Problems with 2000 Toyota 4Runner STRUCTURE

Frame is really rusting bad as is the case with 100s of other 4runners. t4r.org will show hundred upon hundreds of complaints of this. my truck only has 99k miles and the frame is almost completely wrecked. this has been an issue on these trucks for years and nothing has been done. please look into this it's a huge safety issue!

2000 4runner with frame rust/rot, rear passenger side railing arm fell off. lucky i was not driving fast on a highway, it was just a slow speed street. took to two frame shops, one said would not work on it since it's so bad. other says i need a new frame costing about $3400. body in excellent condition. my dad's 1984 gm blazer frame is still solid and have a lot thicker frame!

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while chaning the brakes, the contact noticed that the frame was rusted. additionally, while driving 30 mph, the rear frame dettached. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the frame needed to be replaced. the contact called fred anderson toyota of asheville (777 breva road, asheville, nc 28806, (828) 585-5825) and notified them of the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 1907010686. no further assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 217,957.

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.

Frame rust there are areas where the frame is completely rusted through. this is rusting from the inside out and it's been told to me it was due to toyota not rust proofing the inside of the frames or coating them at all.

Frame is excessively rusty and severely cracked, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive. it became apparent when vehicle began to sway dangerously while driving straight on the highway at a high rate of speed. slowing down did not help reduce sway. sway was so excessive that the keys in the ignition were forcefully banging against steering column, and stopping driving immediately was necessary to prevent the vehicle from rolling over. frame is cracked on both sides, one side severely. photos included.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving approximately 40 mph, a popping noise was heard under the vehicle and the vehicle erroneously pulled to the right. upon inspection, the contact discovered that the subframe was severely rusted and corroded, which caused a support bar to fracture in half. the vehicle was not repaired. the local dealer (greens toyota of lexington, 630 e. new circle rd, lexington, ky) was notified of the failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving 35 mph, the contact crashed into the rear of anoher vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the contact was not sure if a police report was filed. the contact sustained two slipped discs in the lower back, a bruised liver, a fractured vertebrae, and three missing teeth. medical attention was received. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection and the contact was informed that the frame was rusted. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed to have the vehicle towed to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the failure mileage was 98,000.

Frame is rotting from the inside out. very little visible corrosion, and all of the sudden larhe sections of missing steel. this vehicle only has 157,600 miles, and should have lasted to 300,000, as it is mechanically solid. i think the tundra, tacoma, and sequoia recall, should have added the 4runner. but toyota would not have been able to blame the dana corporation. toyota was of no help, when they were notified, as i expected. i guess they have to wait for fatalities to begin. this is the last part of the vehicle that should fail!.

Frame is rotting away on a vehicle with 158,646 miles. toyota has been aware of this issue for years, yet no recall for the 4runner 's. what will it take , a death, because of a frame failure?

This is a very well known issue, my frame on my 2000 4runner is completely rusted out, my shock mount rusted and broke while driving. there are many many many cases of the 3rd gen 4runners rusting out, a simple google search yields pages and pages of corrosion to frames. this needs to be addressed as other toyota vehicles in this age grou has recalls for frames.

Rear trailing arm mounts rusting away from frame. in addition, some other parts of the frame are rusting through.

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.

While in motion we noticed side to side movement in the rear of the vehicle which felt unstable..the right rear spring arm broke loose from the frame. upon inspection it was noticed that the inside of complete frame assembly had 1 1/2 in wide gap rusted away the complete length of the frame.

Vehicle has 180k on it. its rusted out beyond repair on the frame at both driver and passenger side coil shackles. the tacoma had a frame recall, i believe we should to. my vehicle is only starting its life. can go 500k plus miles. something needs to be done.

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.

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving 70 mph, the rear driver's side trailing arm, which was connected to the frame of the vehicle, fractured. the contact was able to drive the vehicle home safely at a reduced speed. a representative from la crosse toyota (800 3rd st s, la crosse, wi 54601, (608) 793-7000) inspected the vehicle and took several pictures. the contact was informed that someone would be in touch with him. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 211,000.

The frame on my 2000 toyota 4runner is missing sections of due to that. i have contacted toyota and the informed me that my 4runner is not covered under the recall for rusted frames. i do not know where else to go to get my 4runner's frame repaired or replaced. please advise, thank you

Progressive severe rear frame corrosion leading to structural failure.

Driving in mild winter condition (light wet slush) on a maintained highway my 4runner began to fish tale. when an attempt was made to correct the fish tale no control input from the drive would correct the sliding motion. this caused the vehicle to slide toward the shoulder of the road. on the shoulder of the road the vehicle began to slow to almost a stop, however, the rear end was far enough off the shoulder that it began to be pulled by gravity down hill. while it slid down hill the rear wheel hit a rock causing the axle to snap near the contact point of the wheel. this caused the vehicle to roll one and a half times endangering four lives. the air bags failed to deploy however none were injured. the car was destroyed and not able to be driven.

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.

Frame of the vehicle is corroded and i almost lost my life. i was driving on the highway when i was picking up speed, i lost control of the steering.

Major rust/corrosion on inside right frame rail extending from front section of vehicle's frame to rear frame. the frame supports near transfer case and the right rear control arm pose a serious risk of detachment. rear right control arm failure could result in serious crash or injury at city or highway speeds. rust has eaten through most of the right frame rail with large holes. no action being taken by toyota, no shop wants to repair.

Significant rust on the frame affecting the structural integrity of the vehicle

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.

The truck began to feel funny while driving on a city street,i took it in for inspection,and the frame has separated from rust,making the vehicle unsafe,and a possible death trap for the motorist.

Fail safety inspection doe to a very bad rost frame complete unsafe to useless

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving 50 mph, the vehicle began to shake violently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the frame rails were severely rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. a dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 76,000. the vin was unavailable.

The frame on the car is rusted beyond what is normal.

I was driving down the interstate, traveling at approximately 55 mph and went over a small transition in the road and the car started rocking violently from side to side, like the vehicle was going to roll over. any time that the car is over about 40 mph and it hits even the smallest of bumps, this is the result. upon inspection of the vehicle, i found that the passenger side frame rail was severely rusted, with structural damage as a result, including one of the stabilizers hanging loose. i took it to a shop to see if it was repairable, and they stated that this is the worst case of frame rust they have ever see, even on vehicles twice its age! and that it cannot safely be repaired! this has been an issue with many other 4runners of the same age, as evidenced by reading other complaints on here and the ntsb web site, as well as many other web sites of this type. this is the same thing that caused the 2000 toyota tacomas to be recalled. this vehicle is no longer safe to drive, and cannot be sold to someone at the price it should be valued without this issue, so i have lost the full value of this vehicle! there is no reason that a 17 year old vehicle should have this amount of frame damage as a result of rust!

The frame is rusted through on the passenger side of the vehicle. the mechanic at muffler man showed me that it is about ready to break its rusted so bad. he showed me that where the ac unit is placed the water from it runs down the frame collects there and then rusts out the frame. driver side is good. the vehicle is unsafe to drive at this time. the vehicle was stationary on a hoist when they showed me.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the rear frame was rusted with holes. the local dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 164,000.

I took my well maintained third gen 4runner to the shop to get new tires because it has been acting up and i thought it was the worn out tires that affected the drive, which caused my car to swift and jerk but to my surprise it was actually a broken rusted frame that caused the hazard movement when driving and not the tires. the mechanic shop told me it's not fixable at all and should not drive. they recommend i look into a recall because as i'm aware now this has become a problem for many 3rd generation owners of the 4runner. i'm the 3rd owner technically 2nd since it belonged to my father who bought it off the first owner for me. and it's been well maintained both by the previous owner and i.

I have a complaint.. what i thought was sway bars turned out to be a frame problem. ian very disappointed at toyota that there is no recall on these frames. they are the same as the tacoma frames. very upset. could have been killed by this mistake ..

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while the vehicle was being serviced at priority toyota chesapeake (1800 greenbrier pkwy, chesapeake, va 23320), the dealer discovered that the passenger side frame rail was rusted and had several holes. the vehicle could not be repaired due to the extent of the damage. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 250,000. the vin was unavailable.

Frame rails rusting thru. i hope i don't die in this thing or kiil another else.

Vehicle has been family owned since new, well cared for and garage kept. vehicle has 123,000 miles and looks great. while driving home from work on 5/26/17 the vehicle suddenly started to sway side to side and i feel if i was going any faster may have caused a rollover. i pulled to the side of the road and was inspecting all components in front and rear when i noticed the trailing arm bracket on the drivers side rear end had completely separated from the frame at the factory weld. no other visible frame rust that i have found so far but i have not completely inspected. with toyota having notorious frame rust issues and recalls on the tacoma, i cant believe they haven't addressed the same dangerous issue on the 4runner. my wife owns the same make model and year 4runner and i have advised her not to drive it as well until it can also be inspected. i have owned at least 10 toyotas in the past and were in the market to soon purchase new ones. if toyota fails to address this issue i will be sure to shop for another brand.

I have only had this truck for 2 months. the frame is rotten so bad that the metal co netted to the real trailing arm has fallen off the frame... the car is unsafe to drive. this is a 17 year old car but there is no way the frame should be rotten this badly. it seems that this is a very common problem for the toyota's of these years and toyota had a recall on tacoma but not 4runners...... i have a honda that is 5years older and doesn't have any frame for like this.... toyota can do a recall on tacoma and tundra then they can fix the 4runners too!!!!!!

Severe blowout of frame , engine only has 130 thousand , this issue should be recalled along with the others that have been , its a bad d grade metal that makes up the frame its garbage

Frame rot beyond repair

Takata recall..my 2000 4 runners frame is rusted out on the back end and my fiance had to put a plate on the right front about 3-4 yrs ago because it was rusted pretty good too..it now like dances in the back end if i hit a rough patch in the road which doesn't make me feel safe at all to put my children in it.

The frame on my 2000 toyota 4-runner is rusted out and is not drivable due to safety concerns. i have 282,000 miles on it and i have to junk a car that drives due to this rusted out frame

Right rear control arm frame bracket broke, brought to garage for repair to find passenger side frame rusted out from rear to front and unstable, drivers side frame rusted and deteriorated as well, mechanic says vehicle unfit for the road, motor, transmission and body still great shape, shame on you toyota for using such low quality steel on a important structure of the vehicle, could of resulted in loss of life. rectify this issue before it does please.