Rear frame rusted through. I was driving and a piece holding the suspension together rusted off the frame. The vehicle was in motion and it felt like it was going to tip over. It also felt like the front and back wheels were going in different directions. Apparently a very common issue.
2004 Toyota 4RUNNER body complaints
Page 7 of 11: complaints 161 to 190 of 310, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Excessive frame rust I have a 2004 4runner that has so much life left except for the frame. The vehicle runs impeccably, but the frame, the very foundatiln on which it sits, is crumbling. The frame of my 4runner has rusted to the point where my mechanic recommended I replace the frame before towing anything with the vehicle. The driver side rear corner of the frame was completely gone (no 90 degree angle to the frame there - the whole corner had rusted away). My mechanic fabricated a new corner, but then told me he wouldn't tow even the smallest of trailers because he would expect the frame to be ripped off the car under any load. He showed me the rear-most section of frame extending from the left to right that the hitch sits against and it's falling apart as well, and then from the rear corners of the bumper, the first 18 inches of frame going towards the front of the vehicle are rusted through and separating. The cross-member near the rear of the vehicle is so fragile from rusting, I could tear if off with my bare hands. 1/3 of the way from the front of the vehicle heading toward the rear is another part of the frame that's rusted all the way through. The mechanic said if the frame isn't reinforced, it needs to be replaced in its entirety. No incident occurred because the vehicle was inspected before use, but if I hadn't inspected it and went through with my plans to give the car to a friend for him to tow a trailer with furniture from pa to ky, who knows what tragedy may have occurred.
Excessive rust is compromising steering control.
My 16 year old daughter was driving on a city street and was turning into a driveway and the lower control arm on passenger side broke and I was told it was because the frame is rotted. Not sure if I am able to fix due to the frame. I am new to the northeast and was not aware of rotted frames out here.
The frame is extremely rusted resulting in near separation of different parts of the frame. The car has been to the toyota dealer many times but this was not pointed out. A local car repair shop pointed it out.
I took vehicle in for brake repair, the mechanic noted excessive frame rust and cautioned that it may be unsafe to continue to operate the vehicle with out remedy. Recommended thousands of dollars worth of repair work. I am the second owner of the 4runner, but the SUV spent most of its life in arizona, away from harsh winters and salted roads. Loyal toyota customer, but very disappointing because I planned to keep this SUV until it was vintage, but now I am afraid to drive it or sell it to someone else.
The frame has so much rust on it and other areas of the undercargo that it has caused my speed and ABS sensors to work improperly. Speedometer will just quit working and ABS lights will come on with the vcs trac, vcs off, and ABS lights all coming on, then the engine light will also come on from time to time. There is already a hole rusted through the frame and mechanic said it was just a matter of time before it rusted through and broke.
The rust on the frame of my 2004 4runner is excessive and very concerning to me as I've had the local toyota dealership and my personal mechanic tell me not to drive it at all and if so keep it to a minimum. Not sure what to do because that basically means the SUV is no good... I was told there is a recall for that but after typing in my VIN there was no frame recall... Why is the rust so bad is my question and why are there other people dealing with the same thing, is also something I'm finding out. The SUV's overall condition is great and it has fairly low miles (126,600) so the rust being so excessive is confusing. Just looking for some help on what to do and what my options are because it's definitely a safety hazard.
Frame is rotting in several spots. Toyota has issued recalls on tacomas, but not the 4runner which has the same frame.
Frame rust - vehicle failed inspection due to excessive rust on frame which rendered unsafe to operate by the inspection station. This was previously reported however the VIN was not correct.
Excess rust on frame. It was concluded by repair shop not able to pass inspection due to safety.
Excessive rust and corrosion on frame and suspension components. My mechanic, who sees plenty of late model vehicles across numerous makes, was aghast when he saw how much rust and corrosion there was here during a recent transmission repair job. He said it's to the point that he'd recommend taking it to a body shop for a full inspection. I purchased this vehicle new and have taken good care of it. The truck spent most of its early life down south and in colorado where salted roads are rare. It was also garaged during two year-long deployments. The latter half of its life has been here in new england, but I see lots of previous generation 4runners around that presumably haven't rusted out...
My vehicle has excessive frame rust on the passenger side middle of frame and has a hole. I'm concerned the frame may split in half while driving.
Frame is rusting in key areas making the vehicle unsafe to drive untill repairs are made to the frame. There are rust holes near the cross arm and above the rear control arm and the spare tire detached while driving due to rust.
Significant rust throughout frame, as well as many components around the engine.
Excessive rust on frame. Deteriorated structure near radiator and skid plate.
Frame rust prevalent. There appears to be a few poorly designed areas on the frame that accumulate water and rust at an accelerated rate compared to other sections, namely: front radiator auxillary bracket that supports the front skid plate and trans cooler lines, and the sections of frame directly above the rear trailing arms, just after the transmission crossmember, and right before you get to the rear shock mounts. The front auxillary crossmember was poorly designed as there are 2 low points on either end with insufficient drain holes, thus water is trapped and causes corrosion over time. The rear trailing arm secitons are the same story, as water appears to pool in here and cause accelerated corrosion, where the passenger side is greatly affected as compared to the driver side which gets protection from the gas tank being in the way apparently. Multiple forum searches and pictures from other individuals reinforces my thoughts. These areas of the frame needed better drain capabilities seeing as this is a boxed frame that on its own is apt to accumulate debris, road salt, and water.
Frame rusting badly, especially the lower front radiator supports. Paint clear coat has failed. Rust around the front windshield area. The coating on the alloy wheels started falling off within one year of purchase. The vehicle has 125000 miles I am the original owner and lived in the new england area for 15 years, 3 years in florida.
2004 4runner sport v8 with 135mi. Vehicle frame has rusted to the point that it will no longer pass pennsylvania vehicle inspection. Vehicle has been deemed unsafe due to excessive frame rust. The extent of the rust is not commensurate with the age, mileage, or element exposure of the vehicle. The rest of the vehicle is in great condition and would otherwise be roadworthy for many years. As the sole owner, I have maintained this vehicle throughout its life and am disappointed to now have to manage a total loss.
I own a 2004 toyota 4 runner that has a really bad rust problem around the lower radiator support. It has 145000 miles and it's been garage kept most of it life ..
Frame excess rust
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. The contact noticed that the subframe was rusted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.
Since vehicle was 5yrs old the frame has rusted terribly. The rust is so significant there are holes and pieces of it have just fallen off. Currently, the steering joint is so rusted that it cannot be driven safely because it feels like it may lose control on the road. Entire undercarriage appears so badly rusted that I am not sure this vehicle is safe to drive anymore.
Frame has rust holes almost broke on right side and running threw on left
Frame is rusted badly poor breaking system I had to replace the lines that keeps my toyota stabilized. I put so much money into my 2004 toyota 4 runner limited. Now the rust has taken over on sides and under radiator. Transmission lines now leaking badly rust has been an on going problem but when I had it inspecited mechanic brought me out in the garage to show me.
Hi, I recently purchased a toyota 4runner 2004 from a previous owner. I don't know much about cars and how the process works. But when the check engine light came on. I went to go take it to get it fixed as well as preparing the car for the smog test. Which it failed, toyota the company was unable to fix due to having concerns of being liable and sued incase of a car accident. They also told me that I would have to be careful driving the veichle because a tire can break off. I am a college student and this was the only car that was in my budget. I really hope a recall goes out. I am afraid of my safety as well as others. Thank you. I hope to hear a recall soon.
Frame is rusted and warned will likely not pass state inspection when renewal is required in june 2019 by several mechanics
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that there was extensive rust on the frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. An independent mechanic diagnosed that there were massive holes and cracks in the front and rear of the frame, and the rear wheel well was rusted. The mechanic stated that the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency action number: dp18002 (structure). The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 194,000.
My 2004 toyota 4 runner is in the dealer for routine maintenance. Most of the car maintenance have been at this local toyota dealership. I just had the cv boots and sway bar bushings replaced this past spring and summer. I have the records for these particular maintenance and repair. My service mechanic mentioned there is significant amount of rust on the frame/ chassis. On september 7, the mechanic at the same dealership showed me again the excessive rust on the frame. It is so severe, one of the loops for towing the truck in the front of the frame just broke off. I attached the picture of the broken hook/loop in this document. The truck has 102,000 miles on it. It is mostly in the garage if not being used. I understand that other models in the same years like the toyota tacoma & toyota seqoiua have the same excessive rust but there is an already recall program for these models. Do the 4 runner from the same years have the same frames. Why is there no recall for the 4 runner for the excessive rust isssue which can be a safety problem for the driver and the passengers? The mechanic does not reccomend me driving this car due to the excessive rust. The mechanic warned me that rust is so excessive that my radiator can just fall off because the part of the frame holding it in place is so corroded from rust. I am hoping toyota can address this issue sooner than later. It is a safety issue.
Frame is prematurely failing. There are holes rusted in the frame. This has been a known problem with other toyota models which utilize the same frame. Toyota did a random "inspection" where they identified and fixed on piece of the frame but have failed to provide support for the entire frame. The car is now unsafe as it has failed a vermont state inspection.
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