLED A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT INVOLVING APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILLION TACOMA, TUNDRA AND SEQUOIA TRUCKS ALSO BUILT ON A FRAME1 ' TOYOTA AGREED TO INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FRAMES AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $3.4 BILLION. THIS CONFIRMS FRAME CORROSION IS A PROBLEM WELL-KNOWN TO TOYOTA AND THE PUBLIC.

2006 4RUNNER WITH 165K MILES WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST. I PURCHASED THIS BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER AND HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. THERE IS NO RUST ON THE BODY. THE RUST IS EXCESSIVE FOR OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES FROM OTHER MANUFACTURES. TOYOTA HAS REPLACED SIMILAR FRAMES ON THEIR TACOMA MODELS BUT HAVE DONE NOTHING FOR 2006 4RUNNER OWNERS.

REAR WINDOW EXPLODES AND SHATTERS SENDING GLASS PIECES AND RAZOR SHARP TINY GLASS SHARDS THROUGHOUT THE BACK COMPARTMENT WITH SOME PIECES MAKING IT TO THE BACK SEAT. SUSPECTED CAUSE IS RELATED TO USE OF THE REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER. OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH ON A HIGHWAY IN RAINY WEATHER. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AROUND 40F INSIDE TEMPERATURE AROUND 70F. LETTER TO TOYOTA ALONG WITH REPAIR INVOICES ARE ATTACHED TO THIS COMPLAINT.