Differential Unit problems of the 2002 Toyota 4Runner

I purchased the 2002 4runner in 2014. At that time, the 4runner only had 79,000 miles and had been cared for meticulously. I have taken the car in for routine service over the past 5 years. Upon taking the 4runner in due to a vibration and check of the differential, the mechanic called me in to look at the frame while it was up on the lift. Below in the attached photos, there is extensive rusting of the rear differential, axle and frame. The vehicle was stationary and the issue was found during routine maintenance. The rusted frame and differential have rendered this vehicle practically valueless and unsafe.

"takata recall" frame rusted out from the inside out. Looking at on frame it was at least 1. 5 inches of dirt and small rock from maine roads and than when rained it was just mud the bad spot is on the passenger side d by torsion bar no way to drain. Also rear end differential gear cover rusted out on other vehicles you replaced just the cover on the 4runner I was told to replace the rear end price just for the rear end was $2500 than labor.

Rear differential rusted through.

Rear differential covered rusting through.

I took my vehicle in for a routine oil change recently and the technician said that I have some major rust issues on my rear axle and drivetrain. He should me when it was on the lift. He explained to me that the bolt and clip than holds the brake line down on the rear differential had rusted and broken off of the differential cover. The rear differential is now leaking gear oil. The technician advised me that it is too risky to attempt to repair as it may cause the entire differential to be damaged and the whole rear axle would need to be replaced. The technician also said that it is a risk to drive the vehicle and is possibly unsafe to keep driving. He stated that it is unknown how much longer I would be able to drive it until the rear axle ceases.

Frame and rear differential rusting out.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that fluid was leaking under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the rear differential housing was rusted, leaked fluid intermittently and there were multiple holes to the point that the component may fracture. The rear differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was not available.

Rear differential has rusted through, the whole thing has to be replaced because there is no separate cover the repair cost may be high.

Recently purchased this vehicle and started cleaning it, after I drove it home and pressure washed undercarriage, pieces of the rear differential started flying off and gear oil started running out of holes. I have a 1971 Dodge challenger with original rear end that has never been in garage and have never seen a rearend rust like this. I'm really worried about how strong the axle housing structure is and if it could possible break in half while driving vehicle.

My 4runner has 72000 miles on it, and I just realized the rear differential housing has rusted through. The metal is so thin that the fluid is leaking out through the pours of the metal. I took it to the dealer and they said it would cost 3000$+ to replace the entire rear end. There is no other rust under the vehicle except for the pumpkin housing. After looking around on the internet I found this is a common problem, of the housing not only being too thin of metal for the application, but low quality steel that's prone to corrosion.

Rear differential rust through.

2002 4runner sr5 4wd, 141k miles, completely rusted through rear differential, both rear axle seals busted out, differential housing has several pin hole leaks and is thinned out, the only fix is a completely new rear end, which is v ery costly, I am the 2nd owner, I've owned a 99 4runner that had these same rear differential rust issues, the rust is ridiculous and has deteriorated the whole undercarriage and my 4runner is garage kept and I wash it all the time. I can't believe Toyota has not been held accountable for the rusting out of rear differentials and rear axle issues.

I have a 2002 Toyota 4 runner with rust out of the rear differential housing. I took the vehicle in for repairs only to discover that metal was quite rusted at the rear housing and instead of a simple part replacement, the whole assembly has to be replaced, a costly repair. I found other owners with similar stories online. Is this a defective part? I had temporary repair with grinding, welding and epoxy which for the time being has corrected the leak but eventually it will reappear.