Toyota 4 runner has developed severe corrosion of the frame and has been deemed unsafe to operate. Vehicle has been regularly washed and maintained by single owner. Vehicle has not been used for off-road driving. Vehicle has not been in a collision. State safety inspector advised owner that there have been a large number of complaints about frame corrosion of 2004 toyotas and that this vehicle may be subject to a recall notice. Safety inspector stated that frame corrosion of this nature is highly unusual and should be reported to the federal safety agency. Vehicle is not used along coast nor been subjected to immersion in salt water.
2004 Toyota 4RUNNER body complaints
Page 4 of 11: complaints 71 to 100 of 310, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Our 2004 4runner was inspected yesterday (virginia requires annual inspections), and failed due to rust holes in the frame. We have a photo of the holes. This seems odd to us, because the body is rust free and we live in a southern state where there is not a lot of road salt. Virginia does not allow any modifications to frames. I'm not sure whether this can be repaired. We've maintained the car in tip top shape and are very disappointed in toyota. The car is registered in my wife's name, [xxx]. Redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Rust. I was told I may not pass inspection next time because of the badly rusted frame. Along with that issue, the rear hatch is rusting off the vehicle. It can no longer open and close because the latching mechanism has rusted off. The rest of the vehicle is pretty much rust free. Why has it rusted away so badly?
My 4runner's frame broke while driving due to rust. There's a recall for tacoma's but not 4 runners. I thankfully was not injured but now I'm without a vehicle. When I bought my 4 runner I was under the impression toyota was #1 when it came to safety for their customers. Please help me
This well maintained vehicle had been functioning flawlessly up to this point. Our son was on his way home and vehicle felt unstable and started to veer in both directions. He maintained control of the vehicle and was able to get home. I personally drove the vehicle upon his description and sure enough it seemed very unstable. After close examination, it was determined that the frame had separated at a location which left a drivers side rear stabilizer bar detached from the frame. The frame of the vehicle is completely deteriorating and flaking apart. The vehicle is unsafe to drive. We purchased this one owner vehicle for our son. We owned a toyota sequoia that gave us safe reliable transportation for our family for many years and thought this 4runner would be a safe and reliable vehicle for our son to go off to college. The body and mechanics of the vehicle were very sound. Now, to find out, because of the inferior frame, the vehicle is worthless. We are out the money we paid for the vehicle and disheartened by toyota's response that our vehicle was not part of the frame recall that was a known problem and safety issue for so many owners. This could have turned out to be a life threatening situation if he had not been able to bring the vehicle under control. We understand rust & corrosion, but this is extreme. I have owned many different brands of vehicles and have never seen anything like this. This frame is literally crumbling away leaving a beautiful vehicle to waste.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that the undercarriage of the vehicle was extremely corroded which caused the tow bar to fracture and detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed the severity of the corrosion. The contact was informed of the potential for the rear wheels to detach from the vehicle due to the corrosion. The contact reached out to a-1 toyota (50 amity rd, new haven, ct 06515, (877) 734-6467) and was informed that the vehicle was not subjected to a recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for inspection, it was discovered that the front and rear sections of the subframe was rusted. The cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, there was no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 163,000.
My 4runner has excessive frame rust on the entire underside of the vehicle. The rust is far more pervasive than on any other vehicle I have seen and will become dangerous if not fixed. I believe this is a problem with all 4runners from this time period (2002-2006).
Frame is completely rusted out. The engine and transmission are strong but the frame is the weak link to this toyota. This vehicle will not pass inspection and will need to be scrapped.
Frame is rusting. There are 2 big holes.
Excessive rust throughout the entire frame of the vehicle that could potentially be dangerous. Many rusted parts are connected to other parts of the vehicle such as the auxiliary crossmember, fuel tank strap and frame itself. Vehicle has a clean carfax history.
We have a 2004 4runner with extreme body rust a corrosion which has caused the failure of numerous components, brakes, gas tank, transmission lines, wheels and other suspension and exhaust items. We originally noticed this failure and began taking steps to correct areas of concern, but the excessive rust has prevented many repairs on suspension, brakes and other components. We recently had an incident that almost caused a roll-over when the brakes seized and the transmission lines failed. I can describe this in more detail at request. When we try to remove bolts, brackets and associated hardware, they are seized, rounded off and/or broken. With no way to repair damaged parts or remove the rust, we may be forced to scrap a vehicle that is otherwise running perfectly. We have taking extreme measure to attempt to mitigate the continuing damage, but seem to have no option for existing damage. I do know there is 1 open investigation on this issue from 2018, the federal safety agency action number: dp18002. Original complaint number voq 11098055
Had vehicle almost two years. Had the frame and under carriage rust proofed by krown in late 2018. Recently while having the frame and under carriage rust proofed by rust check they pointed out that there was a big hole in the frame. We were going to have it repaired but when they dropped the gas tank we were told that even more of the frame was compromised to the point that they said it couldn't be repaired. We feel we have no choice but to scrap it.
Transmission would not shift in motion leaving from a stop sign. I later found out my transmission lines had corroded away leaking a large amount of transmission fluid. After replacing brakes and adding brake fluid I noticed the brake fluid had leaked from bottom. I had to replace all brake lines and fittings due to corrosion.
Cracked dashboard risk of airbags deploying
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4 runner. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine service at an independent mechanic, the technician noticed the muffler and chassis were fractured around the seal. The technician informed the contact to take the vehicle to a toyota dealer. The vehicle was later taken to bill page toyota dealer, 2923 annandale rd, falls church, va 22042, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,000.
Toyota 4 runner. Consumer writes in regards to frame rusting. *ld consumer states that they noticed that the frame of the vehicle was rusting from the inside. The manufacturer was notified.
Car frame is completely rusted. Nothing is repairable anymore. Rear suspension and break lines effected by rust and broken! Rear suspension can't be fixed due to rust broke connection to frame. This is not acceptable , specially since there is a recall for the same frame model on tundra, tacoma and sequioa at toyota!
My 2004 4runner frame has a major rust problem. It has holes all over and some parts are breaking down due to rust. I took it to a toyota dealer. They told me that they cannot do anything. They didn't advice for replacement as the cost, they say, could be around $15,000. I didn't want to get rid of the car as it has only 74k miles and the body, interior and engine are in perfect conditions, almost like new.
Frame is severely rusting. Holes present which had to be patched numerous times for it to pass inspection. If something is not done soon, I will be forced to get rid of the vehicle because of safety concerns and it not being able to pass pa inspection. This has to be addressed now. For years, toyota dealerships have been supposedly taking pictures and sending them to toyota. They know it is a problem and nothing is being done about it!
The frame of my family's 2004 toyota 4runner is badly corroded, with only 120k miles on it. It did not pass a recent inspection and is unsafe to drive. Two different mechanics told me that if we hit a hard bump, the frame could split. There is an investigation, but toyota needs to recall these cars and fix them, or replace them. I can't afford to junk the car and buy a new one, but I can't drive my young children in it either. Thank you.
Frame has rust problems. I spent thousands of dollars to keep the 4 runner functioning safely and now it is all to waste because the frame that the truck sits on is rusting out and is no longer safe to drive. Toyota must take accountability and include the '04 4runner on the frame recall. My 4runner is in excellent condition, except for the frame. Toyota dealership manager did not want to work on it and even admitted that it's a very common problem.
The frame of the 2004 4runner is rusting out and there are visible holes in the frame that support the vehicle. This appears to be a very common problem according to the dealership with several of the 4runner and tacoma models being affected.
Severe rust on frame and suspension attachment points. Rust is not superficial but rusting from inside of frame tubes.
2004 toyota 4runner with 110k miles with rusted frame. The car is otherwise in perfect shape and well maintained. The frame rust makes the vehicle unsafe to drive all other toyota models with the same issue with frames from the same factory were recalled. The 4 runner was not addressed
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. The contact took the vehicle to a tire shop for scheduled maintenance. The mechanic found that the frame was severely corroded. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notiified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.
Frame has rusted through in at least three areas. In addition, parts of the frame I can pull off by hand. The front crossmember is 80% what it used to be due to parts falling off caused by rust.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. The contact took the vehicle to temecula valley toyota (located at 26631 ynez rd, temecula, ca 92591, 951‑319‑7911) for inspection. The dealer informed the contact that the undercarriage was completely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls. The approximate failure mileage was 166,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the frame had excessive corrosion. The vehicle was taken to rivera toyota of mt. Kisco (located at 325 n bedford rd, mt kisco, ny 10549, (914) 666-5181), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced for various parts over the years. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,720.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. While the vehicle was being serviced by an independent mechanic, the contact was informed that the front passenger side to the rear subframe showed extensive corrosion. The contact was informed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle would be unsafe to drive for much longer. Brown's toyota of glen burnie (7167 ritchie hwy, glen burnie, md 21061, (410) 761-9000) was contacted the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,800.
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