1997 Toyota 4Runner Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS BEING PERFORMED, HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO VERIFIED THE DEFECT AND STATED THAT THE CONDITION OF THE FRAME WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT WAS UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

VEHICLE HAS BEEN SWAYING AND THEN RECENTLY THE STEERING GOT BAD SO I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

FRAME IS RUSTING OUT ALONG FULL LENGTH. THE OUTSIDE LOOKS FINE IN MOST PLACES BUT THE INSIDE IS FLAKING OFF. IF YOU HIT IT WITH A HAMMER IT WILL GO RIGHT THROUGH AND MAKE A HOLE. I HAVE SEEN MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAMES ON INTERNET SITES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, HE HEARD A CRACK. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE FRAME HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION . THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

FRAME ON VEHICLE COMPLETELY CRACKED. THERE IS NUMEROUS HOLES AND RUST PERFORATION ON THE FRAME. LOCAL DEALER DEEMED VEHICLE UNSAFE. TOYOTA HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THEIR OLDER FRAMES AND THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF 4RUNNER OWNERS LIKE THEY DID WITH TACOMA AND TUNDRA OWNERS. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER EVERY DAY THAT I DROVE THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE, SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I AM LEFT WITH A VEHICLE THAT IS TOTALLY USELESS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR QUARTER PART OF THE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 243,000.

I TOOK MY 1997 4RUNNER IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT MY FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THAT MY CAR IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I GOT THE OPINION OF TWO OTHER AUTO BODY SHOPS AND THEY ALL AGREED THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND IS BEYOND BEING REPAIRED. TOYOTA OFFERED A BUY BACK PROGRAM FOR THEIR TACOMA'S FOR THE SAME REASON HOWEVER THEY WILL NOT BUY BACK THE 4 RUNNERS. I'VE FOUND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME RUST ISSUE WITH THE FRAMES ON THEIR 4RUNNERS. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD STEP UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING. *TR

THE FRAME IS RUSTING THROUGH ON SEVERAL PLACES, BUT ONE PARTICULAR LOCATION IS THE WORST. THIS LOCATION IS THE WELD JOINT BETWEEN A SOLID STEEL BRACKET OF THE SAME SIZE, THICKNESS AND MATERIAL AS THE MAIN FRAME. THIS BRACKET HOLDS THE SWAY-TYPE BAR, WHICH ATTACHES BACK TO THE REAR AXLE. THE WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BRACKET AND THE MAIN FRAME HAS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND IS ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN FRAME. THE JOINT IS ABOUT 8 INCHES LONG. OVER ABOUT 6 INCHES OF THE WELD JOINT, THE AREA IS RUSTED AWAY AND THERE IS A 3/8-INCH GAP BETWEEN PARTS. THE REMAINING 2 INCHES ARE HOLDING TEMPORARILY, BUT IT IS UNSAFE. THIS RUSTED THROUGH AND FAILED FRAME HAS CAUSED THE 1997 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER TO BE UNSAFE, UNDRIVEABLE AND UN-FIXABLE. IT IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IF THE FRAME JOINT RUSTS MORE AND COMPLETELY BREAKS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE UNCONTROLLABLE. *TR

FRAME ON A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ROTTING OUT. VEHICLE NO LONGER ROAD WORTHY AND WILL NOT TAKE A STICKER. HAVE BEEN A TOYOTA MAN MY WHOLE LIFE BUT THIS MAKES ME THINK TWICE ABOUT EVER PURCHASING ANOTHER ONE. IS TOYOTA GOING TO GO GOOD ON THIS? FUNNY HOW THE TACOMA WAS RECALLED BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER! SAME FRAME? I WOULD HAVE TO GUESS YES... *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED FOR UNRELATED MAINTENANCE WHEN HE WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WOULD CRUMBLE. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNREPAIRABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAME RUSTING. I HAVE WORKED FROM HOME SINCE 2001, YET THE FRAME IS BADLY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGED ITS ENTIRE LIFE. A MECHANIC TOLD ME IT IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AND IS STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND. THIS SEEMS SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM OF RUSTED FRAMES IN TOYOTA TACOMA VEHICLES. *TR

THE SUB-FRAME OF MY TOYOTA 4RUNNER SUV HAS RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR. THE SUSPENSION BOX HAS RUSTED FREE FROM THE FRAME RAIL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RENDERED UNSAFE AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. TOYOTA WANTS $3,000 + LABOR TO REPLACE THE FRAME. THIS IS THE SAME SUB-FRAME TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY REPLACING ON THEIR 1995 - 2010 TACOMA PICKUP TRUCKS AT THE COMPANY'S EXPENSE. MY SUB-FRAME HAS THE SAME TYPE AND DEPTH OF RUST DAMAGE AS THE TACOMA TRUCKS. TOYOTA SHOULD BE REPLACING THESE SUB-FRAMES ON THEIR SUV'S AS WELL AS THEIR TACOMA TRUCKS. *TR

1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAME ROTTING OUT. THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 1997 TOYOTA TACOMAS FOR THE SAME REASON, THE 4RUNNER HAS THE SAME FRAME AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ADD THE 4RUNNER TO THE RECALL OR FIX THE DEFECTIVE FRAMES. MY 4RUNNER IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE EXCEPT THE FRAME IS ROTTING THROUGH IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THESE 4RUNNERS SHOULD BE RECALLED THE SAME AS THE TACOMAS TO FIX THE DEFECT. *TR

I WANTED TO REPORT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE AND I WAS LUCKY I WASN'T PULLING MY BOAT OR TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. BASICALLY THE FRAME FOR MY 4RUNNER RUSTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. ONE BRACE THAT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME TO STABILIZE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BROKE OFF THE FRAME ON ONE SIDE. THE OTHER SIDE IS HOLDING ON BY A STRING. THERE ARE HOLES IN THE FRAME WITH PIECES MISSING FROM RUSTING OUT. THE FRAME COULD IN MY OPINION BREAK IN HALF NEAR THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. THIS SEEMS SIMILAR OR WORSE THAN WHAT I READ ABOUT THE TACOMA TRUCKS. I BROUGHT IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THAT WAS WHAT THE GUYS SAID THERE. THE WORDS DIRECTLY FROM THE SERVICE GUYS WERE - THIS IS WORSE THAN ANY OF THE TACOMA'S THEY HAVE SEEN. THEY HAD THE REGIONAL TOYOTA REP TAKE PICTURES AND RUN A REPORT AND SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME SOON. THAT WAS ON 9/9/09. NO WORD BACK YET. RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE THAT I KNOW ABOUT SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS REPORTED TO YOU. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION FOR ME AND MULTIPLE OTHERS ON THE ROAD. THEY ADVISED THE FRAME WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE OR TOW ANY ITEMS AND NOT TO HAVE MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE AT ONE TIME. THE ADVISED TO GET THE FRAME WELDED BY A WELDING COMPANY. *TR

I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS EXCESSIVE RUST DAMAGE TO THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE, WHICH RESULTED IN HOLE AND A 7 INCH CRACK TO THE FRAME. TOYOTA HAS A FRAME SAFETY RECALL ON 1995-2000 TACOMA. I CONTACTED TOYOTA WITH THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HAVE A 1997 4RUNNER WHICH SITS ON THE SAME FRAME. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR BUMPER RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE RUST WAS COMPLETELY THROUGH THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE BUMPER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN THE CONSUMER ADJUSTED THE DRIVER 'S SIDE SEAT, IT COLLAPSED FROM THE BOTTOM, AND THE MAIN BOLT SHEARED OFF. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK THE WELD WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE METAL WAS VERY THIN. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC

AFTER THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS SHUT AND AFTER LOCKING THE POWER LOCKS, THEY WILL BECOME UNLOCKED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK