1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

ON DECEMBER 31, 2014 WE WERE DRIVING IN HILLSBORO, OH AND NOTICED A POPPING AND CRACKING NOISE UPON STOPPING AND ACCELERATING. ON THE WAY HOME, WE NOTICED THAT THE NOISE SUBSIDED. ON JANUARY 1, 2015, WENT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE JUST OUTSIDE OUR CORPORATION LIMIT AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SWAYING BACK AND FORTH LIKE A BOAT OUT ON THE WATER, AND THOUGHT IT WAS JUST CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE WIND. ON JANUARY 2, 2015 WE WERE TRAVELLING ON US 35 TOWARDS CHILLICOTHE, OH AND HIT A RIPPLE IN THE ROAD AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE STARTED SWAYING VIOLENTLY AT ABOUT 45 MPH. WE PULLED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND THOUGHT IT WAS IN THE FRONT END AND COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. WE TOOK OFF AGAIN AND IT DID THE SAME THING AT ABOUT THE SAME SPEED AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO GUSWEILER TOYOTA IN WASHINGTON C.H. OH APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES AWAY. A TECHNICIAN INFORMED US THAT THE FRAME WAS BROKEN WHERE THE LEFT REAR TORTION BAR HOOKS TO THE FRAME. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAS CRACKS ALL THROUGH IT. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER 2013 FROM A USED CAR DEALER WHO BOUGHT IT FROM JOSEPH AIRPORT TOYOTA IN DAYTON OH. TO DATE WE ONLY PUT 5,169 MILES ON IT AND IT HAS BEEN JUST SITTING EVER SINCE.

I RECENTLY BOUGHT MY 1996 4RUNNER AT THE BEGINNING OF 2015. THERE WAS SOME RUST ON THE FRAME BUT NO NOTICEABLE DAMAGE FROM THE OUTSIDE. NOW, SIX MONTHS LATER I HAD IT LOOKED AT BECAUSE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BECAME INCREASINGLY LOUD. THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE FRAME WHILE LOOKING AT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND HE FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAD ROTTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. HE RECOMMENDED I DO NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE AS IT IS UNSAFE. HE SAID HE WOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO REPAIR DAMAGE SUCH AS MY 4RUNNER HAS. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 166,000 MILES ON IT. THERE IS NO REASON THE FRAME SHOULD BE AS DAMAGED AS IT IS OR TO HAVE IT RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

AS I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE BECAME SEVERELY POOR HANDLING. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS REALIZED THAT THE MOUNTING FLANGE FOR THE RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM AND FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND THE CONTROL ARM WAS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE FRAME. *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AND HIT A POTHOLE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION THE FRAME HAD BROKE INTO BECAUSE IT WAS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH MY SON IN THE CAR WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE TRUCK AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED WITH A LOSS OF CONTROL. LUCKILY IT WAS IN THE AFTERNOON AND RUSH HOUR HAD YET TO HIT SO THE NEAREST CARS/TRUCKS WERE ABLE TO AVOID ME. I LIMPED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK ONLY TO SEE THAT THE FRAME RAIL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD COMPLETELY SNAPPED IN HALF. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT HAD CLEARLY RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I HAVE KEPT THE TRUCK IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, REGULAR MAINTENANCE, ETC AND EVEN CHECKED FOR RUST SINCE I KNEW THIS WAS AN ISSUE. HOWEVER SINCE IT RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, I HAD NEVER EVEN NOTICED. GOT IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO WOULD PROCEED TO INFORM ME THAT THE ONLY FIX FOR IT WAS A NEW FRAME. PERFECT 4RUNNER, LOW MILES, WITH EXCELLENT CARE TAKEN TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD LAST 300K, AND NOW ITS WORTH LESS THAN A ROTTEN BANANA. TALK ABOUT A PUNCH TO THE FACE. IM JUST THANKFUL MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT HURT IN THIS MESS. I'VE READ ABOUT THE CONSTANT RUST ISSUES WITH THESE TRUCKS AND I PRAY THAT IT DOESN'T HURT AN ENTIRE FAMILY SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE OTHER THAN THEIR WALLET. *TR

I WAS PULLING A U HAUL TRAILER AS I HAVE DONE MANY TIMES, BUT THIS TIME I NOTICED THE TRAILER WANTED TO SWAY AT 40-55 MPH. WHEN I RETURNED THE TRAILER I THEN NOTICES THE TRUCK HANDLING BADLY, AT 65MPH IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP IT IN MY LANE AS IT WAS ROCKING SIMILAR TO HAVING A BROKEN STRUT. I GOT THE TRUCK HOME AND CALLED UNDER IT AND THAT'S WHEN I SAW THE MOUNT FOR THE LOWER RIGHT REAR CONTROL HAD BROKEN COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE FRAME. UNLESS THIS CAN BE REPAIRED, WHICH IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THE TRUCK WILL HAVE TO BE SCRAPPED. ALL OTHER FEATURES ON THIS TRUCK ARE IN GREAT WORKING ORDER. TOYOTA NEED TO DO SOMETHING. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAD A 95 TACOMA WHO RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA THAT INSTRUCTED HIM TO COME IN ONCE A YEAR FOR A FREE INSPECTION FOR THIS TYPE OF FAILURE, IF IT DIDN'T PASS TOYOTA WOULD BY THE TRUCK BACK. I'M TRYING TO CONTACT THE ZONE OFFICE NOW TO SEE WHAT ACTION I NEED TO TAKE. I HAVE A 1957 CHEVY 3/4 TON TRUCK AND HAS NO RUST ISSUES, WHAT'S YOUR DEAL TOYOTA!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND DETACHED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 260,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE FRAME ON MY 1996 4RUNNER IS RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR. A PLACE WITH SIGNIFICANT RUST HAD BEND AND WOULD BREAK OFF AT ANY MOMENT. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND COMPLETELY USELESS AT THIS POINT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE MAIN FRAME IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL FRACTURED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION HAD CORROSION BUILD UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS DESTROYED BEYOND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE WAS 195,000.

WHILE DRIVE DOWN THE HIGH WAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH I WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK UNDER MY TRUCK. I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING IN THE ROAD I JUST HEARD A LOUD CLUNK AND AFTER THAT MY TRUCK WOULD SWAY AND DRIFT TO THE LEFT DRAMATICALLY TO THE POINT I ALMOST COULDN'T CONTROL WHAT DIRECTION MY TRUCK WAS GOING I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO 20 MPH AND PULL OVER. AFTER TAKING IT IN TO THE MECHANIC THEY TOLD ME THAT FRAME AS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND SNAPPED ENTIRELY. THE TRUCK IS AMAZING TRUCK ENGINE RUNS LIKE ITS BRAND NEW BUT THE ENTIRE FRAME RUSTS WAY TO EASY. AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THE 96-99 4RUNNER FRAME. BEFORE SOME ONE GETS IN A ACCIDENT. OR IS THAT WHAT TOYOTAS WAITING FOR BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MAJOR ISSUE THAT HAPPENS TO ALL 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNER. *TR