2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

HEAVILY RUSTED AREAS ON THE FRAME ON MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. VEHICLE IS GARAGE KEPT AND ROUTINELY MAINTAINED.

SCHEDULED VEHICLE FOR REGULAR INSPECTION. TOYOTA REP ADVISED SUBSTANTIAL ROT ON FRAME, REAR PASSENGER SIDE. DID NOT PASS INSPECTION. REP ADVISED THAT NO CURRENT REMEDIES/RECALLS IN PLACE. REP SUGGESTED TO TRADE IT IN. 153000 MILES, ENGINE/TRANSMISSION EXCELLENT CONDITION. FRAME WASHED AND TREATED W/ RUST PREVENTION 2X A YEAR. UNACCEPTABLE STRUCTURAL PROBLEM, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH NO REMEDY FROM TOYOTA.

OWNER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE IN A CITY AT 10 MPH WHEN ABS, VSC, TRAC AND EBRAKE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH AN ALARM SOUND. BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED AND WOULD NOT RESPOND ON SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. MANAGED TO SLOW CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING BY PRESSING EBRAKE AND PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL. TOWED TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER COMPLETELY FAILED AND BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY. QUOTED $3100 FOR REPAIR. BASED ON SOME INTERNET SEARCHING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON ISSUE ON THIS MODEL/YEAR. DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT PROVIDED SOME FIX FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH COULD PROVE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.

DRIVING 45 MPH IN A 45 MPH ZONE ON CITY STREET WHEN A PICKUP TRUCK FAILED TO YIELD RIGHT-OF-WAY AND PULLED IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF 4RUNNER. ALMOST ZERO TIME FOR BREAKING. 4RUNNER HIT PICKUP TRUCK BEHIND DRIVER'S DOOR AT NEARLY 45 MPH. THE TRUCK WAS WAS MOVING RIGHT TO LEFT. FRONT END OF 4RUNNER SEVERELY DAMAGED AND FRAME WAS BENT. 4RUNNER BUMPER MOUNTS JUST BELOW AIRBAG SENSORS WERE BROKEN OFF. AIRBAGS ON 4RUNNER DID NOT ACTIVATE. 4RUNNER DRIVER HAS SEVERE CONCUSSION AND OTHER INJURIES. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED BY THE PICKUP TRUCK DRIVER'S INSURANCE CARRIER. THE SAFETY ISSUE TOO FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY IN A SEVERE FRONTAL COLLISION...UPDATED 11/12/15 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAD EXCESSIVE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE SERVICED, BUT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE CORROSION ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000. .....UPDATED 12/08/15 *BF *JS

THE FRAME ON MY 4 RUNNER ROTTED SO BADLY IT WAS UNSAFE AND NOT REPAIRABLE. I TOOK VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE BRAKES WORKED ON. WHEN THEY PUT IT UP ON THE RACK, THEY ASKED ME TO COME BACK AND LOOK AT IT. THE FRAME WAS ROTTEN WITH RUST. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, NOT PRACTICAL TO REPAIR, AND COULD ONLY BE SOLD FOR PARTS. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAD 65,257 MILES ON IT. THE FRAME WAS RUSTED SO BAD THAT THE SERVICE MAN TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT HE COULD POKE A SCREWDRIVER RIGHT THROUGH IT. LARGE RUSTY CHUNKS WERE FALLING RIGHT OFF OF THE FRAME. THERE ARE TWO STEEL U PIECES WELDED, ONE ON EITHER SIDE, TO THE FRONT OF THE FRAME FOR TOWING PURPOSES. ONE OF THESE WAS HANGING DOWN BY A RUSTY THREAD. I LATER PULLED ON IT WITH MY HAND AND IT CAME RIGHT OFF WITH A BUNCH OF SCALY RUST FLAKES. I HAVE SAVED IT AS EVIDENCE OF HOW BADLY THE FRAME HAD DISINTEGRATED. THE DEALER WOULD ONLY ALLOW ME $100 ON A TRADE IN, BUT I DID AS I HAD TO HAVE A VEHICLE TO DRIVE. I FELT VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE FRAME DID NOT BREAK UP WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AS I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! MY WORKING CAREER HAS BEEN AS AN ENGINEER AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH METALS AND CORROSION, BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN STEEL THIS PRONE TO ROTTING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE THREE LARGE HOLES IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

2003 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER WAS BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015 TO INSPECT THE FRAME RUST. THE RUST WAS VERIFIED BY THE DEALER, AND WAS SENT ON MY WAY, WITH NO WARNING THAT IT WAS UNSAFE. MONDAY AUGUST 31, 2015, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FRAME FAILURE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THE DRIVER SIDE REAR CONTROL ARM MOUNT BROKE FREE FROM THE FRAME AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE REAREND STARTED TO SHAKE, WOBBLE AND VIBRATE AND WAS IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD. TALKED TO DEALER, NO RECALLS ON SAID VEHICLE. TALKED TO TOYOTA CORPORATE, THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. TACOMA'S AND TUNDRA'S HAVE A RECALL, BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED HERE ON JULY 5, 2015.

MY VEHICLE HAS SEVERE FRAME RUST AND ROT. PART OF FRAME AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR HAS HOLES IN IT AND IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. IT WAS DRIVEN PRIMARILY IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA.