2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

I TOOK MY 2003 4RUNNER IN FOR ITS ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME MY CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DO TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND CORROSION ON THE FRAME. MY VEHICLE IS IN PERFECT VISUAL CONDITION. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.

THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE IS SUFFERING FROM EXTREME AND PREMATURE CORROSION AND RUSTING. THERE IS SIGNIFIANT ROTTING DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION ON PARTS OF THE FRAME. ALTHOUGH NO INCIDENT HAS YET TO OCCUR, I FEAR AN UNSAFE INCIDENT COULD OCCUR WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE CORROSION AND RUST OF THE VEHICLE'S FRAME.

TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE WORK DONE ON THE STRUTS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME UNDERNEATH IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, BUT TOYOTA STILL REFUSES TO REPLACE THE FRAMES OR ADDRESS THE ISSUE IN ANY WAY, DESPITE HAVING ISSUED A RECALL FOR OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *LN *DL

ABS PROBLEM DISABLES BRAKES FUNCTION. WHILE DRIVING THE DASH ALERTS LIGHTS (VSC TRACK, ABS AND BRAKES ) WENT ON. THANKS GOD THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT A VERY LOW SPEED AND IN A FLAT TERRAIN. A TOYOTA EX-EMPLOYEE TOLD US THAT THE COMPANY BECAME AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO. NO SECURITY ALERT WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, A COMPANY BULLETIN DESCRIBED THE ABS MALFUNCTION AND OFFERED REPLACEMENT TO THOSE WHO REQUESTED IT. THIS OFFER IS NO LONGER OFFERED. I WENT TO A TOYOTA DEALER AND THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS 3622.41 FOR SERVICE AND PARTS. AT PRESENT THE UNIT IS OUT OF SERVICE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND BOUGHT THIS UNIT IN MARCH 1, 2003. IT HAS 58,239 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN THE UNIT FOR SERVICE WHENEVER A RECALL HAS BEEN MADE FOR THIS VEHICLE. TOYOTA COMPANY HAS NEVER ALERTED ME ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BRAKE MALFUNCTION AND THE SECURITY RISK THAT THIS PROBLEM INVOLVES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRAME BECAME SEVERELY RUSTED AND CORRODED OVER THE PERIOD OF TWO YEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC MADE A SERIES OF REPAIRS FOR THE FOLLOWING FAILURES: THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS RUSTED, THE TOW HOOKS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE, THE MUFFLER DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE, AND THE FRAME FRACTURED INTO PIECES UPON THE CONTACT'S INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERIES OF FAILURES OCCURED DUE TO THE SEVERE RUST AND CORROSION OF THE FRAME. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

FRAME AND UNDERCARRIAGE RUST. ROTTED BOLTS AFFECTING ABILITY TO HAVE COMPLETE ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. FAILED WHEEL BEARINGS CAUSING LOUD ROTATIONAL FRICTION SOUNDS WHILE IN MOTION. RUSTED EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSING FAILURE AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT.

MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SPORT HAS EXPERIENCED EXTREME, AND DANGEROUS, LEVELS OF RUST ON THE FRAME CROSS BARS, DESPITE BEING WASHED REGULARLY. THE RUST APPEARS TO BE ORIGINATING FROM INSIDE THE SUPPORTS, AND I WAS ADVISED BY A TOYOTA DEALER MECHANIC THAT THE RUST COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO COMPLETE FRAME FAILURE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. AT THIS POINT, SIZABLE AREAS HAVE RUSTED THROUGH ENTIRELY. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA, AND THEY HAVE REGULARLY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS ANY PROBLEM WITH THE FRAME.

03 4RUNNER HAS EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST NEAR REAR WHEEL AREA AND FRONT RADIATOR MOUNT.

MY VEHICLE ALTHOUGH IN PERFECT VISUAL CONDITION HAS EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN AS IT COULD BE HAZARDOUS. THE CAR IS IN GREAT SHAPE WITH NO RUST ON ANY OTHER PART OF THE CAR ASIDE FROM THE FRAME FLAKING AWAY

THE FRAME ON THE 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FRAME RUST. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE AND IT IS BELIEVED TO BE A DESIGN FLAW BY TOYOTA. DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST, THERE IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.