Frame Rust problems of the 2006 Toyota 4Runner - part 1

Excessive rust on frame, spare tire assembly rusted out, dealer tried to replace tire carrier assembly & winch but was unable to put spare in new assembly holder because of the rust and safety hazard saying it will fall off. I was advise of this today, April 8, at 3:00 pm. The dealership was going to report this to the local Toyota rep and put the spare tire inside the trunk of my SUV. This is a known problem with these 4runner trucks and dealer stated in the past I had superficial rust. I also see there is a pending class action suit and Toyota settle a similar suit with tacoma and tundra truck owners for the same rust issues. This vehicle has been well maintained and I put thousands of dollars in repair to keep it running well and trying to keep it safe. I understand there is a pending class action suit filed with the NHTSA August 17, 2018, plaintiff weinreich.

Just bought a 2006 4runner and did not think to check underneath for anything. I noticed on the passenger side of the frame huge rust spots, it's rusting from inside the frame out to the surface. It's bad. I googled what I should do to fix it because now I'm out 7k for what I thought was a reliable SUV. They sell patch kits online requiring me to purchase the kits and have them welded to the frame by a professional after they clean the rust completely. That's expensive. Toyota should definitely take this seriously and not fight this claim. No truck that year should rust this bad. In fact I've bought a 77 chevy c10 that was a farm truck most it's life and it did not have any frame rust what so ever. There's multiple claims on facebook and other 4runner specific groups online that have this same issue. A recall needs to happen. What if I didn't notice and I let my wife and kids ride in the SUV and the frame snaps in half down the highway? you recalled other models do to frame rust, but not the same year 4runner. Please help us 4runner owners fix this because all in all it's a great SUV Toyota makes some of the best product out there, we just want to keep them on the road.

Vehicle's skid plate rusted completely off. Original owners, all family members, have kept the vehicle cleaned well underneath since first day of ownership. When we lifted the 4runner up on a lift, we saw multiple rust holes in the frame as well as extreme oxidation in the center at certain places. I need to have lots of frame repair done to feel safe driving it.

I put my 2006 Toyota 4 runner limited in the shop to have the power steering pump replaced. The shop called me back and stated they refuse to work on the SUV because of the extensive rust damage to the frame. They were concerned about legal issues should they knowingly repair a vehicle that in their opinion was unsafe to drive. In addition, the fuel tank straps rusted away from the frame to a point where the fuel tank was only connected to the vehicle by the skid plate under it.

I have a 2006 4runner with no rust on the body but the frame is full of rust. All body mounts have rusted away from the frame causing a wable when hitting bumps. I am so worried that the car is going to break in half at any time. It causes unusual sounds, creaking, squeaking, unusual noises, bad alignment, uneven wear in the tires, suspension, and shocks. . . . Frame is visibly bent and severely damaged . . . The worst thing is that I called Toyota for service and they won't fix my frame. . . My mechanic said that is too far gone to fix . . I'm not able to drive it because it broke off on me. .

My 2006 Toyota 4runner, has corrosion to the frame that is not normal for a car this age. This car is stored in a garage away from the elements. This rust to the frame make the vehicle susceptible to losing control due to a rupture of the frame. Toyota has admitted in the pass to sub standard frames in there other line of vehicles of the same year.

I am the original owner of a 2006 Toyota 4runner. The car is kept in a garage and is driven infrequently. Currently there's about 76k miles on it. I recently took it in for a maine state safety inspection and it would not pass due to excessive rust on the frame. There's at least one hole big enough to put your finger through, and there's rust flaking off the rest of the frame. I've owned other cars for longer than this with many more miles put on them, the rust on this frame is beyond what anyone would expect, and it's a severe safety hazard. I don't feel comfortable driving the car anymore, and I'm not sure if it can be patched or not. Toyota has a known problem with the frames on other vehicles and this one is no different.

My 2006 4runner's frame rusted so badly that the rear passenger side control arm detatched completely.

Major frame rust. The body is still great but when you look underneath it's a different story. I can flake off pieces of the frame with my finger. My mechanic says it may only have a couple of years left. I will have to take it to a dealership to get their opinion on the matter.

I was driving to work when my back left tire frame broke apart. This is when I noticed severe rust on my frame. This is a major problem and I could have been a deadly crash. I called Toyota corporate and filed case #2006012210 and they told me that my car was not qualified for the frame to be replaced at their expense. They know all about the 2005-2011 4runners that suffer from corrosion so severe the weakened frames make it dangerous to ride in the suvs. I am luck to be alive. This is a serious issue and Toyota should take full responsibility for their negligence. Do they need someone to die to take action.

The dealer would not inspect my vehicle because of frame rust. The whole frame has rust over it. The part that failed inspection was the end caps.

I have a 2006 Toyota 4runner with major rust issues, inside the structure of the frame is flaking apart also hole's in the frame where you can put your hand and feel the layers of the frame coming apart. The other open recalls with the tacoma, tundra and sequoia with the frame rust issue should have included the 4runner they use the same material for the frame as the other vehicles. They're are thousands of 4runners that are affected by this issue and the owners are just waiting for something to happen, I beg you to consider this for me and my family's safety. Thank you for your time.

Frame is rusted through.

I bought my 4runner new and have taken meticulous care of it via the dealership I bought it from, doing an oil change every 5000 miles. Now they tell me the truck should not be driven since the frame has rusted through in the rear. The trucks maintenance was done at prestige Toyota mahesh NJ 201-669-4525 service manager is robert j teunisen.

Excessive frame rust. Safety issue due to frame rusting out.

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated the rear driver side frame was rusted. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to independent mechanic was informed the sub frame was needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer has not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 127,456. Dp.

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that oil was discovered in the driveway where the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to tarbox Toyota 3671 quaker ln, north kingstown, ri 02852 (401) 884-5438 where the contact was informed that the rear differential was leaking and the frame was rotted. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle could not be repaired due to the excessive rust on the frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,595. Dr.

Tl the contact owns a 2006 Toyota 4runner. The contact took the vehicle to atlantic Toyota (671 lynnway, lynn, MA 01905, 781-599-4922) for rear brake repairs. The dealer informed the contact that the frame was rusted and had a hole. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 159,532.

Excessive frame rust caused bracket to snap on bumpy roads making vehicle unsafe to drive. Issue has been the biggest problem with 4runners and this is another example of it.

On my way to my nieces birthday I drove over to a local park. On my way there I drove over a pot hole as I was cut off by another driver and couldn't avoid it I hear a loud noise from the rear and the vehicle began to sway left and right as I drove. I didn't feel to safe driving it and I was a short distance away from my home I drove back with the hazard lights on. I then proceeded to inspect the rear of the vehicle and found that my upper right control arm bracket had ripped off the frame !!!! I was very alarmed and surprised to see as how my vehicle only has 76000 miles on it. The amount of rust on the frame of the vechicle. I have own vehicles far more older with more miles that have never rusted to this extent.

My wife's 4runner started to have problems with extensive body roll during acceleration, braking, and bumps. It made it extremely difficult to keep the vehicle in it's own lane especially at highway speeds. Thinking the problem was the front and rear shocks I started the process of replacing them. When I went to install the rear shocks I noticed the the actual cause of the problem was the fact that the frame had rusted through to the point that the lower control arm was no longer attached. I thought that maybe that just happens overtime but then I realize that the rust on the frames on my other cars was not as substantial especially considering one of them was manufactured in 1992.

Heavy rust on frame. Found a hole on main body frame this weekend while at work on my car lift.

During replacement of front brakes when vehicle was on a lift the mechanic pointed-out severe frame rust and said the truck would not pass inspection in pennsylvania. There were large holes in several areas of the frame. This is a 2006 model with only 85,000 miles of usage.

Purchased my 4runner certified used by modern Toyota of boone in Feb 2012. Took the vehicle to Toyota the next year locally and they mentioned that I have severe frame rust but by this time the warranty has already expired. Filed a complaint with Toyota regarding frame rust and the fact that I was sold the vehicle and it should not have been certified by Toyota because of the frame rust. Had an accident in Jun 2018, high front end hit, shouldn't have had any issues with the frame and it wasn't checked for integrity, but after some vibrations and wobbling and decreased stability on the highway, took to my local dealer and the tech did a visual inspection and said the frame was bent. Awaiting an appt from bodyshop to verify findings even though insurance already closed the claim from accident but independent mechanic states that the frame may really be bent due to the rusting and the ability to flex because of the corrosion, weakened. Vehicle feels unsafe to drive and is leaning on the drivers side front and back even with new factory Toyota suspension (struts and shocks). There is no reason for this vehicle to be leaning or the frame to be rusting as it is.

The frame is abnormally rusted to the point on perferation in several locations making it unsafe to drive.

Frame is very rusted and will not pass NY state inspection, sent pictures to Toyota and received no hope of help. Bascially told me to call junk yard. Vehicle only has 96,000 miles on it and has always been maintained by Toyota.

Structural - frame rust. Toyota has not recalled the 4runner due to frame rust experienced on the tacoma. Attached are pictures of underbody. This vehicle would not pass inspection and I am located in California where laws are strict.

2006 4runner with 165k miles will not pass inspection due to excessive frame rust. I purchased this brand new from the dealer and have taken excellent care of it. There is no rust on the body. The rust is excessive for other similar vehicles from other manufactures. Toyota has replaced similar frames on their tacoma models but have done nothing for 2006 4runner owners.

Our frame is rusted so badly that it would have failed the safety inspection if we did not fix the huge holes in it at the rear bumper. We are were told by our safety inspector that our entire frame is very rusty and we must do something to fix it right now. It will not pass the safety inspection for next year. This needs to be recalled by Toyota as part of their frame recall!.

Was informed yesterday by our mechanic who was performing an oil change that this vehicle would not pass next inspection due to frame rust and corrosion. I have not taken pictures but can if needed.

Car has 99,400 miles, would not pass PA state insp due to rust holes on frame.

The frame is rusted through in a couple of places on my 4runner. My local dealer did an inspection and there are holes rusted through the frame. I'm afraid in an accident that the frame will not hold up and cause injury to my occupants and myself. Please inform Toyota of these rusted frames. Thank you!.

The vehicle frame as well as other steel components including in the suspension system are experiencing severe, progressive deterioration due to rusting. The frame rust is the most problematic and dangerous because it is occurring on the inside of the frame and, therefore, can neither be seen nor remediated. The only indication I had of the severity of the frame deterioration is from isolated locations where the frame had rusted entirely through on the passenger side frame rail in the vicinity of the front door. Upon further investigation, I determined that the inside of the longitudinal frame rails on both the driver and passenger sides is significantly deteriorated on the inside. The corrosion appears to start on the bottom of the rail and then progress upward on the side walls of the rail over time. The bottom of the two frame rails are littered with rust chips ranging in size for fingernail-sized flakes to chips as large as 10 sq. Cm. With the thickness of these ranging up to several (3) mm. It should also be noted that tire jack for the vehicle punctured the bottom of the passenger side frame rail when it was used, thus giving the most graphic demonstration that the frame had deteriorated significantly from the inside. With respect to the other steel components of the underside of the vehicle, there is widespread rust and deterioration, particular for components of the suspension, but also on the tubing for steering and the transmission cooling. Also, fasteners (nuts, bolts, and brackets) which attach the many components to the frame of the vehicle are rusting to the point that the integrity of these fasteners has been significantly diminished. The veh.

Excessive rust damage to frame, got fixed for last year inspection and more problems occured this year. Vehicle other wise in good shape, disappointing to get rid of it. Could case hazard due to weld of cross member developing hole.

I just purchased my 2006 4runner and decided to take it to the shop where I work to have them do an oil change and fluid check, the mechanics brought me back and told me that my frame is rusting from the inside out and they think that in a matter of 2 yrs tops the frame will be rotted and collapse . I was terrified and in a panic my husband had taken my 4runner it to his friends garage and had the whole underneath undercoated. I called a Toyota dealer and asked if there was anything that Toyota can do and he told me that a lot of 4runner owners have been calling about their rotted frames and he told me that it's omly a matter of time when the 4runners will be recalled because they share the same frame as the tacoma's I am so sick with fear and I just can't understand why they would delay this recall when it is a risk of human lives I drive my kids in this 4runner and every time I go over a bump I am scared please help us make Toyota do the right thing before people lose their lives I am not rich I saved up all my paychecks to buy this vehicle and now I'm stuck.