Frame Rust Problems of Toyota 4Runner - part 1

The frame is rusted through on this 4runner. Same frame as the tacomas that were recalled and I’m wondering why Toyota wouldn’t recall the same exact frame with major rust issues on a different platform. This truck is not abused so it’s very frustrating to see it falling apart at the frame when everything else is intact and solid. The rot on this frame is inevitable. I’m going to be very upset if I have to pay out of my own pocket for something that should be 100% covered under recall. This is a huge safety hazard and could lead to serious injury or death.

See all problems of the 2004 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Our 2004 Toyota forerunner with v6 engine was purchased as a used vehicle in 2019 with 106,000 miles on it. Since then, it has developed more and more areas of rust on the frame despite our efforts to mitigate this issue. We have had to repair the frame, suspension, brakes, and wheel bearings. We continuously inspect the undercarriage and continue to discover more and more areas of significant rust/deterioration despite efforts to clean, treat (with paint, rust inhibitors, welding repairs). We are concerned that this deterioration will soon result in a catastrophic failure and possible accident resulting in property damage, injury, or death.

I have been in contact with Toyota several times over the past 4 years about rust issues with this frame, but the refuse to fix it. They recalled the tacoma, tundra and sequoia of the same year for this reason. The frame rusts and falls apart. While driving up my road I felt the rear of the car shift to the side, I turned around and went straight home to find the frame at the rear passenger tire broken. I have attached a picture of the broken area, but can send more pictures of the entire frame if needed.

See all problems of the 2003 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2006 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

The frame is rusted beyond repair and the vehicle has spent the majority of its life in a n underground garage protected from the elements, as well as in florida. It has very low mileage, and no other serious problems.

Rusty frame.

See all problems of the 2005 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

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.

I have another 4 runner with a heavily rusted frame. I am very concerned that a unseen failure can occur while towing a 4300 pound camer or while driving on rough roads. I'm not only concerned for my wife and I but also for our grandkids that visit us monthly. Here is the actual failure. My wife came in last Thursday and asked me what is that car part that fell off? I went out to check and found the right body mount laying there. The bolt that holds it had rotted in two between the upper and lower rubber pieces. The bolt and nut on the bottom looks good so there was no indication of a imminent failure. I'm concerned that other more serious failures can occur.

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.

Excessive rust on the frame. Have heard of other Toyotas from the same time that were recalled but not the 4runner even though it suffers the same issues.

See all problems of the 2002 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Excessive frame rust causing front right front body mount to detach from the frame, passenger frame rail has disintegrated between crossmembers. The 4runner has 170000 miles on it with no body rust.

Our 2003 4runner frame is rusted throughout. Not even safe to drive with 127,000 miles. The control arm is ready to fall off. Thankfully, a busted brake line got us into the shop before a bad accident happened. Now we're looking at spending $4000 on framework to make it safe to drive. So sad that this issue has been know for years and no one is making Toyota make it right. Please do something before people get hurt. We were ready to take a 1000 mile trip from alabama to texas when we found out about the rust. My mechanic stuck a pencil through the frame! it's sooooo bad! please do something!.

My frame is rusted almost to pieces. I know this is a common problem with 4runner of the same year models. And I hope to get a recall because it's putting me and others at risk of wrecking the car and possible injuries.

See all problems of the 1999 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Significant frame rust that has created from rot with rotted out holes. Vehicle is now failing safety inspections. This is identical to the tacoma/tundra/sequoia recall but the 4runners were not included in that recall. The 4runners should be included in that recall or a new recall established since this same frame rust issue is significantly compromising the 2005 4runner (4th generation 4runner) vehicle safety putting owners and other drivers at risk.

Rear of the frame is rusted out there is a big hole in the side of the frame. I just bought this vehicle an I looked at it before I bought it an looked at the frame just figured maybe the rest of the frame would be fine but it was not.

Many signs of premature rust on the frame with several holes. The truck only has 124k miles and should not be in this state. Toyota has to recall these frames just like they do from other trucks manufactured during the very same years.

Frame is rusted out, excessive rust throughout the entire frame and suspension components. Sway bar mounts for rear axle have rusted out vehicle is unsafe to drive.

Recently looked at 2007 Toyota 4runner limited v8 for sale to replace my 2005 limited that has severe frame corrosion and discovered that this vehicle too has nearly the exact same corrosion issues. The rear of the frame by the bumper, where the control arms and radiator are attached to the chassis and frame rails are so badly corroded you can push your finger through the metal. How much more evidence does NHTSA need to demand Toyota recall these vehicles? look at the hundreds of complaints to NHTSA and thousands of owners online posting pictures and videos of their vehicles rust issues. There is a major problem with these vehicles corroding just like the other Toyota body on frame products that were recalled for frame replacements. We own trucks 30-40 years old and not one of them has ever had a frame rust through to the point you can literally poke holes in it with your finger. This is unacceptable on a vehicle 10-15 years old. Jtebt17r670065094.

See all problems of the 2007 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

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.

Frame is rusted completely and unsafe which is a very common problem please help was driving home city street.

See all problems of the 2000 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

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. .

Severe rusting on the frame. Has gone completely through the frame.

Brought to mechanic because steering suddenly became a major problem. Frame has deteriorated to the point that truck is un driveable per mechanic. Suspension components are coming detached, main frame has holes and front frame is completely missing. Mechanic says he has never seen a frame rusted out this bad in his 30 years on the job. He said it certainly shouldn't happen to a vehicle 15 years old. After research it is found this is a major problem with these vehicles.

Upon recently driving a family member's 2005 Toyota 4runner limited v8, I heard a knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle over bumps. Upon inspecting the vehicle, I discovered extensive rust on nearly every single part of the structural frame, suspension components and even exhaust system. Some parts are so badly rusted that they can be punctured by simply pushing your finger through them (including the rear frame cross member crash structure behind the rear bumper). These vehicles are rusting so terribly that I'm shocked NHTSA hasn't forced Toyota to recall them. Yes, they're older, but the level of rust and decay is unprecedented for nearly any modern car. Toyota already had to recall all of their other body-on-frame vehicles (tacoma, tundra, sequoia, and land cruiser) to replace the frames due to rust. Why have they neglected the 4runner when it's arguably the vehicle that will likely see use off road more than all the others? the NHTSA should force Toyota to recall these cars before someone is killed. Look at any online forum as I did last night and you'll see Toyota is actually being sued in a class action lawsuit for this very issue. Tons of people are sharing photos and stories of their own incidents. Someone is going to be killed when their car disintegrates as they drive down the road and they lose control of their steering, braking or if they're hit in a collision and the structural members of the car crumble like a cracker.

Swipe Toyota found significant rust of my frame. Car has 142,000 miles, located in kentucky.

The vehicle frame has rusted through. My mechanic says this is unable to be inspected and should not be driven.

See all problems of the 2001 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

I have a 2007 4runner with currently around 180k miles. When I purchased the vehicle it had some rusting to the frame but nothing deeming it unsafe or dangerous. Within a matter of months the frame had, and still is, rusting and deteriorating at an alarming rate. I am not sure how Toyota has got away with this issue thus far but I'm pruong.

Critical frame rust causing trailing arms to detach under normal use.

See all problems of the 1998 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Rust hole in frame on passenger side rear track arm mount. Created a weak spot in the frame where the rear axel mounts. Due to not enough rust prevention from manufacture.

See all problems of the 2010 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Frame rusts too easily. Coating was not good enough from factory. Tacoma's with same frame were recalled.

The frame has rust and has a hole. It is unsafe to drive and will need to be addressed very soon. There was no specific incident. I recently bought this car. I don't know when it happened.

The driver's side rear control arm mounting bracket that is welded to the frame has rusted and completely fractured off of the frame. The failure occurred while I began to accelerate from a stop light on a city street at normal speeds. I felt and heard a loud pop, then had severe rear end instability while driving, requiring me to "limp home" to maintain control of the vehicle.

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.

More than once a mechanic working on my truck said there is extensive rusting of my frame. I treated the frame two years ago with rust inhibitor and 3m undercoating. That was the second time I undercoated my truck. I know Toyota had a recall for the for rusted frames, the settlement covered tacoma trucks from the model years 2005 through 2010, sequoias from 2005 through 2008, and tundras from the 2007 and 2008 model years but they excluded 4runners. There seems to really be an issue with the materials used. I am worried the frame will break beyond repair since there is no good metal to weld to.

The structural frame of the vehicle is rusted out. Holes, large areas of the frame has rusted out. The frame is structurally compromised. Just noted on 10/19/20. Vehicle was in less than a year earlier with no sign of the damage.