2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE. WHEN I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE LURCHED TO ONE SIDE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CROSS INTO THE OTHER LANE. WHEN I APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN, THE VEHICLE LURCHED IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, REQUIRING ME TO APPLY CORRECTIVE ACTION TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. UPON INSPECTION, THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SUSPENSION LINK SUPPORT HAD MOSTLY SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME DUE TO RUST. I CAN BEND IT BACK AND FORTH WITH MY HAND. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY A HIGHWAY SPEED.

MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ONLY HAS 79,000 MILES ON IT AND THE FRAME HAS PREMATURELY RUSTED WITH LARGE HOLES THROUGHOUT. THE COUPLING BETWEEN THE STEERING SHAFT AND THE RACK AND PINION IS COMPLETELY ROTTED. THE STEERING SHAFT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING FAULTY STEERING. MY MECHANIC HAS DEEMED THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

FRAME IS VERY RUSTED AND I FEEL IT MAY BECOMING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I RECENTLY HAD A RECALL ON MY 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA DUE TO RUST AND THE FRAME WAS REPLACED. MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS MORE RUST THAN THE TACOMA DID AND WOULD EXPECT THAT IT SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED AS WAS THE TACOMA FOR THE EXTENSIVE RUST.

VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE RUST AND HOLES IN THE FRAME, WHILE ONLY HAVING ABOUT 100,000 MILES.

FRAME RUSTED RECALL : I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS 4RUNNER AND I AM TOLD THAT I CANNOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THE FRAME IS RUSTED OUT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF AREAS OF THE FRAME THAT HAS HOLES RUSTED OUT AND I FEEL THE SAFTEY OF THE VEHICLE IS VERY MUCH JEOPARDISED NOW AND TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE FRAME OR GIVE A CREDIT TOWARDS A NEW TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT. I CAN UPLOAD PICTURES OF MY FRAME IF NECESSARY. I CREATED A TOYOTA CUSTOMER COMPLIANT RECORD A FEW YEARS AGO AND WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA REJECTED BEING RESPONSIBLE. SEEMS VERY UNFAIR THAT TOYOTA IS REPLACING FRAMES FROM TACOMAS, TUNDRAS AND SEQUIOAS AROUND THE SAME YEAR AS MY 4RUNNER AND THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MY 4RUNNER AND ANYONE ELSE'S AS WELL.. I CAN PROVIDE THIS TOYOTA COMPLIANT # IF NEEDED.

EXTREME RUST/ROT THROUGHOUT MY 2003 4RUNNER FRAME. THE BODY, INTERIOR, POWERTRAIN ARE 8.5 OUT OF 10 THE FRAME IS A 0 I LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND AND RECENTLY PURCHASED THE 03 4RUNNER SR5 BASED OFF IT LOOKS. I DROVE THE 4RUNNER OF ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. I WAS DRIVING ON A TYPICAL NEW ENGLAND ROAD, FAIRLY SMOOTH WITH POT HOLES HERE AND THERE GOING APPROXIMATELY 45 M.P.H.. WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE 4RUNNER SENT THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK HARD LEFT AND THE REAR OF THE TRUCK TO THE RIGHT. THE TIRES WERE SCREECHING AND I WAS SENT SIDEWAYS INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC NARROWING MISSING CARS AND PEDESTRIANS IN THE AREA. I GOT THE TRUCK TO "CRAB WALK" BACK ACROSS THE ROAD INTO A PARKING OUT AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. WHEN WE GOT THE TRUCK HOME THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND I TOOK A LOOK UNDER THE TRUCK TO SEE WHAT WENT WRONG. THE RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM MOUNT HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. WITH THE TRUCK ON THTHE GROUND I WAS ABLE TO ROLL THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL FORWARD AND BACKWARDS ABOUT 5 INCHES WITHOUT THE VEHICLE MOVING AT ALL. I THEN GOT UNDER THE TRUCK AND SAW THAT THE CROSS MEMBER UNDER THE TRANSMISSION HAD RUSTED AWAY AND AND WHAT NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE TRUCK. ALSO I COULD PUSH HOLES IN THE THE FRAME WITH MY FINGERS AROUND THE DRIVER/ FRONT PASSENGER DOORS. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE 4RUNNER SINCE AND I DONT HAVE 8K+ TO PAY A SHOP TO REPLACE A FRAME. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF ITS CUSTOMERS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED

CAR WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY. BRAKES WERE SERVICES 6 MONTHS AGO. TRAVELED FROM NC TO FL FOR HOLIDAY. STARTED CAR MAINTENANCE LIGHT WENT ON SHOWED AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WITH EAR PIERCING BUZZER. WENT TO DRIVE CAR TO TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HAD NO BRAKES. THEY WOULD WORK SLIGHTLY BUT TO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. DID NOT HAVE BRAKES

I PURCHASED MY 2003 4RUNNER BRAND NEW. THE VEHICLE HAS 70,000 ORIGINAL MILES. NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. THE TRUCK IS GARAGED. ALWAYS MAINTAINED BY TOYOTA. NOT A SCRATCH ON THE TRUCK. INTERIOR LOOKS BRAND NEW. HOWEVER THE FRAME HAS EXCESSIVE RUST. FOUND A FEW SPOTS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THE RUST PROBLEMS

I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR MANY YEARS AND I "KNOW" IT. I NOTICED THAT HE STEERING WHEEL HAD A VIBRATION ALBEIT SLIGHT, THIS WAS SOMETHING NEW AS WELL AS A NOISE I COULD HEAR UNDER THE CAR. I BROUGHT IT HOME COMPLAINED TO MY HUSBAND - HE LOOKED UNDER THE CAR & WAS APPALLED - THE FRAME IS SO RUSTED HE WAS ABLE TO STICK HIS FINGER THROUGH THE FAILING FRAME! I AM AFRAID THIS VEHICLE WILL KILL ME! WHAT IF IT DECIDES TO COMPLETELY BREAK AT AN AXLE OR PART OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. DO I DRIVE IT AND TAKE THE CHANCE OF GETTING HURT OR KILLED BEFORE SOMEONE WILL ORDER A RECALL. WE CAN SEND PHOTOS IF NECESSARY AS THIS WILL MOST CERTAINLY ADD VALIDITY TO THE CONCERN.

CURRENTLY THE FRAME RUST IS VERY SEVERE AND IS GETTING TO THE POINT THAT I AM BECOMING HESISITANT TO HAVE IT OUT ON THE ROAD. THERE ARE AREAS AROUND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS AND AXLES THAT ARE VERY RUSTED WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO CASUALTIES IF THE MOUNTS WERE TO FAIL.