Underbody Shield problems of the 1996 Toyota 4Runner

Due to a tremendous amount of rust the frame broke while the vehicle was in motion. Luckily the breakage did not cause an accident, but it did cause the vehicle to swerve side to side uncontrollably. If the breakage had occurred at a higher rate of speed or if the breakage (causing increased torque/pressure in other areas) had spawned additional breakages in the many other rusted thin locations, I feel sure an accident would have been unavoidable. A quick search of the internet shows numerous complaints of serious rust problems on 4runners. . . . And Toyota has already recalled many of their truck frames for similar excessive rust problems. This is a serious issue that could have easily caused a fatal accident and 4runner owners all over the us are at risk. I hope my complaint is the one that finally forces Toyota to acknowledge the problem and correct it before more people have to experience a near-miss (or worse).

The rear end of the frame broke on the drivers side back by the rear wheel going at a speed of 60 mph. Upon applying the brakes the rear end of the vehicle started to sway out of control. To make matters worse there was an on coming semi & another one following behind me, way too close of course. This scared the hell out of me for I thought for sure that there was going to be a serious accident. I have taken excellent care of my 4runner from the day I bought it new in 1996 & prided myself for it looking like new. All the scheduled maintenance had been performed over the years. It does not leak any fluid or burn any oil with 250,230 miles on it. In fact I receive compliments regularly on it's excellent condition. No door dings, keep it polished & in the winter rinse the under body at least once a week to keep the salt off. I had planned on driving this vehicle for at least another 100,000 miles. After escaping a near death accident I nursed it over to the Toyota dealership for I could not see anything wrong by simply looking under the vehicle. Once I arrived at the dealership they put it up on the lift & asked me to come look at it. I was in disbelief at what I had saw. A portion of the frame that kept the drivers side rear wheel in place was completely separated. When I asked them what could be done they suggested a new frame. I said can you tell me how much that would cost he said he would check & come & get me. He came back several minutes later to tell me it would be a minimum of $10,000. 00. Even in excellent condition the vehicle might be worth $3,000. 00. Not only do I not have $10,000. 00 to fix & if I did, would I? I don't know a lot about replacing frames, but I know it's no small job. Would it be worth it? I bought a Toyota because they're supposed to last forever. Now I'm left with no vehicle & I have nothing to trade in! will Toyota stand behind it's product?.

As I was merging onto the garden state parkway, I increased my speed to 60 mph. After going over an uneven surface on the road, the vehicle started to sway back and forth almost uncontrollably to the point where it felt as if it were going to roll. I immediately slowed down to the breakdown lane where I checked to see why the vehicle was doing this. To my surprise the rear control arm on the left side of the vehicle completely broke off of the frame due to what my opinion was rust. After receiving a more detailed inspection by an individual shop, the whole frame was shown to have holes due to rust. After this discovery they informed me that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and that I should inform Toyota about the incident and see if they would be willing to help in any way. When I did call Toyota they told me that there was nothing that they would do.

The vehicle right rear veered to the right because lower control arm detached (broke) from frame (strut rod fastened to the frame). I lost control of vehicle but regained, narrowly missing a little girl on her bike. Toyota has had recalls on tacoma, tundra, and some sienna for prematurely rusted and broken frames. I called Toyota in local town and they said my VIN number has had no recall. To my research, the 4-runner has the same frame and build as the tacoma with numerous recalls. Mechanic stated the break should never have happened. I have kept this vehicle within all manufacturer's suggested repairs and maintenance. I trusted Toyota as a vehicle that was safe and dependable.