Problems with 2000 Toyota 4Runner SUSPENSION

My 2000 toyota 4runner with 180,000 miles on the car, has abundant amount of rust. being a daily driver it is near the point that it is unsafe to drive. the frame is completely rotted. deemed unsafe to drive any further. as a solid running car, it would be a waste of money to junk the car.

Rusted frame my 2000 4runner suffered structural damage when the frame broke away from the rear control link support brackets while driving. the rear of the vehile became unstable and hard to control. we could not drive vehicle and had to have it towed to a garage. we are trying to determine if the frame can be repaired not. i called a toyota representative and they would not help because there was only a recall on pickup trucks of these years and not 4runners. this is a vehicle that was garage kept for a good portion of its life. i religiously wash my undercarriage throughout the winter months in pa. i have owned 11 toyotas in my driving life, i am 55. several of my vehicles went over 300,000 miles and i have never had a frame rusting problem up untill this one. the body on this truck does not have a speck of rust anywhere but the frame is disintegrating. i find it sad that toyota will not acknowledge that there is a problem with these and fix them.

Rusted frame, my 2000 4runner suffered structural damage when the frame broke away from the rear control link support brackets while driving. the rear of the vehicle became unstable and hard to control. we could not drive vehicle and had to have it towed to a garage. we are trying to determine if the frame can be repaired not. i called a toyota representative and they would not help because there was only a recall on pickup trucks of these years and not 4runners. this is a vehicle that was garage kept for a good portion of its life. i religiously wash my undercarriage throughout the winter months in pa. i have owned 11 toyotas in my driving life, i am 55. several of my vehicles went over 300,000 miles and i have never had a frame rusting problem up until this one. the body on this truck does not have a speck of rust anywhere but the frame is disintegrating. i find it sad that toyota will not acknowledge that there is a problem with these and fix them.

Rusted frame, my 2000 4runner suffered structural damage when the frame broke away from the rear control link support brackets while driving. the rear of the vehicle became unstable and hard to control. we could not drive vehicle and had to have it towed to a garage. we are trying to determine if the frame can be repaired not. i called a toyota representative and they would not help because there was only a recall on pickup trucks of these years and not 4runners. this is a vehicle that was garage kept for a good portion of its life. i religiously wash my undercarriage throughout the winter months in pa. i have owned 11 toyotas in my driving life, i am 55. several of my vehicles went over 300,000 miles and i have never had a frame rusting problem up until this one. the body on this truck does not have a speck of rust anywhere but the frame is disintegrating. i find it sad that toyota will not acknowledge that there is a problem with these and fix them.

Was driving to work one morning and my frame broke and cause my rear differential to shift cause me to have to tow my vehicle.

Frame on both my 2000 4runners is rotting out both bodies are in perfect shape cant wait to sue toyota when they fail .

Frame rust causing suspension arm to drop while driving. it dug into road surface which lifted entire rear into the air. kind of a pole-vault effect. very dangerous. checking for frame rust is not something listed in toyotas maintenance schedule nor should it have to be by owners

Frame rusted and tire came detached from car while driving. felt like driving on ice

The frame where the lower control arm meets is rusting out at an alarming rate. it is going to be unsafe to drive in a few months when the rear lower control arms will be ripped off from the frame rail. there is almost no rust on the body of the truck and it spend most of its life in arizona out of the salt belt. in only 5 years the frame has started to desegregate and it has been cleaned reqularly. i've started undercoating it with petroleum based products and rust converters/ inhibitors and it is still just meting away. the rust hole has grown to over 2 times the size it was 2 months ago. i'm really disappointed that the frames are this bad, i had gm vehicles older and less maintained do better than this.

Driving down the highway in my 2000 4runner, it started to sway back and forth violently, it went into oncoming traffic. thank god the oncoming traffic was far enough away, i had time to get it back in my lane. if not, i would have been a casualty. i got it home and checked underneath the vehicle and found out the frame was rusted through. the whole frame was rusted, holes everywhere you looked. i just spent $2,000 on new tires and other repairs three months ago. now the 4runner is useless, i can't believe this was not a serious safety recall. with all the 4runners on the road there is going to be a lot of people killed. you don't know when this is going to fail until it throws you into oncoming traffic and killing everyone in you car and other innocent people in the other cars that you come in contact with. this has to be a safety recall and have toyota replace these defective frames. this 2000 4runner is in excellent shape, no rust on exterior and runs great. does not burn or use any oil. bad defective rusty frame which was a poor design or lack of prep in manufacturing.

Drivers side bracket holding rear wheel snapped off while stopped. unable to drive vehicle as is.

The entire frame under the vehicle is rotting away the vehicle is unsafe to drive and will not pass the pa. state inspection

Frame corrosion issues need to be addressed. will cause bodily harm or death should failure occur.

Rust in all parts of the frame front/rear

I bought a toyota year ago, my first ever car payment, counting on toyotas being reliable. now i have 4runner in drive way with broken rear trailing arm & frame rott i wish dealer which should it to me or toyota would step in. wife & 15 month old baby traveling 35-40mph felt right rear drop like tire went side ways... truck wobbled/rocked like boat in water. likely needs new frame

I want to be clear that i am submitting this on behalf of all 3rd gen 4runners! it has not, yet, happened to me but i am fearful to drive the vehicle until i replace the parts even though they seem fine. at the least a better, safer design could be made so that when it does fail, peoples live aren't put into jeopardy. hello! i have a question about 1996-2002 toyota 4runner's and their very common issue of the lower control arm ball joints failing. it doesn't matter if the vehicle is stock or modified, first year or last year run but somehow toyota only has issued a recall for the 2001 and 2002 model years. leaving hundreds of thousands of us vulnerable to a severe accident. the failure point is the bail joint and when it fails it severs itself from the vehicle, pulling the axle shaft out and causing the front end to dip to the ground causing a very unsafe driving experience as you could possibly die at any speed. you can find thousands of stories on google, it happens literally everyday with people reporting in many 3rd gen 4runner forums and facebook groups. google '3rd gen 4runner lbj failure' for instance. why does toyota only need to recall 2 years of a 6 year vehicle run? all years are equally affected. toyota is a name of dependability so this rare act of betraying the customer and putting their lives on the line is just so unlike them. can you please look into this and help ya out? i have not personally had this happen but i check my lower arms all the time for any play but have heard stories of others with detailed maintenance and it happening to them regardless. it's totally unsafe and a redesign should be thought up, newer generations do not have this failure prone issue and more importantly if they do fail they do not make for a very unsafe environment.

2000 toyota 4runner frame rot. rear suspention is seperating from the frame, middle of the frame has a 2 foot section missing, and the front of frame right by the firewall has big rot holes in it. the truck is becoming un safe to drive and hard to control at highway speeds

Took my truck to toyota dealership for repairs and they let me know the frame is rusting out.

I was driving 65 mph on the interstate when i heard a clanking sound from the rear, the car started to sway terribly and shake and i lost control. i crossed over the highway lanes, rolled a couple of times and ended up in the ditch with the car upside down. a witness driving behind me said the wheel of the car fell off while i was driving. after inspecting the car, we saw the tire's tread had been ripped off, there were gashes in the tire, and the rear left control arm had fallen off. the car had recently received its regularly scheduled alignment and tire rotation, and the tires were in good shape with only 15,000 miles on them. the car had 118,000 miles on it. the car was a total loss. this was a very serious accident. it sounds like the same problem toyota has been having with other 4runners of this mileage and of other toyota models which have been recalled due to premature rust and corrosion of the suspension.the is a very unsafe car at that mileage and i'm lucky i survived the accident. it's important that other toyota 4runner owners know about this problem because it fails without warning.

I was driving and all of a sudden my car started across the center line from the rear end.

Just recently bought my 4runner from a dealer. began swaying at highway speeds and producing a faint clicking sound. the swaying was noticeably prevalent when engaging and disengaging the accelerator, driving over small terrain features (railroad tracks, road seams etc.) switching lanes and coming to complete stops. upon inspection found the left rear control arm had completely separated from the main frame. this could potentially have caused serious fatalities. this is an issue that needs to be addressed, it appears that 17 years was the magic number.

Takata recall i noticed a very large rust whole in my frame right next to the transmission cross member, it spans about 5-6in from where the visible whole is. also where the lower control arm bracket attaches to the frame is rotting away. both whole on the passenger side.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle started to wobble and the contact heard a clunking noise emerging from the rear driver side. the contact had to pull over to the side of the road and noticed a metal bar hanging form the rear driver side of the vehicle. the rear driver side control arm was rusted and detached from the frame. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 142,491.

I bought the vehicle recently and was taking it to have it safety inspected. driving down a curvy road, the vehicle became difficult to steer straight. a loud thunking noise was coming from the passenger rear quarter. upon inspection it became apparent that the passenger side rear lower 4 link frame attachment tower (just forward of the passenger side rear wheel and tire) had detached from the frame. this condition seems to have been caused by severe metal deterioration from the inside out, hiding itself until it perforated the frame. on further inspection the frame was found to be perforated all along the lower inside wall - from the 4 link tower to the middle crossmember attach point . this area of the frame is adjacent to the muffler and is exposed to exaggerated thermal cycling on a daily basis. some metallurgical reaction to this condition is causing extreme corrosion of the frame rails to the point of failure. this is happening to a lot of 1999 to 2003 4runners in the same exact spot and it's going to get someone seriously hurt or killed. many people are unaware anything is amiss until they poke around the area of the inside frame rail.

My 2000 4runner only has 123k mils on it and the frame is so rusted it might be unsafe to drive. i tried to get new shocks on it and was told they can't due to the bad rust. the rest of the truck is in perfect condition!

Frame rust to the point the passenger rear control arm is about to fall off bc of the amount of frame rust

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving various speeds, a booming noise was heard under the front driver side of the vehicle. it was later discovered that the subframe separated due to excessive rust and corrosion, which rendered the vehicle undrivable. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000. updated 01/06/17*lj

I own a 2000 toyota 4runner sr5. the frame is very badly rusted and is beginning to fail. i have been notified by my mechanic that i should consider replacing the frame for safety issues. toyota has recalled and replaced the same frame on the toyota tacoma but has yet to issue a recall on the 4runner.

I am the original owner... normal driving. regular maintenance. last few times i had a truck in the shop (different ones) they recommend i contact somebody, about the frame... it is basically rusted all the way thru. it is rusting from the inside out, seems like... had many toyota's in the past (and present)... had never seen anything like it.

I bought my toyota 4runner 15 years ago, on year 2000. i am the only owner and i don?t abuse my vehicles. love this car. one days driving back home my car shake and it seemed an issue in rear ?cause the way my car move and noise. it appears the rear left axel mounts was hanging off the frame. talked to the local toyota dealer nothing they couldn't do it requires a new frame. state of massachusetts doesn't allow welding directly into the frames, it's unsafe. i was told to junk the car or replace the frame. just when it turned 15 years. *tr

Fatal lower control arm bracket corrosion-

Frame rotted out on passenger side of car, track bar for rear mount rusted off frame.

While driving down the road, the vehicle became very unstable. vehicle began to wobble back and forth uncontrollably.had to come to a sudden stop to regain control. got the vehicle home to find out the frame was rusted completely through allowing the sway bar to drop on the passenger side.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving 10 mph and making a turn, the contact heard an abnormal noise under the vehicle. upon inspecting the undercarriage of the vehicle, the control arm fractured due to corrosion. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 133,000.

In a gradual left hand turn at highway speeds the rear idler assembly arm at the frame connection separated (broke due to excessive frame rust per certified mechanic), causing dramatic body roll and a near deadly head on collision with on coming traffic. roll over potential was also greatly increased, as needed correction was employed to avoid head on collision - which created over steer to be applied to counter balance sudden almost uncontrollable spontaneous body roll.

Bought a 2000 toyota 4runner 3 months ago. inspection was up and took it to get inspected. they said the frame was trashed from rust.

Thought shocks were bad,put new ones on gotten better one payed almost a 1,000 dollars for four shocks.the most uncomfortable ride i have ever in counter, you fi'll every bump and anything else in the highways. surely this is not the way it is supposed to ride,.i will never buy a toyota of any style for this reason ever again. unhappy owner

Upon removing and replacing my exhaust and muffler on our 2000 4runner limited i spotted a hole in my frame on the rear passenger side just before my right passenger wheel and suspension. i finished installing the new exhaust an began inspecting the frame along the length of the vehicle. while the truck is not new ...it only had what appears to be limited surface rust to most of the framework. however , the portion that was detected was clearly rusted through and now threatens the frame integrity. i expected to keep this car for a long time and am disappointed that this might shorten my expected ownership of this vehicle. *tr

The frame on out 2000 toyota collapsed because of rust. the collapse was on the side frame rail, just before the drivers side rear wheel. the vehicle is not able to be driven. *tr

Traveling straight down the highway at 65 mph. i hear a loud pop and my suv veers hard to the right crossing the low speed lane and breakdown lane. fortunately, there were no other vehicles next to me. suv missed the guard rail, but climbed an embankment and came to rest on the drivers side of the vehicle. resulting in me forcefully twisting the steering wheel, hitting my head on the windshield and braking the side glass with my head. afterwards, looking at the vehicle, it was apparent what had caused the accident. severe rust on the frame, caused the shock mount, and rear control arm to totally separate from the vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that while driving at a low speed, a noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. in addition, the contact had to maneuver the steering wheel in excess in order to turn the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician stated that the rear trailing arm had corroded and fractured. the technician also stated that the vehicle could not be repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 156,000. updated 7/9/15*cn

While driving home from work on 01/24/2015 i felt and heard a noise coming from the rear of my vehicle and the vehicle started to swerve and i almost lost control of the vehicle. i came to a stop and checked the vehicle but didn't notice anything wrong. i got back into the vehicle and drove at a slower speed, when i got home i pulled into my garage and checked the under side and noticed that the frame was cracked where the control arm mounts. i looked on line for recalls and although there are a lot of complaints and there are recalls for the 2000 toyota tacoma which shares the same platform there are no recalls for frame rust on the toyota 4runner. in addition to the crack on the frame there is considerable rust on the entire frame and i think i'm lucky to be un hurt and alive. please help me and all the other toyota 4runner owners. thanks *tr

Vehicle suddenly became very unstable and loose in the rear end while driving down highway at 50 mph. rear end started swaying back and forth pushing vehicle into center of 2 lane highway. once vehicle was under control and off the road frame showed significant rust. lower suspension arm mount on frame had rusted and broke. roughly 24 inch section of this frame area had rusted out. leaving no attachment of the suspension arm to the frame mount. upon inspection many areas of frame are showing significant rust damage. vehicle us now unsafe to drive. i have owned this vehicle for 11-12 years. bought it with 12,000 mile and have taken great care of it. engine purrs like a kitten. runs as well now as when i bought it. toyota will not warranty a bad design/manufacturing process. called toyota dealership whom i purchased it from and they said they have been seeing many of these coming in and toyota will not warranty the bad frames. *tr

The vehicle was severely damage in the front left and middle of the truck. the truck airbags did not deploy causing injury.

My mechanic told me that my perch springs/shock mounts had rotted off. brought the vehicle to a welder and told me that the frame was so rotted out that i should contact toyota to see if there is anything they could do. said he had a 2000 tundra with the same issue that was recalled and replaced. why hasn't the 4runner been recalled yet? *tr

I own a 2000 toyota 4runner. went to the dealership to inspect a leak from the rear differential. found out that not only was the rear differential so rusted that the fluid was now leaking from the porous rusted housing. but the frame was rusted and cracked so bad that dealership said it was unsafe to drive. my now otherwise immaculate condition 4runner is now useless and rendered inoperable. this is a ramp if problem with tacoma/tundra for the same issue and same model years. how is this not a recall. *tr

i purchased my 2000 toyota 4 runner one year ago at dry ridge toyota used cars. while driving the vehicle, the vehicle began shaking in the rear end from side to side on the highway at any speed. it was difficult to control the vehicle with the side to side rear end wobbling which was visible from vehicles following behind. upon having the vehicle checked out at a garage and put up on a lift, the frame underneath has rusted through and is ready to break. the garage said they wouldn't repair it because of liability issues. they said it is unsafe to drive. so now i have a vehicle that i cant drive, cant be fixed and a loan to pay on it. toyota said there is no recall on it and it is out of warranty so they will do nothing. i think this needs to be recalled, it has rusted through in a years time and its only a 2000. *tr

While driving on a family vacation, the 4 runner had a near catastrophic frame failure. the speed of the vehicle at the time of the failure was approximately 30 mph. this failure caused total loss of vehicle control and the inability to safely operate the vehicle. the vehicle was rendered unsafe for operation and it had to be towed. an independent inspection revealed multiple failure points along the frame rail related to corrosion. *tr

On 08/13/2014 my 16year old son was driving his 2000 toyota 4runner on the interstate at highway speeds when right side lower control arm bracket build into the frame fell off the frame and cracked. upon further inspection the frame had rusted from inside out causing the welded bracket to break at the factory weld. it is our understanding that this was a common problem and toyota was doing a voluntary buy back that expired in 2011. we purchased the vehicle in 2013 and was never made aware of any such issues. it appears to us since there has been no service centers willing to re weld the bracket back in place that we are going to have to junk a great running great body condition car due to this problem that appears to be common. according to multiple service garages that have inspected for repair none of them will due to liability and that there is no good metal left to weld to as the frame is simply rusting into holes. any advice on fixes or recalls etc would be much help. toyota dealers advised nothing we could do. *tr

I was driving on the interstate and all of the sudden my car started to bounce left and right and couldn't stop it. i pulled over and inspected the car .when i checked the rear suspension i've seen that the entire bracket that holds the stabilization bar on the driver side was completely broken due to rusted frame. i never seen something like this before. this is unacceptable . i took the car to a toyota dealer in libertiville il and after they inspected the car they told me that the frame is completely rusted and that the car is unsafe to drive but unfortunately there is nothing they can do at this time as a dealer cause toyota does not a have a recall on toyota 4 runners but there is a recall with the same issues on other models like tacoma or tundra. this is ridiculous . what am i going to do with this car now. i just want to mention that i took the car to a local repair shop in my area and when they seen it they told me that they can not weld the frame at this point cause the entire frame is routed and its not safe to drive the car. so my car is trash now . thanks toyota *tr