Body problems of the 2005 Toyota 4Runner - part 1

- the undercarriage and frame have had premature rusting for years. The car is otherwise in excellent condition due to my care of it over the last 20 years. 5 years ago, a service person at my local Toyota dealership said, "I'm really disappointed in Toyota, I've never seen rust like this. " I have now recently been told by a local service shop that it's time to get a new car. The lines are all corroded for the power steering, etc, and he was unable to even "touch them," and said that the rust issue is no longer safe, and we shouldn't drive far from home. - we are now unable to drive the car much, as we live in the country and have far communities. With a [xxx] , we are unwilling to drive the car over 45 mph, or more than 10 miles for fear of an accident after reading about the manufacturing defect in this model of the 4-runner. - it has not been inspected by the above stated people. - no warnings, I would not have know the vehicle had such severe premature rusting issues if it weren't for a service person telling me such. -my vehicle has under 140k miles on it, and I've taken exceptional care of it over the past 20 years. I could have sold it for 10k given its condition, and low mileage, but it is now likely worth nothing given the manufacturing defect which caused premature rusting. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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 rot. The frame on the 4runner is a known problem for excessive rot. My frame is shot. There is no reason a frame on a 2005 should be rotted. I was advised by my mechanic that my frame is dangerously close to snapping in half. This needs fixed by Toyota!.

Frame has very severe rust and has started to come part in places. Soon vehicle will no longer be road worthy.

When I first saw the pictures on the internet, I noticed that the front underside appeared to have rust issues. (frontal shot) I contacted that sales person and he blew me off when I requested photos of the underbody. After several attempts, he finally sent a couple of pictures. The pictures obviously did not show the major rust issues as I have provided. The pictures were carefully fabricated not to show the major rust issues. It was apparent that the vehicle was taken off the internet while they hid the rusty underbody by applying some coating. A short time later, the dealership reposted the vehicle on their website. The vehicle was not properly advertised as having this major rust issue. I asked the salesman if his family was driving the vehicle, would he feel safe. He replied, "absolutely". With this said, I decided to purchase the vehicle. Also, my signature is not on the "we owe". Also, the vehicle has an exhaust leak from the manifold area. It makes a loud ticking noise. This is going to cost approximately $1,500 to fix. The air conditioner is not blowing cold and either has a leak or in need of freon. This is another repair out of my pocket. This is what kind of pre-owned vehicle they sold me. This vehicle should have never been listed for sale.

Frame of the vehicle is showing rust corrosion. The frame are the same as the tacomas that were released the same year. The tacomas were granted frame replacement by Toyota but 4runners weren’t. Noticed a lot of other 4th generation 4runners are having the same issues.

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.

My frame has rotted through, causing the rear bump stops to fall off, putting excessive wear on both frame and suspension components. In parts of the frame, it has rotted all the way around and caused a loss in structural integrity. Worst of all, there is a hole near the rear most strap holding the gas tank to the chassis, which is a risk to not only me and my pregnant wife but others driving on the road around me if it where to fall off. Looking at the body, there is no rust or corrosion. The same goes for the engine bay, the rust is entirely located on the frame. Mechanically, the vehicle is in excellent shape. It has now got to the point it will no longer pass a nys inspection.

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.

I took my vehicle into the Toyota dealer after mechanic told my my frame was rusting. The dealership confirm the frame is rusted. The frame of the vehicle should not be rusting out.

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).

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.

The frame broke loose from the rear sway bar due to excessive rust while I was driving it. My 4runner is an 05 and has the same frame as the tacomas of the same year, except with no recall. I believe it is wrong to recall the tacoma frame and not the same 4runner frame. It is available for inspection. The car wanted to loose control anytime the accelerator was pressed or released. The problem has been an issue for many 4runner owners of similar years. There was no warning to this occurrence.

My 2005 4runner frame is completed covered in rust and is corroding. Several places on the frame is rotting away.

Extreme rusting on frame and all parts under the carriage. Vehicle suspension and all moving parts underneath could fail or fall apart causing major accident or death to me or other vehicle.

Brought the car in for an alignment and I was told they couldn’t do it because of all the damage to the frame from rust, parts of the frame are not even there anymore, the front row hooks are gone, they said that all this damage CA impact the handle of the car and that it can’t be properly aligned and possibly won’t pass inspection.

Extreme frame rusting completely thru at the point of being unsafe and unable to put the truck on a lift for any repairs. A number of sae mechanics warned me about driving this truck due to the extreme frame rusting. Sections almost completely separating apart. I have rust proofed and undercoated the under carriage at least three times. Toyota should make good on their negligence to properly rust coat their frames at times of manufacturing.

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.

The rear control arm broke while I was driving causing me to swerve uncontrollably and almost causing a collision.

Upon recent inspection of my vehicle, it was noted that the frame is severely corroded and rusted to the point where collapse or breaking of the frame is possible while driving. Apprently the frame was not properly treated for rust protection and can now be unsafe for driving. Enclosed are pictures of the rusted frame.

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.

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.

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.

The rear window exploded on it's own with glass shattering everywhere while the defrost function was on. This is a very serious safety issue and design flaw that should be remedied before it happens. Toyota acknowledges the design flaw yet allows this dangerous occurrence to happen with consumers before doing anything about it. They say to bring it in for inspection but nothing that they can see until it has exploded. Toyota customer service representative named ryan informed me today there is nothing Toyota can do for me. They need to reimburse consumers for replacement no matter the time frame because it is a serious safety issue and it is a design flaw!.

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.

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.

Excessive rust/corrosion on frame. Have seen stories where frame separates from the truck body. Upon getting my oil change at my reputable ase shop, owner pointed out to me that vehicle is rusting quickly, hole in frame, and will need to be replaced sooner than later . . . When I had it undercoated, washed it following every snowstorm and roads salted, and had planned since point of sale to have it go over 300,000 miles as sales person stated was possible.

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.

We recently purchased this vehicle from a private sale and when the mechanic looked at it there is a severe amount of rust making it unsafe to drive. This is not "normal" rust and we do not want our 16 yr old driving something that could break at anytime. I believe that this vehicle falls into the lawsuit category, for unreasonable rusting. Toyota should have to fix a frame, regardless of age, if they put bad parts on it and the rusting isn't always detected in the earlier life of the vehicle until it becomes "unsafe".

In November 2011, Nissan recalled my pathfinder due to rust corrosion that could cause the front suspension to collapse. Nissan bought back my pathfinder, and I used the money to purchase my 2005 4runner. I have discovered that my 4runner has a corrosion issue as well. I have also discovered that Toyota knew or should have known about the corrosion issue with its 2005 4runners at the time I purchased mine in November 2011, yet I was not notified about the issue at the time of purchase from the Toyota dealership or at anytime since I've owned the vehicle. I will not be driving my 4runner, as it poses a serious safety risk. Is there a particular reason why the national highway traffic safety administration is taking so long with its current investigation concerning complaints of frame corrosion with respect to 2005 4runners?.

I have rust through areas on the frame of my 2005 4runner near the catalytic converter. The frame is flaking and pealing at this level. The integrity of the frame is compromised Toyota recalled tacoma and sequoia for similar issues but not 4runner I like this truck but I doesn't seem safe driving it.

Vehicle is unsafe to drive due to frame corrosion,also steering going out.

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.