Noticed the right front wheel making awful sound. I had my mechanic to take a look. It is the wheel bearings going out, but then proceeded to tell me that the rust is so bad underneath that all the hose lines will have to be replaced. Brake lines leaking, transmission line leaking. All will have to be replaced. The rust is eating away underneath the car like cancer. No stopping it. The sway bars are rusting into as well. Our mechanic will let us know how much it will cost to repair the lines...but is it worth spending the money on??? This is our 7th toyota that we have owned, always taken excellent care of vehicle, and I have never experience such a rusty mess. Love my 4runner but really don't know what to do with it!
2003 Toyota 4RUNNER body complaints
Page 9 of 11: complaints 221 to 250 of 284, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Frame has significant rust and has developed a hole up near the front of the car. I've had the rust sandblasted off and the frame re-coated, but should the frame fail, it could result in a real safety problem. Driver seat belt does not retract properly, which could result in the seatbelt not being snug enough to prevent injury in the event of an accident
Have rust on my frame. Have hole near my cat converter that toyota found during inspection which failed because of the hole. They recommended I take somewhere else to patch to save money. Seems dangerous that frame is rusting to the point that it caused a hole.
Extensive and severe frame/chassis rust and corrosion throughout . This is a well-know problem with both 4runner and tacomas
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. While the vehicle was being serviced for annual routine maintenance, the dealer observed that the frame was severely corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 235,000.
Extensive premature frame rust
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. While at an independent mechanic for repairs, the mechanic diagnosed that the entire subframe was corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,000.
I purchased my toyota new in 2003 and have had it serviced by the same dealer as per schedule. I have 300469 miles but have rusting frame even though I wash under frame on a regular basis. I have been told by the mechanics at the dealer that is just thw nature of the make. I plan on keeping my car because it runs very well with little or no problems witb exception of rust. The tacoma of the same year was tecslled.for this same reason but not the 4 runner with the same frame
I'm an owner of a 2003 4runner and have researched the issues involving the paint on the wheels pealing. I have found that it is an issue with several, if not all wheels that toyota uses on their 4 runners and other trucks. Why does toyota continue to sell and use a wheel when they know it is defective, and why aren't they correcting the problem by issuing refunds, or repair services? The defect leads to the wheel being corroded and eventually compromises the integrity of the wheel's strength. The safety of the wheel is a big concern of mine, especially since the problem continues to get worse. Sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Failed state inspection 1/25/16 due to rusted and perforated frame. It passed the inspection 1/26/15 just before selling vehicle to us. We have put less than 7000 miles on it since purchase on 1/28/15.
While driving on the highway the passenger rear side of my toyota 4runner began to move up and down and wobble making the car wander all over the road. We immediately went to the local toyota dealer, carver toyota of columbus in taylorsville, in. Inspecting the car on the passenger rear side we found that the rear suspension had pulled away from the frame where the frame had completely rusted leaving a big hunk out of the frame. There was extensive rusting of the frame in multiple places. The car was inspected and photographed by matt warren, service manager at carver toyota and was determined to be undriveable. This is a well maintained vehicle which is in tip-top condition in every other respect than the rusted frame. We are very upset to lose a good car which still had a lot of value still left in it to us. We also feel that this is a very important safety issue. We were incredibly lucky that neither we nor anybody else on the highway that day were injured by this dangerous situation. And we are very concerned that this has been reported in other 4runners as well and there hasn't been a recall and these dangerous vehicles are still on the road. We are holding on to the vehicle hoping that there will be some remedy for this situation. Thank you so much for your attention.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4unner. While driving over a pothole at approximately 25 MPH, a loud bang emitted outside of the vehicle. The vehicle wandered out of the lane independently and became difficult to steer. The failure occurred when encountering uneven road surfaces and potholes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the entire frame was completely corroded. The vehicle was beyond repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Updated 04/14/16*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. While backing out of the driveway, the lower control arm failed and the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and an inspector sent by the manufacturer examined the damage. The inspector determined that the subframe bracket, which holds the lower control, had rusted and caused the lower control arm to fail. The inspector recommended that the entire frame of the vehicle be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.
My 2003 4runner has serious frame rust issues with less than 150,000 miles. The piece of the frame that supports the radiator and A/C condenser has rusted completely through and the radiator is unsupported on the driver's side. I have not experienced this problem with my old 1996 4runner which had 100,000 more miles on it.
Heavily rusted areas on the frame on my 2003 toyota 4runner. Vehicle is garage kept and routinely maintained.
Scheduled vehicle for regular inspection. Toyota rep advised substantial rot on frame, rear passenger side. Did not pass inspection. Rep advised that no current remedies/recalls in place. Rep suggested to trade it in. 153000 miles, engine/transmission excellent condition. Frame washed and treated w/ rust prevention 2x a year. Unacceptable structural problem, given the circumstances with no remedy from toyota.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that the subframe of the vehicle had excessive rust. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be serviced, but it was discovered that there was extensive corrosion on the frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000. .....updated 12/08/15 *bf
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that the subframe was rusted. In addition, there were three large holes in the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.
My vehicle has severe frame rust and rot. Part of frame at the front of the car has holes in it and is not safe to drive. This vehicle has been well maintained. It was driven primarily in maryland and virginia.
Brought the vehicle in for a suspension check and the mechanic found the passanger rear frame completely rotted.
Rotting out frame with gaping holes. There are several large holes in the frame, and along the weld lines and soft spots leading to more as well. Unsafe to drive and now off the road (I am now without a car or value for trade in). Apparently, according to 3 separate mechanics I brought the truck to, it resembles the tacoma rotting that LED to recall (that I had never known about). According to last mechanic who I was going to get a quote for repair said the whole frame is rotted, soft spots in several other areas, and it is a matter of time and not worth fixing. I have called toyota twice and they basically said "to bad for you". Nothing they are going to do. I've taken good care of my car, bought it new and have been the only driver. Planned on another couple years at least. Very disappointed in toyota and lucky that I was in get to an inspection sticker as I wouldn't have known. I imagine could have been very dangerous to myself and the general public hadn't I been made aware....updated 07/30/15 *bf updated 9/24/15
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. While the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for unknown repairs, the technician found excessive rust on the rear frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
No failure. Flame is rusted through in parts and vehicle deemed unsafe to drive by dealership during routine maintenance. Failure is imminent and could be catastrophic. Toyota factory personnel handling complaints acknowledged the risk associated with a rusted frame, but insisted that they could do nothing. Frame is same/similar to the tundra and tacoma vehicles of like model year, both of which have had manufacturer recalls. No factory support exists for the 4runner. I am to keep my receipt for any repairs and if a recall happens in the future, toyota would "consider" reimbursing me for costs.
2003 4runner was in for service and I was informed that there was an excessive amount of rust damage on the front frame cross member and there is a danger that the radiator, which is supported by the cross member, could shift or work loose. The rust damage is most evident near the front right (passenger side) frame member where the tow hook is mounted. Due to weakness in this area, the tow hook pulled out when the truck was being winched onto a flatbed for towing.
My mechanic showed me that my 4runner has severe frame rust. The mechanic stated that it cannot be repaired. The mechanic is warning that the vehicle will not pass it's next safety inspection. The 4runner was purchased and kept in virginia.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that the dashboard was developing a crack on the passenger side. The vehicle was taken to two different independent mechanics and both stated that the air bag was leaking causing the dashboard to crack. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while having maintenance performed on the vehicle, the technician found that there was a hole on the subframe near the rear passenger side wheel. The technician added that the frame had corroded from the inside out and stated that the failure was caused by a manufacturing defect. As a result, the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to assist with the replacement of the frame. The approximate failure mileage was 110,380.
2003 toyota 4runner has very excessive amount of rust and corrosion on the undercarriage. Took the vehicle to a local auto repair shop to have a rattling sound checked out. Turns out, the heat shield broke loose and was resting on the exhaust assembly. Also, a muffler hangar was ready to come loose. In addition to this, the mechanic informed me the gas tank supports were also rotted away. I've been doing some research on online forums and found that other toyota vehicles, such as the tacoma, have been recalled for this same problem. In the interest of safety, I think these issues merit further investigation.
My 2003 4runner has a big rust problem... The frame is rotting at an exponential rate... Recently took in for an oil change, and my mechanic said the frame was severely rusted out, and was starting to have perforations...I haul my children around in the vehicle and it is starting to worry me that it is going to be unsafe to drive... I called toyota to try and remedy the situation, but they pretended like there was no problem... I have done lots of research and found thousands of complaints with 4runner owners in the same years and body styles as mine who are having the same exact problem- this needs to be recalled by toyota before someone gets killed, if it hasn't already happened...
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