2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

While towing a 16' utility trailer using the 2" ball on a Switch Ball #42178, the ball separated from the shank. I was driving my 2007 Toyota 4Runner traveling on the highway at about 60mph at the time. Fortunately the safety chains did their job and prevented the trailer from completely disconnecting from the vehicle. Upon stopping my vehicle several hundred feet after separation, I found the 2" ball still locked and secured inside of the trailer's coupler, and the shank still securely attached to my vehicle. As a result my rear bumper is now heavily damaged from the trailer contacting it after uncoupling from the vehicle. I'm glad nobody was hurt or killed as a result of this incident. If the safety chains had not done their job, the unattached trailer could have caused serious damage, injury, and/or death. This incident could have also resulted in losing control of my vehicle, which thankfully I did not. This Switch Ball #42178 was purchased in September of 2022 and this was the first time I've used it. At the time of the incident I had towed the trailer approximately 75 miles. I have a background in selling and installing utility trailers and towing accessories. I'm confident the product was installed and used as directed. I contacted Curt Manufacturing with the above concerns. At their request I shipped the trailer ball to them for inspection. They have denied any responsibility stating their product did not fail. They have blamed the incident on "user error". I'm happy to share all communication with the NHTSA. I am including pictures of the damage to my bumper which was caused by the trailer after the Curt ball became disconnected from it's mating shank. I can share more about my assessment of why this failure occurred upon request.

My control arm ripped completely off my fram on the passenger side due to excessive rust putting me and my family and any one else on the road at risk of something catastrophic.

Corrosion of pistons in front brake calipers results in an increase in braking stopping distance. Everytime the front brake pads are replaced the same issue is encountered, defect has taken place three times. In the four piston brake caliper the inside pistons on both the left and right caliper are frozen in place . The brake pads on the outside position have twice as much wear as the inside pads. This is an indication of uneven braking leading to increased stopping distance . Toyota maintains , there is not a problem, yet in forums on the web there are many experiences with owners having the same problem , resulting in costly repair bills. There is no warning of reduced braking efficiency .

The vehicle headlights have failed on multiple occasions. The cause of the failures was ingress of water into the sealed headlamp assembly. The problem was reported to Toyota. Toyota took no action regarding the reports. The entire headlight assembly was replaced three (3) times at our expense. The problem persists. Attached is a photograph of the second (replaced) clearly showing water inside the headlight assembly. The current (most recent replacement) has also experienced water ingress and is available for inspection. The subject vehicle was inspected by three different body shops (two if which are authorized Toyota shops). It was confirmed by all three shops that there is no vehicle design feature that could cause water ingress in the headlamp assembly. This is a serious safety issue and has been brought to Toyota's attention with no response.

The frame is corroded and rusted to the point that it’s not safe to drive. This was discovered by our service technician when we had the vehicle inspected for a rattling noise in the rear. I reached out to Toyota and was told that no problems are available regarding this issue. I have maintained my 4Runner meticulously and timely since I purchased brand new. There is no rust on the body, just the frame.

My 2006 4Runner Toyota frame is rusted and falling into pieces. From the rear especially and underneath. I’m scared if someone rear ends me that the impact could be life threatening due to the frame falling to pieces as I drive and the vehicle sits.

My car is a 2006 Toyota 4Runner. This past summer I had a tire leaking and took it to the garage for repair. The mechanic stated that the frame is rusting out in the front right, tire rod area, and saw a pinhole. Last week I took the vehicle to get a transmission oil change. That mechanic saw that there's more rust that is spreading throughout the entire frame, worse than the area found from just a few months ago. I learned online that Toyota had purposely used cheap steel for the frame and had replaced the same frame used on other trucks such as the Tacoma and Highlander but is refusing to replace the 4Runner. These rusted out frames are affecting many 4Runners. I have a 1964 Cadillac and that frame is in better condition than the 4Runner. I'm forced to pay $15,000 to replace the frame or salvage my car. It shouldn't have come to this, especially when the same frame that was replace on other trucks isn't being replaced for mine.

My 17 year old son was parked and when he turned off the defrost the rear hatchback glass shattered. This scared him a lot as we do not know what happened and thankfully he was parked not driving. This is a safety and potentially dangerous issue. We purchased this used vehicle and had Toyota thoroughly inspect and update and upgrade anything he needed and they never told us this was an issue. We researched it online and it has been an issue. This should have been addressed and recalled. I brought in vehicle so that they can fix it and they are saying they won’t even though it’s their equipment defect.

The frame of the vehicle was corroding as if it was not sealed effectively. The frame rotted to point where vehicle began swaying on road and during mechanic check the frame bent when vehicle placed on a lift. I am original owner of vehicle and took the vehicle to local Toyota dealership for ALL scheduled maintenance. The Toyota dealer mechanics NEVER reported signs of corroding frame damage in the vehicle bumper to bumper checks during my scheduled maintenance appointments. I was never informed of any signs of rotting or corroding on the frame.

Under carriage and frame rust due to bad frames that caused a recall on other Toyota models that were settled, but not the 4 Runner.