1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

THE FRAME ON MY 96 4 RUNNER LIMITED IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT LONG ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BY THE GAS TANK WHERE THE REAR BODY MOUNT AND TRAILING ARM MEET THE FRAME. BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FRAME RAILS ARE ROTTED THROUGH. MY 4 RUNNER BODY IS IN PERFECT CONDITION WITH NO RUST. THE REST OF THE FRAME IS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH ONLY MINIMAL SURFACE RUST. WITHOUT PERIODIC INSPECTION IT WOULD NEVER BE KNOWN THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED BECAUSE THE REST OF THE VEHICLEE IS NEAR PERFECT CONDITION. *TR

THE VEHICLE RIGHT REAR VEERED TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE LOWER CONTROL ARM DETACHED (BROKE) FROM FRAME (STRUT ROD FASTENED TO THE FRAME). I LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE BUT REGAINED, NARROWLY MISSING A LITTLE GIRL ON HER BIKE. TOYOTA HAS HAD RECALLS ON TACOMA, TUNDRA, AND SOME SIENNA FOR PREMATURELY RUSTED AND BROKEN FRAMES. I CALLED TOYOTA IN LOCAL TOWN AND THEY SAID MY VIN NUMBER HAS HAD NO RECALL. TO MY RESEARCH, THE 4-RUNNER HAS THE SAME FRAME AND BUILD AS THE TACOMA WITH NUMEROUS RECALLS. MECHANIC STATED THE BREAK SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE KEPT THIS VEHICLE WITHIN ALL MANUFACTURER'S SUGGESTED REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE. I TRUSTED TOYOTA AS A VEHICLE THAT WAS SAFE AND DEPENDABLE. *TR

MY 4 RUNNER HAS AN EXTREMELY ROTTED FRAME THAT RENDERS THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. TOYOTA SAYS THEIR SORRY BUT THIS PROBLEM DOESN'T WARRANT A REPAIR OR RECALL. JUST A LITTLE INVESTIGATING INDICATES THAT THEIR ARE MANY UNHAPPY 4 RUNNER OWNERS WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. I KNOW THAT THEIR TACOMA TRUCK WAS RECALLED FOR FRAME ROT PROBLEMS AND MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT BOTH FRAMES ARE VERY SIMILAR. *TR

DIFFERENTIAL/AXLE HOUSING RUSTED OUT. I PURCHASED THE TRUCK THIS PAST WEEK AND NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING AND WHERE THE SUSPENSION PARTS CONNECT TO THE HOUSING. THIS IS WHAT HOLDS THE DIFFERENTIAL/AXLE ASSEMBLY TO THE TRUCK. IF LEFT UNCHECKED THE COVER WILL EVENTUALLY RUST OUT AND LEAK OIL AND COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A CRASH IF THE DIFFERENTIAL LOCKS UP DUE TO NO FLUID. ALSO THE BRACKETS COULD RUST OUT CAUSING THE SUSPENSION PARTS TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE HOUSING CAUSING A CRASH. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE ON 4RUNNERS AND WELL DOCUMENTED ON MANY INTERNET FORUMS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BUMPER AND FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND EXHIBITED MANY HOLES IN THE MIDSECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO PASS INSPECTION AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT A RECALL ON MY 1996 LIMITED 4RUNNER. THERE WAS A REAR COIL SPRING RECALL. I TOOK MY 4RUNNER TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SPRINGS REPLACED AND WAS INFORMED BY THEIR MECHANIC THAT THE FRAME WAS SO RUSTY WITH HOLES THAT THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON IT AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A SERVICE REP LOOK AT THIS ISSUE. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE 4RUNNER BACK AT A LATER DATE. I WAS NOT GIVEN A LOANER CAR EVEN AFTER I WAS TOLD IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. A FEW WEEKS LATER I DROVE THE 4RUNNER BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION BY A TOYOTA SERVICE REP AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. HE STATED THAT THE 4RUNNER WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND TOYOTA WAS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY THEN PERFORMED THE COIL SPRING RECALL AFTER THEY STATED IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I MADE MANY CALLS TO TOYOTA WITH NO HELP. TO STOP ME FROM CALLING THEY STATED THEY WOULD GIVE ME $1000 TOWARDS A NEW OR USED TOYOTA PURCHASED FROM A TOYOTA DEALER. MUCH DOCUMENTATION WAS DONE ON THIS PROBLEM AND NO ONE FROM TOYOTA HAS EVER CONTACTED ME ABOUT MY UNSAFE 4RUNNER BEING REMOVED FROM SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE RUST HOLES IN THE FRAME. *TR

ACCELERATOR STICKS. WHEN DEPRESSING ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT STICKS WITHOUT MOVING. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO MOVE IS BY PUTTING EVER INCREASING PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL UNTIL IT SUDDENLY BREAKS FREE AND THE CARE LURCHES FORWARD. *TR

I HAVE A TOYOTA 4 RUNNER AND HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT MY GAS PEDAL STICKING. THEY DID NOTHING TO FIX IT AND SAID NOTHING IS WRONG! *TR

I HAVE A 1996 4RUNNER THAT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION UNTIL SEPTEMBER 4, 2009 WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, BECAME A RUNAWAY VEHICLE, AND STRUCK A GAS STATION BUILDING, RESULTING IN SEVERE PROPERTY DAMAGE. I PAID $7800.00 TO FIX THE TRUCK AND INSURANCE COMPANY PAID TO FIX DAMAGES TO THE GAS STATION. I HAVE POLICE REPORT FOR THE ACCIDENT AND NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SINCE MEDIA REPORT OF WORN/DEFECTIVE GAS PEDAL CAUSING SIMILAR ACCIDENTS. PLEASE ADVISE ASAP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME ON THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED WHO STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTING JUST LIKE THE TOYOTA TACOMA RECALL. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE WAS NOT A RECALL SINCE BOTH VEHICLES SHARE THE SAME STRUCTURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 188,000.