2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

MY 4-RUNNER IS IN GREAT SHAPE WITHOUT ANY BODY RUST, NICE INTERIOR , MOTOR DOESN'T USE OIL ETC. I TOOK TO MECHANIC FOR PA ANNUAL INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD IT WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE HOME. THE FRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT , THE REAR STABILIZERS ARE UNATTACHED, THE FROM LEFT WHEEL IS READY TO FALL OFF. THE HITCH ON THE BACK FOR PULLING TRAILERS IS READY TO FALL OFF. I NOTICED IN THE PAST WEEK THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE RIGHT( NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE ) AND STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHIMMY STARTING AT 50 M.P.H. AND BRAKING.

FRAME IS ROTTING AWAY, AND IT IS STARTING TO CAUSE CONCERNS REGARDING THE SAFETY OF THE FRAME AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER, WHO DOCUMENTED THE FRAME IS STARTING TO GET WEAK/SOFT AND JEOPARDIZING THE INTEGRITY AND SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE.

I OWN A 200Y TOYOTA 4RUNNER, 4X4 4.0 V6 TRUCK, AND DURING THE SPRING TIME I BEGAN TO NOTICE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RUST SCALE FALLING FROM MY TRUCK OVER NIGHT. I JUST THOUGHT THIS WAS SURFACE RUST/PAINT FALLING OFF, CONTINUED TO DRIVE FOR A WEEK AND BEGAN TO HEAR CREAKING NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I TOO A LOOK UNDERNEATH AND SAW THAT THE RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT IS ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH AND THE FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FROM THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT BACK TO BEHIND THE CENTER OF THE AXLE IS RUSTED THROUGH COMPLETELY. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND FOUND NONE FOR MY MODEL BUT DID FOR SIMILAR YEAR TUNDRA, SEQUOIA, AND THE TACOMA WHICH IS A SHARED DESIGN WITH MY 4RUNNER. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN WAITING FOR A FRAME REPAIR AT A AFTERMARKET BODY SHOP FOR OVER 4 MONTHS. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE AND RECEIVED NO HELP. I RECENTLY SEARCHED HOPING TO FIND NEW INFORMATION AND FOUND THAT THE NHTSA HAS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION ON THE FRAME RUST ISSUE. I AM WRITING THIS TO LET YOU KNOW THIS IS A REAL ISSUE AND NEEDS A FRAME REPLACEMENT RECALL. A 2006 MODEL YEAR TRUCK SHOULD NOT NEED A FRAME REPAIR FROM RUST AFTER 12 YEARS OF EXISTENCE AND I BELIEVE TOYOTA IS NEGLIGENT IN RECALLING ALL OTHER TRUCK BASED VEHICLES FOR FRAME RUST WHILE TRYING TO CHEAP OUT AND EXCLUDE THE 4RUNNER. DUE TO VEHICLE BEING IN SHOP I DO NOT HAVE PICTURES, BUT I CAN GET THEM IF NEEDED AND ALSO TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE SHOULD HAVE THE RECORD OF ME CONTACTING THEM AND SENDING IN PICTURES EARLIER THIS YEAR. THANK YOU! 1804271716 IS THE TOYOTA CARE CASE NUMBER.

WHEN TAKING MY VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC FOR A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS AND TURNING AND FEELING VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVING. MY MECHANIC STATES THAT THERE IS EXTENSIVE AND PERVASIVE RUST AND CORROSION ON MAIN STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, SPECIFICALLY ON THE FRAME AND FRAME MOUNTING POINTS, THAT IS DANGEROUS AS IT IS AFFECTING OTHER WORKING PARTS OF THE VEHICLE AND COULD CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I WAS SHOWN THE EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST AND CORROSION ON THE LADDER FRAME AND FRAME ASSEMBLY. THE FRAME IN ITS ENTIRETY IS EXTENSIVELY CORRODED AND AREAS WHERE BOLTS MOUNT PARTS TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAVE CORRODED AND CAUSED PARTS TO FAIL AND LITERALLY HANG OFF CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT REQUIRES THE FRAME ITSELF TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THESE OTHER PARTS TO BE REMOVED OR REPLACED. THIS IS ABNORMAL FOR ANY VEHICLE AND IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AS THE FRAME IS THE MAIN STRUCTURAL COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE. CONTINUING TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITH THE FRAME IN THE CONDITION IT IS IN IS HAZARDOUS. TOYOTA RECALLED OTHER VEHICLES WITH THIS FRAME TYPE I.E., SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA MODELS FROM THE SAME YEARS OF PRODUCTION AS THIS 4RUNNER FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM OF EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION THAT COULD CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THESE VEHICLES USE THE SAME FRAME AND SAME ASSEMBLY PROCESSES FOR PREVENTING RUST AND CORROSION AND AFTER YOUR INVESTIGATION THE FRAME AND FRAME COMPONENTS OF THESE VEHICLES WERE FOUND BY YOUR ORGANIZATION TO BE WORTHY OF A COMPLETE RECALL.

EXCESSIVE RUST DAMAGE TO FRAME, GOT FIXED FOR LAST YEAR INSPECTION AND MORE PROBLEMS OCCURED THIS YEAR. VEHICLE OTHER WISE IN GOOD SHAPE, DISAPPOINTING TO GET RID OF IT. COULD CASE HAZARD DUE TO WELD OF CROSS MEMBER DEVELOPING HOLE.

VEHICLE FRAME IS RUSTING FASTER THAN NORMAL. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MANY SUSPENSION PARTS, WELDED FRONT ALIGNMENT TABS TO KEEP VEHICLE IN LINE, REPLACED VEHICLE SUSPENSION BUT UNSURE HOW LONG THIS WILL LAST DUE TO FRAME STILL FLAKING. TOYOTA DEALER STATES THAT THE RUST IS SEVERE AND WHEN I HAD MY REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS REPLACED, STATED THAT THE MOUNT BRACKET WAS VERY THIN AND CAUSING MOVEMENT IN THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE.

RUSTED FRAME - WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT FRONT CONTROL ARM BROKE FREE FROM THE SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME. THANK GOD THE DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED. THE REPAIR WILL REQUIRE WELDING TO THE FRAME TO SUPPORT A NEW CONTROL ARM. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. HAD THIS HAPPENED A HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. UNACCEPTABLE! I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER BUT WILL NOT BE CONDUCTING ANY REPAIRS UNTIL TOYOTA'S SERVICE MANAGER RESPONDS TO MY QUESTIONS REGARDING RECALLS ON FRAMES. THE NTSB HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO REVIEW AND IF NECESSARY, BASED ON MY ANALYSIS, EXTEND THE RECALL TO THESE VEHICLES AS WELL. SAME FRAME AS TACOMA WHICH IS ALREADY RECALLED.

THE FRAME OF MY 4RUNNER IS EXCESSIVELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. IT IS FLAKING OFF IN BIG PIECES FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME AS WELL AS THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME. IN A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS, IT HAS CORRODED SO MUCH THAT THERE IS A 1.5" DIAMETER HOLE IN THE FRAME. OTHER AREAS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT STRUCTURALLY AND FOR SUSPENSION, HAS SEVERE RUST AND I'M WORRIED THAT THOSE AREAS WILL CRACK AND CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL WHILE DRIVING.

EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME AND UNDERBODY COMPONENTS OF MY VEHICLE. MY FEAR IS THAT THIS RUST WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO FAILURE OF KEY FRAME STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS.

THE FRAME IS COMPLETELY COVERED IN RUST CAUSING CONSTANT REPAIRS TO BE MADE. MULTIPLE MECHANICS THINK I SHOULD GET RID OF IT AND BELIEVE PROBLEMS WILL KEEP COMING UP. UNSURE IF VEHICLE WILL BE SAFE TO DRIVE FOR MUCH LONGER.