Problems with 2000 Toyota 4Runner STRUCTURE

4runner has 142,000 miles and i was just told by my mechanic that it is unsafe to drive due to corrosion o frame. there is a 2ft section that is non-excitant. entire frame is rusted junk.

This is what broke on my truck

The frame corroded, making lot of holes in the frame at the bottom of the truck.

Frame rust exceeds normal wear and tear. frame rusted right through. bolts rusted. the frame absolutely disintegrating. entire frame needs to be replaced. brakes the abs initiates at nearly every stop. whole system needs to be replaced.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that the subframe was rusted to the point that a hole developed under the vehicle. the dealer diagnosed that the subframe would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 240,000. updated 02/22/2017*ct

The steel frame is rotting through on my 4runner. i have owned a lot of cars and have never seen a frame rot problem like this.

The frame of my car has completely rusted- to the point where parts of it are breaking off. the rest of the body/engine are in great condition. i have done research and there are thousands of other complaints with the same issue on the 3rd generation toytoa 4runners (years 1998-2002). toyota did a recall on the 1998-2002 tacoma frames which are identical to the 4runner. the car in unsafe to drive and toyota will take no accountability for this problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. while driving 25 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the vehicle moved side to side. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was diagnosed by an independent dealer who diagnosed that the frame was fractured, rusted, and the trailing arm anchor was rusted and fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

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

Excessive frame rusting and weakening of suspension mounting points.

Significant frame rust

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that the frame was rusted on the rear passenger and driver sides. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear swing arm fractured and the front crossmember was about to fracture. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 167,000.

I took my 2000 4runner into a toyota dealership for a service check and to have all fluids changed, and as soon as they had the car on the lift they called to inform me that an extensive portion of the passenger side frame rail was rotted. i went to the dealership to inspect the rust and rot under the car and to take photos. i asked if this problem was seen a similar models of my truck and i was told that toyota has replaced other truck frames under recall, however there are no recalls for the 4runner at this time. i asked how the frame could be repaired, and the service manager told me that they couldn't help me and that i would have to seek another shop, and they sent me on my way. they didn't warn me of any safety concerns nor did they recommend a local shop that could help with the specific repair.

There are multiple holes in the frame, it is rusting through very badly. it is unsafe. i can take more pictures if needed. the "date this happened" isn't accurate, this vehicle has been rusting quickly for a long time.

Vehicle frame is rusted so bad that my rear sway arm broke away from the frame on the passenger rear side. car is unsafe to drive due to the car bouncing all over the road due to the rusted frame.

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that the frame underneath the front passenger seat was completely rusted and rotted out. the contact was so apparent that it did not need to be diagnosed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the failure mileage was 140,828. ...updated 01/05/17 *bf

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 took my vehicle in for an oil change and tire rotation. the mechanic called and said that the frame is broken and that you have a recall on it. he said to contact you for what to do next. since we have owned the car it has had a clunking sound on the front drivers side.

Frame on passenger side has rusted away, large pieces gone. i no longer feel safe when driving it. my complaint number with toyota 1608181265. it appears that the ac drip hose empties on to the frame in the same spots as the rust. there are 159,289 miles on the 4runner.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that the frame of the vehicle was curroded. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect and determined that the vehicle had too many miles and age; therefore, no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was approximately 273,454.

Extensive frame rust at rear control arm mounting location and forward of it.

Frame has holes in it, truck is perfect in every other way, frame holes same as recalled on tacoma and tundra, same safety issue, could break during operation.

I have owned this vehicle since 2005. i have taken it to a certified toyota dealership for every major checkup or repair. not one service tech or mechanic has mentioned or noted anything about frame rust on this vehicle until a state inspection in june 2016. the mechanic tells me that my vehicle has a huge hole in the frame and is rusting out and is unsafe to drive. his fix for this problem was to direct me to his sale manager to purchase a new vehicle ( haley toyota midlothian, va) . not one word about this prior to this event. my vehicle has only 140,000 miles. this is unsatisfactory.

I have a 2000 4runner with 144000 miles and the underside is rusting away. i now have holes in the frame. toyota has advised me try to repair or purchase something else because this vehicle is no longer safe to drive and will not pass virginia state inspection. i have 1994 toyota dlx pickup that has 372000 miles and the underside of it is in good shape.

Rotting frame! un drivable. stabilizer bar popped off.

The passenger side frame rail on my 2000 4-runner is completely rusted thru on the section next to the muffler. looks like its going to break in half.

My mechanic was repairing the rear shocks and noticed frame rust. he said frame rust has been a problem with some toyota trucks and 4runners. he knows this because he worked for toyota at one time. he suggested calling toyota and filing a compliant and request for repair with them which i did. the case number is 1605101239. in the course of my conversation the toyota agent advised me that toyota tucomas and tundras were having similar issues and that toyota was offering "customer support" on those vehicles but even though the frame rusting issue was the same on 4runners toyota was not offering any " customer support " or recalls for 4runner frames even though they are aware of the issue. further internet research indicated that rusting frames on 4runners is a common problem but toyota refuses to do anything about a potential safety issue for it's customers. please help. appreciate anything you can do.

Purchased the vehicle on 4/15/16. extremely clean both inside and exterior of vehicle. had around 104k miles. i was under the vehicle changing the oil and noticed extensive frame rust including one area where the frame had been repaired from a hole right where the lower control arm attaches for the rear axle. there is another hole starting in the same location and since it is a box frame and seems to be rusting from the inside out, it's almost impossible to stop. i was really excited about getting this vehicle and paid cash for it with money we had saved. now i cannot let my family drive the car since i think it is unsafe.

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

Like so many others i've heard of, the frame has rusted through. the back left wheel assembly is now wedged up onto the floorboards. the exhaust system has broken apart before the muffler. i just bought this car two years ago and loved it, but now am horribly disappointed in the frame and toyota's lack of desire to do a recall.

Frame rusted through and snapped apart while making a left turn into traffic.. rear passenger side.

The frame is severely rusted

Took my 2000 toyota 4runner to a mechanic after noticing the frame looked like it was rusted through in one area. mechanic said the frame was seriously rotted through in many areas and could not be fixed. he said it was unsafe to drive and told me i'd be crazy to drive it down the highway. i had just bought this vehicle 1 month ago with 146,000 miles on it and it is considered unsafe to drive. unbelievable that there is not a recall on the 4runner for this problem yet toyota trucks with the same frame problem have had recalls and buy back offers. is toyota waiting for deaths to occur? i have purchased 2 toyota vehicles prior to this 4runner. i trusted the name to be one of the safest & most reliable. i am mortified to know there are so many of these vehicles on the road with rotted frames, quite possibly with young children in them, that could result in a death if the frame gives out while driving. please take this seriously nhtsa and help to get the toyota 4runner recalled for this rotted frame problem. it is truly a matter of life or death!! shame on toyota for making light of the problem. my trust in the toyota name is forever tarnished. i, like other people that have posted on here, will be waiting for a class action lawsuit to occur. i certainly would never sell this to someone else knowing they could be seriously injured or die due to the frame failing while driving. *tr

While driving 2000 toyota 4runner i noticed it was not handling normal. the vehicle would wander and would not go in the direction i was turning. after getting back home, i inspected underneath the vehicle checking the front end suspension. while under the vehicle i noticed the right rear stabilizer mount had rusted off the frame. the vehicle is now undrivable due to this hazardous condition.

The frame is rusted to the point that it may break apart while driving. tacomas of similar years with the same frame have a similar problem and a recall for this problem.

4runner frame is rusting along with suspension components the body is in perfect shape i have 2 vehicles that fit this description

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that the frame had excessive rust. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that a new frame was required. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 121,000.

With only 129,000 miles and with normal driving conditions my frame has rusted through leaving my vehicle too dangerous to drive. the vehicle is in great condition in every other aspect, and was not driven off road or misused in any way. i noticed the rear end swaying when going over bumps in the road and took it in to the local mechanic. he said i should not drive the vehicle again and it was only good for parts at best since the frame is unrepairable. in addition to the obvious place it is cracked it is rusting away in multiple other locations. i am stuck with a car that runs great, but is a safety hazard. had i not noticed the swaying i may have been killed or killed other motorists due to this manufacturing defect.

Takata recall. i was driving approx. 55 miles per hour on highway 138. i hit black ice and drove straight into a tree on the side of the road. the air bags did not deploy. i sustained injuries to my face and head, from smashing into the steering wheel.

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

Frame totally rotted away and suspension detached with 4 children in the vehicle! thank god i stopped the vehicle and had it towed. you almost killed 6 people toyota!!!!

The frame is rotting out all along the passenger side due to rust. its starting to rust around key frame brackets. after a mechanic looked at he said this is a problem with this series 4runner.

Frame rusted out date is when i was informed of the issue

Severe corrosion in the structural framing (the box beam on the right side) of the car resulted in the sudden loss of a portion of the bottom flange of the box beam. the portion of the bottom flange that fell off is about 3 in. wide by 14 in. long. that portion of the failed flange also included the connection of the struct rod supporting the right rear wheel. the lost of the struct rod support to the structural framing caused the vehicle to sway widely side to side and to roll left to right while i was trying to control the car. the car drifted to the side when i applied braking to the car. it was very fortunately that when this failure occurred, i was driving on a local road in less than 40 mph, and there was no other cars in my immediate surrounding. otherwise, a serious accident could have happened. after sending the car to the repair shop, it was observed that the corrosion has severely undermined the structural integrity of the structural framing of the car, in this case it was the longitudinal box beams supporting the car. i discussed the problem with toyota of america and they informed me the warranty for corrosion is only for 60 months. however, i told them the structural framing of the vehicle should have a much, much longer service life than 60 months. a sudden structural failure of the vehicle in motion could have deadly consequence. the odometer reading of my car is less than 63,000 miles.

Driving home from work my tortion bar snapped off my chassis, come to realize a huge section of my chassis rotted away.

Car was towed to body shop and once put on lift mechanic observed socks went right through the enitire frame advising us this car is not salvageable to do a rotted frame and futhermore is a death trap for anyone to drive italso rear differential is leaking.. car has under 130,000 miles and was maintained with all records in tact.. apparently toyota is aware of this saftey issue and has not recalled on this make ,year and model

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota 4runner. the contact stated the frame was rusted on the sides of the vehicle. a mechanic diagnosed that the frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

I was driving my 4runner and notice the back brakes were making noise. i also noticed a knocking noise that sounded like something was broke. while driving my car to the shop i felt like the backend was swaying. i drop my car off expecting to have some brake work done, possibly even a sway bar or something replaced. the mechanic called me the next day and informed me that they cannot even look at my car because if they put it on the rack, it will break in half. my frame was completely cracked in half. now this is the type of thing that does not happen overnight. there was obviously an issue with the frame for a while. the mechanic suggests i call toyota to see if there is a recall. i call toyota and there is no recall associated with the 2000 4runner. i did however find out that there was a recall on a 2000 toyota tacoma frame for the issue of rust and frames cracking. the toyota 4runner and toyota tacoma both have the exact same frame. if there is a recall on one, why wouldn't there be a recall on the other? i believe the reason is because toyota sold more 4runners in 2000 than they did tacomas. they didn't want to recall the 4runner for fear of losing so much money. they are putting lives at risk by not owing up to this error.

The frame on my 2000 toyota 4runner is rusted out on one side of it, it was just the side, but now there is rust holes in the bottom of it as well. this is a very big issue and could end up totaling my truck if i'm not willing to spend thousands on a new frame/repair. these 4runners are known for being reliable, but also for terribly made frames, and i have run into that unfortunate case. please actually look into recalling and replacing these frames, i know many other people with this same issue, and it doesn't make sense why other trucks except for the 4runner were recalled. everyone with one of these models would greatly appreciate a recall on these frames. thank you, [xxx] (do not have a specific photo of the rust on frame, but i do have one of the rust on the body, just to give you an understanding, the frame is way more severe though) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr