2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR A SUSPENSION CHECK AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THE PASSANGER REAR FRAME COMPLETELY ROTTED.

THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO THE FRAME THAT SUPPORTS THE CAR IS RUSTED OUT WHERE THE STRUCTURE OF THE FRAME IS COMPROMISED AND THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. EVERY OTHER COMPONENT ON THE CAR IS IN VERY GOOD WORKING ORDER.

STEERING LOCKED UP DURING TURN INTO BUSY PARKING LOT SHEETZ STORE AND GAS STATION SAFELY STOPPED VEHICLE AFTER TROUBLE SHOOTING THE PROBLEM WE SPRAYED PENETRATING OIL ON LOWER STEERING SHAFT UNIVERSAL WE MOVED VEHICLE TO BE TOWED HOME WAITING FOR PARTS COMPLETE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY IF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS IS THE SECOND RUST PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD WITH TOYOTA NOTHING WAS EVER DONE WE LOST A 1997 TOYOTA T-100 IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO FRAME FAILURE.

2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH EXCESSIVE FRAME ROT ON REAR OF FRAME. REAR CONTROL ARM MOUNT IS COMPROMISED WITH EXTREME RUST PERFORATION. BUMP STOP OVER AXLE IS MISSING BECAUSE OF 2"-4" HOLE IN OUTER FRAME RAIL. CAR IS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

THE DEALER DISCOVERED SEVERE RUSTING AND A HOLE IN THE VEHICLE FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND SHOULD NOT BE RUSTING AND CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE AT THESE MILES AND VEHICLE AGE. TOYOTA WAS NOTIFIED AND SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. SINCE THESE VEHICLES SHARE THE SAME FRAME MANUFACTURER ISSUES AS THE PREVIOUS FRAME RECALLS FOR TUNDRA AND TACOMA VEHICLES, TOYOTA SHOULD DO A RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE FRAMES ON THE 4RUNNERS AS WELL.

THE FRAME ON MY 2003 4RUNNER HAS "PERFORATIONS" IN IT'S FRAME RAILS AND THE FRONT CROSS-MEMBER IS TOTALLY ROTTED AWAY...THIS HAS BEEN AND ISSUE WITH THESE SUVS FOR YEARS..THE TOYOTA TACOMA SHARES THE SAME FRAME/PLATFORM AS THE 4RUNNER AND HAS HAD SIMILAR ISSUES, WITH 1 DIFFERENCE TOYOTA HAS REPAIRED MANY OF THEM FREE OF CHARGE ,BUT HAS NOT EXTENDED THESE REPAIRS TO THE 4RUNNER...A $30,000 DOLLAR 12 YEAR OLD SUV SHOULDN'T HAVE A ROTTED FRAME. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID "FRONT CROSSMEMBER IS ROTTED OFF. ONLY BE HELD BY FROTN SKID PLATE. FOUND A HOLE IN FRAME RAIL DRIVERS SIDE BY FUEL TANK." I WAS THEN TOLD I WOULD BE INFORMED WHEN A TOYOTA USA ENGINEER WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I WAS CALLED ABOUT A WEEK LATER AND TOLD THE ENGINEER REFUSED TO LOOK AT IT AND WOULD NOT BE HELPING ME WITH THIS MATTER..I THEN CALLED TOYOTA USA AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS GOING ON (I HAVE A CASE # THEY GAVE ME) , THEY TOLD ME TO EXPECT A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP (WHERE THE SUV WAS PURCHASED & WHERE THE FRAME WAS INSPECTED) IN 2 DAYS..THAT CALL NEVER CAME....

ROTTING OUT FRAME WITH GAPING HOLES. THERE ARE SEVERAL LARGE HOLES IN THE FRAME, AND ALONG THE WELD LINES AND SOFT SPOTS LEADING TO MORE AS WELL. UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND NOW OFF THE ROAD (I AM NOW WITHOUT A CAR OR VALUE FOR TRADE IN). APPARENTLY, ACCORDING TO 3 SEPARATE MECHANICS I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO, IT RESEMBLES THE TACOMA ROTTING THAT LED TO RECALL (THAT I HAD NEVER KNOWN ABOUT). ACCORDING TO LAST MECHANIC WHO I WAS GOING TO GET A QUOTE FOR REPAIR SAID THE WHOLE FRAME IS ROTTED, SOFT SPOTS IN SEVERAL OTHER AREAS, AND IT IS A MATTER OF TIME AND NOT WORTH FIXING. I HAVE CALLED TOYOTA TWICE AND THEY BASICALLY SAID "TO BAD FOR YOU". NOTHING THEY ARE GOING TO DO. I'VE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF MY CAR, BOUGHT IT NEW AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY DRIVER. PLANNED ON ANOTHER COUPLE YEARS AT LEAST. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA AND LUCKY THAT I WAS IN GET TO AN INSPECTION STICKER AS I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN. I IMAGINE COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS TO MYSELF AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC HADN'T I BEEN MADE AWARE....UPDATED 07/30/15 *BF UPDATED 9/24/15 *JS

UPON STARTING VEHICLE, GAS GAUGE AND TACHOMETER DID NOT WORK. TURNED IGNITION OFF THEN RESTARTED AND GAS GAUGE FLUCTUATED AND FINALLY RESPONDED, BUT NO RESPONSE FROM TACHOMETER. AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE WITH AIR ON, STOPPED AT STORE THEN STARTED VEHICLE AND ALL GAUGES WORKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED QUITE OFTEN SINCE IT IS GETTING WARM. I HAVE READ BLOGS WHERE OTHER OWNERS OF THE SPORT MODEL ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE CLUSTER FAILING. SOME HAVE TRIED TO GET REPAIRED AND THAT'S A 50/50 SHOT. THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE IS TO REPLACE CLUSTER AT $300.00 USED WITHOUT LABOR AND AN EXTRA FEE OF $100.00 TO CALIBRATE MILEAGE. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF ISSUE, BUT FAILS TO RESPOND.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR UNKNOWN REPAIRS, THE TECHNICIAN FOUND EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE REAR FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 187,000.

NO FAILURE. FLAME IS RUSTED THROUGH IN PARTS AND VEHICLE DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY DEALERSHIP DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. FAILURE IS IMMINENT AND COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. TOYOTA FACTORY PERSONNEL HANDLING COMPLAINTS ACKNOWLEDGED THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH A RUSTED FRAME, BUT INSISTED THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING. FRAME IS SAME/SIMILAR TO THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA VEHICLES OF LIKE MODEL YEAR, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE HAD MANUFACTURER RECALLS. NO FACTORY SUPPORT EXISTS FOR THE 4RUNNER. I AM TO KEEP MY RECEIPT FOR ANY REPAIRS AND IF A RECALL HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE, TOYOTA WOULD "CONSIDER" REIMBURSING ME FOR COSTS. *TR