2006 Toyota 4Runner Suspension

My car is a 2006 Toyota 4Runner. This past summer I had a tire leaking and took it to the garage for repair. The mechanic stated that the frame is rusting out in the front right, tire rod area, and saw a pinhole. Last week I took the vehicle to get a transmission oil change. That mechanic saw that there's more rust that is spreading throughout the entire frame, worse than the area found from just a few months ago. I learned online that Toyota had purposely used cheap steel for the frame and had replaced the same frame used on other trucks such as the Tacoma and Highlander but is refusing to replace the 4Runner. These rusted out frames are affecting many 4Runners. I have a 1964 Cadillac and that frame is in better condition than the 4Runner. I'm forced to pay $15,000 to replace the frame or salvage my car. It shouldn't have come to this, especially when the same frame that was replace on other trucks isn't being replaced for mine.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE CHANGING HIS BRAKES INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LINE WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. NO DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP18002 (STRUCTURE) WAS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER. THE CONTACT FEELS UNSAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 208,140.

I JUST HAD MY 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER (85K MILES) SERVICED AT A-1 TOYOTA IN NEW HAVEN CT. MY CAR IS IMMACULATE AND SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS. AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC IDENTIFIED FRAME RUST ISSUES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT FRAME.

THE FRAME AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM IS ROTTING DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. IT HAS 117000 MILES ON IT AND RUNS WELL OTHER THAN THE RUSTED OUT FRAME.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 4 RUNNER ON THE HWY. THE FRAME COLLAPSED BY THE REAR WHEEL AND I LOST CONTROL AS THE REAR END WAS "WAGGING". TOOK TO DEALERSHIP THEY WERE NOT OPEN OR UP FRONT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEMATIC DEFECT THAT TOYOTA HAS TURNED ITS BACK ON. THE TACOMA, HIGHLANDER, AND TUNDRA MODELS OF SAME YEAR WERE NOTIFIED AND RECALLED. THE 4 RUNNER OWNERS NOT EVEN NOTIFIED, VERY LUCKY THERE WERE NO INJURIES. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE OWNERSHIP.

FRAME RUST HAS MADE 4 RUNNER BEYOND ECONOMICAL REPAIR. MANY PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED DUE TO RUST. ONLY 124000 MILES ON VEHICLE. RUSTED BRAKE LINES, STEERING COLUMN, TRANSMISSION LINES RUSTED. FORTUNATELY BRAKE LINES LEAKED WHILE VEHICLE WAS M NOT BEING DRIVEN AT THIS TIME, PARKED IN DRIVEWAY.

SEVERE FRAME RUST WHERE THE SUSPENSION AND BODY CONNECT TO THE FRAME. VERY SIMILAR TO THE TOYOTA TACOMA FRAMES I SEE AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND ARE BEING SENT TO SCRAP. VERY SCARY!

I PURCHASED MY 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4X4 SPORT ON 10-4-2018 FOR 9,000.00 WITH 130,000 MILES ON IT A FEW DAYS LATER I TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND A LOOK OVER AT MY FAVORITE SHOP AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD THAT MY FRAME WAS RUSTING THROUGH FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND THERE WERE A FEW HOLES RUSTED THROUGH THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I GO TO A TOYOTA DEALER BECAUSE THEY HEARD OF THE FRAME RECALLS SO I WENT TO A NEARBY TOYOTA REPAIR FACILITY AND TOLD THEM WHAT I JUST FOUND OUT THEY TOLD ME THAT MY FRAME ON MY 4RUNNER IS THE IDENTICAL FRAME THAT THEY USE ON THE TACOMA AND THEY HAVE HAD AT LEAST 100 PEOPLE BRINGING THEIR 4RUNNNERS IN BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD THE SAME THING BY OTHER SHOPS... I WAS TOLD THAT AT THIS TIME THAT THERE IS NO FRAME REPLACEMENT FOR THE 4RUNNER BUT THEY FEEL THAT THE 4RUNNER WILL SOON BE RECALLED AND THAT I SHOULD UNDERCOAT MY FRAME ASAP TO TRY AND SAVE WHAT IS LEFT PENDING ON A RECALL. PLEASE HELP US AND GET TOYOTA TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT

CAR STARTED DRIVING FUNNY AT SPEEDS. TOOK IT TO A SHOP THE FRAME WAS SO RUSTY THAT IT CRACKED CAUSING THE SUSPENSION TO NO FUNCTION AS ENGINEERED.

WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45MPH, THE LEFT REAR CONTROL ARM MOUNT BROKE OFF THE FRAME AND ALMOST CAUSED MYSELF, MY WIFE, MY 2 YEAR OLD, AND MY 11 MONTH OLD SON TO CRASH. I MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT ANY INJURIES. AFTER INSPECTION, THE ENTIRE FRAME IS RUSTED TO THE POINT IM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH MY WIFE AND KIDS RIDING IN THIS VEHICLE. IM NOW PAYING A CAR PAYMENT ON A VEHICLE THAT IS USELESS. I LIKE TOYOTA'S BUT WILL NOT LIKELY PURCHASE ANOTHER ONE UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF THIS TYPE OF AND YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE TOYOTA, DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. WE WILL BE STUCK WITH A CAR PAYMENT AND A VEHICLE THAT IS VIRTUALLY UNUSABLE.

RUSTED FRAME - WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT FRONT CONTROL ARM BROKE FREE FROM THE SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME. THANK GOD THE DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED. THE REPAIR WILL REQUIRE WELDING TO THE FRAME TO SUPPORT A NEW CONTROL ARM. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. HAD THIS HAPPENED A HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. UNACCEPTABLE! I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER BUT WILL NOT BE CONDUCTING ANY REPAIRS UNTIL TOYOTA'S SERVICE MANAGER RESPONDS TO MY QUESTIONS REGARDING RECALLS ON FRAMES. THE NTSB HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO REVIEW AND IF NECESSARY, BASED ON MY ANALYSIS, EXTEND THE RECALL TO THESE VEHICLES AS WELL. SAME FRAME AS TACOMA WHICH IS ALREADY RECALLED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED STATED THAT THE BUSHINGS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE HAVE FAILED. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE WHEELS BEGAN TO BOUNCE WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD OR A POTHOLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR BUSHINGS OR THE STOPPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AND HEARD THE SUSPENSION MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER TOLD THE CUSTOMER THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A LACK OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO THE CONTACT THE MAINTENANCE SECTION OF THE MANUAL STATED THAT THE BUSHINGS DO NOT NEED TO BE CHECKED UNTIL 100,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE HAD WITH OTHER VEHICLES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 23,700. UPDATED 12/20/11 *CN

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 AND I AM HAVING VIBRATION PROBLEMS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ABOVE 60 MPH. I HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED, HAD THEM BALANCED TWICE IN ONE WEEK, AND STILL HAVE THE VIBRATIONS. THE VIBRATIONS BEGAN BEFORE I INSTALLED MY NEW TIRES. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE THREE SEPARATE TIMES. ON ONE OCCASION, THE TIRES WERE CHECKED AND BALANCED. THE VEHICLE DROVE BETTER FOR A SHORT WHILE, BUT THE SHAKING PERSISTED.