2005 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
Premature/unsafe frame rot
Frame has rusted through and the boot of the frame that holds the front driver side suspension is 3/4 of the way cracked. Independent Body shop rendered car unsafe to drive.
The entire frame is rusted to the point the vehicle is unsafe to operate on the road. Parts of the vehicle could potentially break off because they have rusted through causing the vehicle to be involved in an accident. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent service center and a authorized dealer who confirmed the vehicle is unsafe to drive on the road because of the rust on the frame, differential, and crossmember. There was not any warning lights a mechanic mentioned it to me a in February/March when they were changing the oil that the frame would not last much longer.
The frame and complete undercarriage is completely prematurely rusted.
I JUST BOUGHT THIS 4 RUNNER USED AND I'VE ALL OF A SUDDEN HAD SUPER BAD RUSTING AROUND THE FRAME AND ALSO AROUND THE RADIATOR AND WHERE THE SKID PLATE IS ATTACHED WHERE MY MECHANIC SAYS HE'S WORRIED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD, I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAMING SYSTEM AND SUSPENSION IS BEING FLAWED AND I BELIEVE THAT I AND THE MILLIONS MORE THAT ARE BEING EFFECTED BY THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF.
Frame is suffering From excessive rust inside of frame. The body and other components of vehicle have minimal/average surface rust. Interior of frame near front control arms, rear bumper crossmember, and rear-mid crossmember are rusting from the inside out.
MY 2005 4 RUNNER CHASSIS IS RUSTING AWAY AND MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS AND MECHANICS TOLD ME THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I WENT TO GET NEW TIRES AND NO LOCATIONS WILL EVEN RAISE THE CAR IN THE AIR. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND EVEN THOUGH THE SAME CHASSIS ON THE SAME VEHICLES OF TACOMA, TUNDRA, AND SEQUOIA ARE RECALLED, THEY SAID NOTHING IS COVERED UNDER THE 4 RUNNER. I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE MY CAR ANYMORE.
WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR ITS 103,000 MILE MAINTENANCE I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME WAS SO RUSTED THAT IF I SHOULD HAVE AN ACCIDENT IT COULD BREAK INTO. WAS TOLD I SHOULD JUST GET RID OF IT AND NOT SAY ANYTHING. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE IN EVERY SIX THOUSAND MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT FOR SERVICE AND WAS NOT HAPPY TO THINK THAT THEY INFORMED ME ABOUT THIS PROBLEM NOW AND NOT SOONER.
EXTENSIVE RUSTING OF THE FRAME.
THE FRAME IS ROTTED OUT AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THERE HAS BEEN PIECES OF IT FALLING OFF. THE WHOLE FRAME IS RUSTY AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED. I SENT TOYOTA A MESSAGE AND NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. ANY HELP WOULD ? THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE REPAIRED AS THEY ARE VERY DANGEROUS. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
THIS VECH. HAS EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST TO THE POINT OF BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE
CALIFORNIA OWNED VEHICLE WITH RUST ON THE FRAME.
1 RECALL PROBLEM NOT FIXED. *TR
2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER BEEN PLAGUED WITH FRAME RUST ISSUES AND RECENTLY A STABILIZER BRACKET BROKE WHEN GOING OVER A SMALL BUMP. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE FRAME IS RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH IN THAT AREA AND NUMEROUS OTHER AREAS. THANKFULLY MY SON WAS NOT TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED BECAUSE IT WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, MY SON COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! WHY IS TOYOTA HANDLING FRAME RUST ISSUES WITH OTHER MODELS LIKE TACOMA BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER?
I HAVE METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED MY 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ONLY TO HAVE MY MECHANIC SHOW ME THAT MY FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED. MY MECHANIC AND MY AUTO BODY GUY SAYS MY CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME AND AT ANY SPEED. THIS SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN DEFECT AND I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THINK AND ADMINISTER A FRAME RECALL FOR THIS VECHICLE
THE FRAME OF THE CAR IS COMPLETELY RUSTED WITH HOLES IN IT PER MY MECHANIC. OTHER TOYOTA TRUCKS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER.
I LOVE MY 4RUNNER AND WOULD LIKE TO DRIVE IT FOR MANY MORE MILES AS IT RUNS AND DRIVES GREAT. BUT THE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT, JUST LIKE THE TACOMA AND TUNDRA FRAMES THAT WERE RECALLED BY TOYOTA. 4RUNNER FRAMES SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED FOR PREMATURELY RUSTING OUT AND CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS
OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF RUST ON FRAME
DURING A STATE INSPECTION THE SHOP TOLD ME THAT OUR 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAD SOME FRAME RUST ISSUES. SINCE THE FRAME OF THE 4RUNNER IS THE SAME BASIC UNIT AS THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA THAT HAVE OPEN RECALLS FOR FRAME RUST, THE 4RUNNER SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SAME RECALL. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE OF THE AFT FRAME, THE CORROSION HAS FORMED LARGE HOLES IN THE FRAME.
FRAME RUSTING THROUGH ON FRONT CROSSMEMBER, UNDER RADIATOR. TOW HOOK COMPLETELY GONE.
FRAME RUST IS GETTING TO BE AN ISSUE. I HAVE ONE SMALL HOLE WHERE THE METAL HAS GIVEN AWAY BUT THE FRONT BUMPER MOUNT. THE VEHICLE IS A 2005 AND THE FRAME DOES NOT MATCH THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. I KNOW I AM NOT THE FIRST ONE TO TALK ABOUT THIS NOR THE LAST. OTHER MODELS OF TOYOTA VEHICLES AROUND THIS SAME YEAR HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN A FRAME RECALL. I WOULD LIKE MY VEHICLE THAT I HAVE PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR TO LAST AND NOT HAVE TO BE CONDEMNED DUE TO A BAD FRAME. ITS OBVIOUS THAT FROM THE START THE FRAME WAS DESTINED TO END UP LIKE THIS.
I AM HAVING DEEP RUST ISSUES ON MY 4RUNNER V8 LIMITED FRAME MOSTLY NEAR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE RUST IS SO BAD THERE IS A BIG HOLE ON BOTH SIZE OF THE FRAME 3INCH TALL 7 INCH WIDE. I HAVE FOUND SOME LOOSE NUTS INSIDE OF THE FRAME RAILS, NOT SURE WHERE THEY ARE FROM AND THERE ARE A LOT OF BROKEN FRAME PARTS ON THE FRAME RAILS. A 13YEAR OLD TRUCK SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH RUST
PURCHASED VEHICLE USED. FOUND HOLES ROTTED THROUGH THE FRAME OF VEHICLE NEAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL AND WHERE LOWER CONTROL ARM ATTACHES TO THE FRAME. HEAVY RUST ON ENTIRE FRAME OF VEHICLE.
I LOVE MY 2005 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER SR5, IT HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT VEHICLE AND I WOULD PLAN TO KEEP IT FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS OR SO. THE BODY, PAINT AND DRIVE TRAIN ARE IN GREAT SHAPE AND THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FRAME IS ROTTING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA, CASE NUMBER 1804060267, TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO TO NO AVAIL.
MY PROBLEMS IS THE FRAME IS VERY RUSTY BODY STILL IN GOOD CONDITION I SAY 90 % BUT THE FRAME IS MORE AT 60 % RUSTY WHAT I CAN DO , I CARE FOR SAFETY TOYOTA COMPANY , THEY CAN TAKE CARE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ARE NOT COST ME ANYTHING.
Trend Over Time
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Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2005 Toyota 4Runner has 40 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.