2005 Toyota 4Runner Structure
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
Under frame is rusted. The area between the doors in the passenger side is gone. only the top face of the member is present.
Frame has very severe rust and has started to come part in places. Soon vehicle will no longer be road worthy.
I have a 2005 4Runner with significantly rusted out frame that makes me worried about safety of driving it. I feel the amount of corrosion present is way beyond what I would expect for that year of vehicle
I took my vehicle into the Toyota Dealer after mechanic told my frame was rusting. The dealership confirm the frame is rusted. The frame of the vehicle should not be rusting out.
Frame on 2005 Toyota 4Runner has excessive rust due to Toyota’s negligence on frame production. I can make it available if needed. My safety is 100% compromised, had my mechanic not have told me of the issue, I would have kept driving the vehicle and the suspension could have detached from the frame at any point. The problem has been confirmed by my independent service center South Lake Automotive. It has not been inspected by police, manufacturer or other. There was no warning prior to the failure. Had I not had it pointed out as an issue, I would never have known it was an issue.
I own a 2005 Toyota four runner. The frame under the truck is completely rusted out everywhere. The car started swaying and I felt as though my vehicle was going to go out from under me. It felt like it was collapsing or melting underneath. This is my family vehicle. It was a dangerous situation and my entire family was in the vehicle. My spouse a children. I took it to a independent shop. The mechanic said that the frame had rusted out under the Toyota. He told me to park it and not drive it because it was about to split apart. He said that we were very lucky and just moments from a catastrophe. He also told me that their had already been a recall and replacement of the malfunctioning frames on Toyota Sequoia, Tacoma and tundra. In his professional option he thought Toyota should do the same type recall for the rusted out frame problem on the four runner. You are the first and only person I have reported this to. I will wait for your response and next steps: [XXX] Cell number [XXX] Home number [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Frame of the vehicle is rusting from the inside out. Upon inspection, holes in the frame are found, with many more hidden from sight. This is a disaster waiting to happen. This puts the driver and anyone else on the road at extreme risk if the frame breaks while driving. This problem is well documented with Toyota, and they have previously replaced Tacoma, Sequoia, and Tundra frames, but not 4runners. Everyone is at risk with these frames, even if it does not appear so. My frame looked solid until I began hitting it with a hammer and screwdriver and breaking away very weak spots of metal.
Excessive frame corrosion. Mounting bracket that connects the lateral arm to the frame failed due to the deterioration of the frame. The rear axle is no longer perpendicular to the length of the car. I am experiencing a symmetric acceleration and braking performance and unpredictable steering.
SIGNIFICANT FRAME RUST THAT HAS CREATED FROM ROT WITH ROTTED OUT HOLES. VEHICLE IS NOW FAILING SAFETY INSPECTIONS. THIS IS IDENTICAL TO THE TACOMA/TUNDRA/SEQUOIA RECALL BUT THE 4RUNNERS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. THE 4RUNNERS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL OR A NEW RECALL ESTABLISHED SINCE THIS SAME FRAME RUST ISSUE IS SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISING THE 2005 4RUNNER (4TH GENERATION 4RUNNER) VEHICLE SAFETY PUTTING OWNERS AND OTHER DRIVERS AT RISK.
My 2005 4Runner frame is completed covered in rust and is corroding. Several places on the frame is rotting away.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, it was discovered that the subframe of the vehicle was severely rusted. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 212,000.
THE CHASSIS IS SEVERELY AND PREMATURELY RUSTED AND IS IN NEED OF REPAIR.
Really bad rame rust with holes through frame and frame components. I have pictures showing it’s the entire frame, not just the few spots. I had a shop replace the gas tank straps and when I picked it up they told me/warned me the frame had really bad rust. Have read about others having same or worse problems with chassis rust with this generation of 4Runners.
I would like to complain regarding my 2005 4Runner. Went to have the fluid changed at a dealership in the early part of July 2021 and they could not perform the service due to excessive underbody rust and corrosion . Therefore the I will have to find a service that can remove the corrosion to be able to have the shocks change, differential fluid change and to check and perform service on the brakes. The corrosion is starting to eat at the key components of the vehicle to the point where I may not be able to drive. Steering will be restricted and brakes will malfunction if they cannot get to the remove the areas to service the vehicle.
My frame is starting to rust very terribly no matter what i do to maintain it. The radiator support is completely rotted out and the rear part of the frame is getting worse by the month. This will cause a major injury in the case of an accident or the frame will break off while driving
I had my 2005 Toyota 4runner Limited serviced today. The mechanic will not work on the vehicle due to excessive rust and holes in the frame. The vehicle looks immaculate on the inside and out, but due to the corrosion underneath I am being advised to junk the vehicle as it is unsafe to drive.
PREMATURE FRAME RUST
RUSTY FRAME
I PURCHASED MY 2005 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER IN AUGUST. 2018 WITH 74,000 MILES ON IT. GARAGE KEPT AND OLDER COUPLE OWNED IT. INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ARE NEAR MINT CONDITION. NOW HAS 91,000 MILES. THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AND BARELY BEING HELD TOGETHER. I CAN WIGGLE THE WHOLE PIECE WITH MY HAND. THE RIGHT SIDE CENTER OF THE FRAME HAS A 7 INCH HOLE ON HE BOTTOM AND A 2 INCH HOLE ON THE SIDE IN THE SAME AREA. THE RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM BRACKET HAS ROTTED APART THUS THROWING THE THRUST ANGLE OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS CROOKED WHEN DRIVING. THE FRAME SURROUNDING THAT AREA OF THE RIGHT REAR BRACKET IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AND SPLITTING IN 2. ALL GOT NOTICED WHEN I HIT A POT HOLE IN THE ROAD AND HEARD A CLUNK AND THE STEERING WHEEL WENT CROOKED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT ANYMORE. GOOD THING I WAS NOT GOING FAST AND I IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE.
MAJOR RUST/CORROSION ISSUES WITH THE FRAME MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT MAJOR WORK TO REPAIR
BROUGHT TO MECHANIC BECAUSE STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME A MAJOR PROBLEM. FRAME HAS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT TRUCK IS UN DRIVEABLE PER MECHANIC. SUSPENSION COMPONENTS ARE COMING DETACHED, MAIN FRAME HAS HOLES AND FRONT FRAME IS COMPLETELY MISSING. MECHANIC SAYS HE HAS NEVER SEEN A FRAME RUSTED OUT THIS BAD IN HIS 30 YEARS ON THE JOB. HE SAID IT CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE 15 YEARS OLD. AFTER RESEARCH IT IS FOUND THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES.
THE FRAME HAS EXCESSIVE CORROSION. I HAD SOME SUSPENSION REPLACED LAST YEAR AND IT WAS FINE TODAY MY DEALER TOLD ME THERE IS EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND RECOMMENDS NOT TO PUT ANY MONEY INTO IT. ALSO TOLD ME THIS HAPPENED QUICKLY BECAUSE IF IT WAS THERE LAST YEAR HE WOULD HAVE INFORMED ME THEN NOT TO DO THE SUSPENSION WORK.
I HAVE LARGE HOLES IN THE FRAME OF OUR TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. IT APPEARS THAT THE FRAME COULD SPLIT OR BREAK TO POSSIBLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. IT SEEMS THAT SUBSTANDARD MATERIALS OR COATING WERE USED TO CAUSE THIS ISSUE.
I I WAS INFORMED BY THE TECH AT CHECKERED FLAG TOYOTA IN VIRGINIA BEACH , VIRGINIA THAT THE FRAME ON MY 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SPORT HAS A FRAME THAT IS FAILING AND MAY PRESENT A DRIVING HAZARD IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT . THEIR # IS (757) 716-5502.
SWIPE TOYOTA FOUND SIGNIFICANT RUST OF MY FRAME. CAR HAS 142,000 MILES, LOCATED IN KENTUCKY.
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Quick Summary
The 2005 Toyota 4Runner has 119 Structure complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.