2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Complaints

FRAME CRACKED/RUSTED DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT THE FRAME (RIGHT REAR) WAS CRACKED.... CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

DRIVER'S SEAT LEFT FRONT MOUNTING BOLT ATTACHMENT HAS FAILED. PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED ON 15 MARCH 2016. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. AS I WAS SHIFTING AROUND TO GET SEATED I NOTICED A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM BENEATH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. EVENTUALLY I OBSERVED THE LEFT FRONT MOUNT LIFTING SLIGHTLY OFF THE FLOOR. LATER, INVESTIGATING FURTHER (REMOVING THE PLASTIC COVERING) I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE MOUNTING BOLT'THERE IS NOTHING FOR THE BOLT TO ATTACH TO THAT I CAN SEE. WHATEVER HELD THE BOLT ORIGINALLY HAS BROKEN OFF AND IS NO LONGER VISIBLE OR SERVICEABLE. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME; ALL THE MORE SO BECAUSE I WAS RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH THREE BULGING DISCS IN MY NECK AT THE SAN FRANCISCO VA MEDICAL CENTER ON 8 MARCH 2016. SHOULD I BE IN A COLLISION AND THE SEAT NOT PERFORM AS INTENDED, I COULD POTENTIALLY BE PARALYZED. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. TOYOTA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PERFORM A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM.

MY 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS A COUPLE QUARTER SIZED RUST HOLE ON THE REAR RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME. LOCATED ON THE INSIDE NEXT TO THE EXHAUST MUFFLER. THE ENTIRE REST OF THE FRAME IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION, IT'S WEIRD TO ME THAT JUST THIS PARTICULAR SPOT IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD AND I KNOW TOYOTA SHOULD STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I READ ONLINE MOST PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM IN THE SAME EXACT SPOT. SEEMS LIKE A DEFECT IN THE FRAME. I'M HOPING TO HAVE TOYOTA COVER THIS INCIDENT. THANKS FOR READING. BRANDON

LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE, BUT RECENTLY TOOK MY CAR IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE SLOWLY DRIFTS TO THE RIGHT, AND SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 50-60 MILES. I WAS TOLD BY 2 DIFFERENT BODY SHOPS (1 OF WHICH WAS TOYOTA) THAT MY ENTIRE POWER STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AND IS CURRENTLY LEAKING. I WAS ADVISED THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IF MY POWER STEERING WERE TO STOP WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT FAST SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY. I RECEIVED A FULL-POINT INSPECTION WHEN MY MILEAGE WAS AT THE 50,000 MARKER BUT THIS WAS NOT AN ISSUE AT THAT TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE BACKING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL WAS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

FAME DETERIORATING PREMATURELY,SKID PLATE THAT PROTECTS FUEL TANK SHOWED SIGNS OF RUST. AFTER INSPECTING FOUND ROTTING FROM INSIDE OUT.WHEN REPLACING IN MAY OF 2014,FOUND THAT STRAP THAT HOLDS FUEL TANK RUSTED COMPLETELY AWAY,TWO BOLTS FROM THE RUSTED SKID PLATE ONLY THING HOLDING FUEL TANK IN PLACE.SAME CONDITIONS EXIST OVER ENTIRE FRAME,RUST FALLS OFF IN SHEETS WHEN FRAME IS TAPPED ON WITH HAMMER.BROUGHT MY CONCERNS TO DEALERSHIP IN JAN.OF 2015 OF RUST ISSUE, THEY INFORMED ME NOTHING WOULD BE DONE.

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE RECENTLY AND THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT I HAVE SOME MAJOR RUST ISSUES ON MY REAR AXLE AND DRIVETRAIN. HE SHOULD ME WHEN IT WAS ON THE LIFT. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE BOLT AND CLIP THAN HOLDS THE BRAKE LINE DOWN ON THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD RUSTED AND BROKEN OFF OF THE DIFFERENTIAL COVER. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL IS NOW LEAKING GEAR OIL. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED ME THAT IT IS TOO RISKY TO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR AS IT MAY CAUSE THE ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL TO BE DAMAGED AND THE WHOLE REAR AXLE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO SAID THAT IT IS A RISK TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND IS POSSIBLY UNSAFE TO KEEP DRIVING. HE STATED THAT IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MUCH LONGER I WOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT UNTIL THE REAR AXLE CEASES.

THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS ROTTING OUT WITH RUST. THE 4RUNNER HAS NEVER BEEN IN SNOW AND HAS BEEN TAKEN WELL CARE OF AND THE FRAME IS STILL ERODING AWAY WITH RUST AT AN UNNATURAL RATE. THIS ISSUE MUST BE ADDRESSED FOR THE SAKE OF SO MANY UNAWARE OWNERS!

I VISITED A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGE) AND INSPECTION OF 4 WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RAISED ON THE LIFT, THE SERVICE ADVISOR ASKED ME TO JOIN HIM AND THE SHOP MECHANIC IN THE SERVICE BAY WHERE I WAS SHOWN THAT THE FRAME / CHASSIS OF THE VEHICLE HAS RUSTED THE POINT WHERE IN THEIR OPINION IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO OPERATE. AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION, I HAD AGREED WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT. AN ONLINE SEARCH FOR A RECALL NOTICE WAS PERFORMED, BUT NONE WAS FOUND. OTHERWISE, THIS VEHICLE IS IN METICULOUS CONDITION WITH NO BODY DAMAGE OR RUST OR ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.

FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ON RIGHT SIDE FROM MIDDLE OF THE FRAME TO JUST OVER THE REAR AXEL. THERE ARE LARGE HOLES AND RUSTED SLOTS THAT ARE OVER 10 INCHES LONG DAMAGE STARTS BEFORE THE REAR SUSPENSHION SUPPORT AND CONTINUES TO THE OTHER SIDE AND THE SIDE WHERE THE RUST HAS CAUSED HOLES AND LONG SLOTS THE WHOLE FRAME CAN BE SQUEEZED EASILY WITH YOUR HAND.