2002 Toyota 4Runner UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
frame rust saftey hazardous? midas mechanic pointed out to me while work being done on exhaust march 2022
Frame rusted through from the inside out. There isnt even any surface rust where the hole started. Its just a hole in the middle of clean metal. The rest of the frame rail is solid. Rear suspension arm mount is also rusted out and starting to come off. The entire structural integrity of the frame is in question, even though externally, theres only slight surface rust. The frame should not be rusting this way.
THE FRAME HAS RUSTED AT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR CONTROL ARM MOUNT TO THE POINT OF NOT PASSING INSPECTION.
HAD THE 4RUNNER WV STATE INSPECTED. NEEDED TO REPLACE THE MUFFLER. NOTICED THE FRAME CRACKED ON FRAME RAIL NEAR MUFFLER LOCATION.
FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH TO THE POINT OF BEING A DANGER TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. FRAME DID NOT EASILY APPEAR RUSTED WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE 4 YEARS AGO. IT APPEARS THAT THE FRAME RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND THE COATING CONCEALED THE DAMAGE UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO REPAIR. MY VEHICLE DRIVES PERFECTLY BUT IS NOT SAFE DUE TO THE FRAME DAMAGE. *TR
FRAME WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND TRUCK WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE
FRAME RUSTED OUT IN THE REAR SUSPENSION
FRAME RUST THROUGH! WITH 150.000 MILES ON IT. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY COMPROMISED. BODY AND DRIVE TRAIN STILL OPERABLE.
THE FRAME OF MY 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER IS COMPLETE RUSTED AND IS DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING. THE RUST HAS RECENTLY ACCELERATED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF TOYOTA WILL REPLACE THE FRAME AND STAND BY THERE VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED INCLUDING THE UNDER CARRIAGE. PHOTO'S CAN BE SUBMITTED AT YOUR REQUEST.
FRAME RUST. ONLY HAS 63,000 MILES ON IT AND MY MECHANIC RECENTLY NOTICED HEAVY SCALING AND RUST, ALSO A FEW HOLES/ROTTED SECTIONS. TOYOTA NEEDS A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, OR RECALL THESE FRAMES, AS THEY DID WITH THE TACOMA. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT'S OUR PROBLEM WHEN THIS IS A CLEAR COMMON ISSUE. THE OTHER COMMON ISSUE ON THESE FRAMES, IS AT THE BACK SHACKLE, THAT ATTACHES THE CONTROL ARM TO THE REAR END, ROTS RIGHT OFF. I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY THAT SOMETHING WILL FAIL AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING THAT WITH ONLY 63,000 MILES MY FRAME IS DISINTEGRATING QUICKLY.
THE FRAME IS ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT
THE FRAME ON MY 4 RUNNER HAS RUSTED AND BROKE IN HALF THEY RECALLED MY 2005 AND 1996 TACOMA AND PUT A NEW FRAME UNDER IT AND IT WAS NOT AS BAD AS MY 4 RUNNER DONT UNDERSTAND
MY 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAME IS ROTTED IN FRONT OF THE REAR PASSANGER WHEEL WELL MEASURING ABOUT 31' INSIDE NEXT TO THE MUFFLER AND DRIVER SIDE REAR BODY MOUNT IT'S STARTING TO RUST THROUGH NOW THE REST IS IN GREAT SHAPE BODY WISE
RUST THROUGH ON THE FRAME.
TOOK VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION, WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO BE WELDED. TOOK IT TOOK A WELDING SHOP, THAT DOES THIS TYPE OF WORK. WE WERE THEN TOLD BY THE GENTLEMEN DOING THE WORK THAT IT WAS THE FRAME UNDER THE VEHICLE AND DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE. BECAUSE HE HAS HEARD OF ISSUES WITH 4RUNNER RUSTING ISSUES AND SAID IT WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX IT. HE KNEW WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY. WE HAVE SOMEONE ELSE WHO SAW A PHOTO OF IT AND STATED JUST FROM THE PICTURES IT WOULD BE OVER $2,000 TO FIX IT. WE FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THIS. JUST BECAUSE IT WASN'T MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES THEN IN JAPAN. NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER.
THE ENTIRE FRAME AND OTHER PARTS OF THE UNDERBODY ARE RUSTED. THE BRAKES BOTH FRONT AND BACK WERE ALSO RUSTED. I PULLED OFF FROM THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED TO PICKUP MY DOGS. WHEN I TRIED TO LEAVE MY BRAKES WERE GONE. WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC HE SAID BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED THROUGH AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE FRAME IS RUSTED AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2002 Toyota 4Runner has 16 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.