2003 Toyota 4Runner SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE

THE FRAME OF MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER V8 DEMONSTRATES EXCESSIVE AND CONCERNING RUST DAMAGE. THE BODY IS IN EXTREMELY GOOD CONDITION AND HAS ALMOST ZERO RUST, A STARK CONTRAST AGAINST THE FRAME. THE FRAME HAS RUST DAMAGE HEAVILY ON THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT, A 8" LONG SPOT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TRANSMISSION CROSSMEMBER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, AND BY THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR LOWER TRAILING ARM MOUNT. THESE AREAS OF RUST DAMAGE CAUSE ME TO BE CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE IN THE LONG TERM. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 180K MILES, WHICH SHOULD LEAVE MANY YEARS OF ENJOYABLE TOYOTA OWNERSHIP FOR ME, IF ONLY THE FRAME WAS STILL IN HALF AS GOOD OF SHAPE AS THE BODY. I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS RECENTLY DONE FRAME REPLACEMENTS FOR OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD NOT DO AT LEAST SOMETHING FOR THE 4RUNNER. LIVING IN MICHIGAN I ALWAYS EXPECT SOME RUST ON A 15 YEAR OLD VEHICLE, BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY EXCESSIVE. I HAVE STARTED TO USE POR15 RUST COATING TO HOPEFULLY SLOW THE ROT SO THAT THE VEHICLE MAY REMAIN SAFE TO DRIVE FOR A FEW MORE YEARS, BUT I AM HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING NONE THE LESS. I HAD EXPECTED THIS ON MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE, A NISSAN WITH OPEN RECALLS FOR EXCESSIVE RUSTING, BUT I HAD FAITH THAT THIS TOYOTA 4RUNNER WOULD NOT HAVE THESE ISSUES SINCE TOYOTA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN GOOD ABOUT MAKING THINGS RIGHT WHERE RUSTY FRAMES ARE CONCERNED. CLEARLY NOT IN THIS CASE. THIS DOES GENUINELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY LIKELIHOOD TO PURCHASE A NEW TOYOTA IN THE FUTURE, AS RUST IS A NIGHTMARE TO DEAL WITH AND I DON'T INTEND TO RISK HAVING TO AGAIN, UNLESS I SEE SOME SIGNS THAT TOYOTA WILL HELP WHERE THERE WAS CLEARLY SOME KIND OF MISTAKE.

2003 4RUNNER WITH EXCESSIVE RUST OF THE FRAME AND UNDERCARRIAGE. POTENTIAL FAILURE OF FRAME AND FRAME COMPONENTS DUE TO RUST COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. DEALER SUBMITTED PHOTOS TO TOYOTA.

MY 2003 4RUNNER SR5 LOOKS GREAT AND ITS V8 ENGINE HUMS LIKE IT IS NEW BUT THE FRAME RAILS ARE TOTALLY ROTTEN AND I HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE IT AT ALL AS IT IS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. SO ITS VALUE SHOULD BE ABOUT 5-,6000 AND NOW IT IS TOTALLY JUNK AND HAS ONLY SCRAP VALUE. TOYOTA USA RECALLED THE SEQUOIA, THE TUNDRA AND THE TACOMA FROM THE TIME PERIOD, APPROXIMATELY 2003-2007 MAYBE MORE YEAR MODELS, BUT DID NOT RECALL THE 4RUNNER BECAUSE THERE WERE TOO MANY SOLD AND IT WOULD HAVE COST TOO MUCH MONEY. THE FRAME AND FRAME RAIL ROT ON THE 4RUNNER FROM THAT TIME PERIOD IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH THE NHTA YET TOYOTA HAS SEEN FIT NOT TO RECALL THE 4RUNNER!! . WHAT A DISGRACE!! THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT IS THE 4RUNNERS, PAST AND PRESENT, SIT ON THE EXACT SAME FRAME AS THE TACOMA. THE TACOMA WAS RECALLED FOR THE FRAME ROT BUT THE 4RUNNER WERE NOT. COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE THE REASONING FOR NOT RECALLING THE 4RUNNER FOR FRAME ROT WHILE THE TACOMA WITH THE EXACT SAME FRAME FROM THE EXACT SAME FACTORY WAS NOT/HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND AN INSPECTOR SENT BY THE MANUFACTURER EXAMINED THE DAMAGE. THE INSPECTOR DETERMINED THAT THE SUBFRAME BRACKET, WHICH HOLDS THE LOWER CONTROL, HAD RUSTED AND CAUSED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO FAIL. THE INSPECTOR RECOMMENDED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER OF THE VEHICLE FRAME HAS SEVERE CORROSION. THE AMOUNT OF CORROSION WAS IDENTIFIED TO ME BY A SERVICE TECHNICIAN DURING RECENT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, AND THE TECHNICIAN POINTED OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH SUSPENSION/ STRUCTURAL CORROSION ON OTHER MODELS. THE AMOUNT OF CORROSION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO WEAKEN THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE IN A CRASH SITUATION AND POTENTIALLY DURING NORMAL VEHICLE USE AS WELL. THE PROBLEM WAS DISCUSSED WITH DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER WHO REFERRED ME TO THE TOYOTA NATIONAL HOTLINE. TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AT THAT DEPARTMENT STATED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY EXTENDED WARRANTY OR REPAIR PROGRAMS FOR THIS CONDITION, NOR DO THEY OFFER ANY FINANCIAL RECONCILIATION FOR THE COSTS OF CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM. THE INFORMATION WAS DOCUMENTED IN TOYOTA CASE NUMBER [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR