2001 Toyota 4Runner UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I bought my 4Runner in 2021 and am just now getting ready to sell it. Did a carfax report and it shows a possible odometer rollback that the previous owner did in 2020. When I bought the vehicle it was my understanding that the vehicle had only 160,000 miles on it but it apparently had 236,900 miles. Because of this I’ve had to make countless repairs as I was under the impression that the vehicle had much less wear. Was researching what to do in this scenario and learned that this was the best place to report the incident.

Rusted Frame Cracked by back driver side tire

THE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT AND IS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE

MY 2001 TACOMA HAD FRAME RUST ISSUES LAST YEAR. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE REPAIR TIME FRAME HAD EXPIRED. THEY WOULD HAVE GLADLY SOLD ME A NEW TRUCK. SORRY, NO CAN DO. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A WELD SHOP AND HAD THE FRAME PATCHED WITH NEW STEEL. PROBLEM FIXED. I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE MECHANIC'S AFTER LEARNING THAT HE CAN'T INSPECT IT BECAUSE OF THE SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME! IT JUST RUSTED AROUND THE PATCHES. JUNK PRICE IS WAY LOW BUT WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE?

EXCESSIVE CORROSION TO FRAME AND RELATED CHASSIS COMPONENTS. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT IN 2001 AND SERVICED AT OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE ALL THESE YEARS AND NEVER MENTIONED FRAME RUST,UNTIL WE HAD IT SERVICED AT A LOCAL MUFFLER REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THE TRUCK IS OFF WARRANTY AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR US, THIS IS WHY WE ARE CONTACTING NHTSA ,TO INFORM THE AGENCY OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE CASE CURRENTLY WITH THE TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND THE TUNDRA TUCKS MANUFACTURED BY TOYOTA

FRAME RUSTING.

TAKATA RECALL THE FRAME IS ROTTEN INSIDE THE FRAME RAIL UNDER THE RIGHT HAND FRONT SEAT NOT ABLE TO GET A INSPECTION STICKER THE BODY IS GREAT NO RUST JUST LIKE MY 04 TUNDRA NOW IT HAS A NEW FRAME

IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN WHEN TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING ON AND OFF SINCE ABOUT ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.

VEHICLE WAS IN FOR AIR CONDITIONING SERVICE AND DURING INSPECTION THE SERVICE TECH NOTED RUST ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE, DEEMED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICES BY THE SAME TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SINCE 2002 AND HAS PERFORMED THE SAME INSPECTION DURING EACH VISIT, WHY WAS IT JUST IDENTIFIED DURING THIS VISIT AND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE? IS IT MORE PROFITABLE TO NOT IDENTIFY THE RUSH TO CUSTOMERS AND BECAUSE FIX THE RUST ISSUE OR TO SELL MORE EXPENSIVE CARS. THE DEALERSHIP DEEMED THAT THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE VEHICLE IN A COMPLAINT FILED THROUGH THE BBB BUT WOULD OFFER A CREDIT TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE!! THIS FURTHER SUPPORTS THE PREMISE THAT TOYOTA INTENTIONALLY OVERLOOKS SOME ISSUES IF THEY CAN REALIZE A GREATER VALUE. RUST IDENTIFIED IS ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR FRAME. SERVICE TECH SAID ABOUT $7,500 TO REPAIR AT THE DEALERSHIP.

MUFFLER FELL OFF GOT PARTS AND WHILE CHANGING MUFFLER FOUND OUT THAT MY FRAME IS RUSTED CLEAR THROUGH!! WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS I SEE A LOT OF OTHER OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM THIS IS THE SECOND TOYOTA THAT I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO REALLY STARTING TO WONDER ABOUT THE BUYING TOYOTAS ANYMORE

THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH TOYOTA FRAMES. THE FRAMES ON THE 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNER, AND THE EQUIVALENT FRAME ON THE TOYOTA TACOMA ARE PRONE TO ROTTING. TOYOTA STEPPED UP TO REPLACE THE TACOMA FRAMES SINCE THEY WERE CRACKING IN HALF. ALTHOUGH, THE 4RUNNERS ARE SUFFERING FROM THE EXACT SAME ISSUES AND TOYOTA IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. I'VE RECENTLY HAD TO REMOVE A 2" X 24" SECTION OF FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THAT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THE FRAME ROT IS OCCURRING FROM THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR FORWARD UNTIL THE CROSS MEMBER.

SUSPENSION MOUNT ON FRAME IN FRONT OF DRIVER'S REAR WHEEL BROKE OFF DUE TO UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF RUST. THIS IMPAIRED CONTROL OF VEHICLE AT SPEED, I ALMOST WENT IN DITCH AS REAR OF VEHICLE SWAYED BACK AND FORTH SEVERLY (LIKE ROCKING A BOAT) I HAD THIS REPAIRED TO CONTINUE DRIVING. AS OF 8-30-15 THE SAME PART ON OTHER SIDE IS ALMOST BROKEN OFF RESEARCH SHOWS THIS TO BE VERY COMMON,WHY IS IT NOT ADDRESSED?

THE UNFORTUNATE & COMMON FRAME RUST ISSUE THAT HAS PLAGUED THOUSANDS OF OWNERS OF THIS MODEL TOYOTA HAS NOW AFFECTED US. SAFETY CONCERN QUITE HIGH SINCE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IS SEVERELY COMPROMISED DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW AS NOTED COUNTLESS TIMES BY NUMEROUS 4RUNNER OWNERS. THIS ISSUE IS IDENTICAL TO THAT WITH TACOMA FRAMES OF THE SAME VINTAGE (WHICH ARE IDENTICAL IN DESIGN & BUILD TO THAT OF THIS MODEL STYLE 4RUNNER), WHICH WAS ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION. YET NO RECALL TO ASSIST 4RUNNER OWNERS HAS BEEN EXECUTED. IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA IS ALLOWING VEHICLES TO BECOME PREMATURELY UNUSABLE & UNSAFE FOR CONSUMERS. TOYOTA HAS EITHER REPLACED SOME FRAMES ON SIMILAR VINTAGE 4RUNNERS OR HAS PROVIDED REIMBURSEMENT TO OWNERS SUFFERING FROM PREMATURE FAILURE... BUT ONLY VERY SPORADICALLY. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION & WAS TOLD THEIR IS NOTHING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO RECTIFY FOR US, YET THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DO RECEIVE A RESOLUTION OF SOME KIND. AS A PARAMEDIC I SEE FIRST HAND WHAT TRAGEDY OCCURS ON OUR ROADWAYS... AND THIS SITUATION WORRIES ME GREATLY WITH VEHICLES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT IT OCCUPANTS IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, BUT MAY NOW ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNNECESSARY HARM OR POSSIBLE DEATH OF IT'S OCCUPANTS/OPERATORS.

NOT REALLY A COMPLAINT, BUT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE 4RUNNER LISTED AS A MODEL FOR TOYOTA. JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW... *LA