2002 Toyota 4Runner Steering Problems

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH A SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME. MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 70K ORIGINAL MILES ON IT, NO BODY RUST, BUT AN EXTREMELY RUSTED UNDERCARRIAGE AND FRAME. I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO CONTINUALLY DRIVE WITH THIS PROBLEM, AS IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE AND COULD AFFECT OTHER COMPONENTS SUCH AS STEERING, SUSPENSION, BRAKES, ETC. SEEING AS HOW TOYOTA HAS ALREADY HAD A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEIR TRUCKS OF THE SAME YEAR FOR UNSAFE RUSTED FRAMES, I FEEL MY 4RUNNER SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE FRAME REPLACEMENT RECALL.

I WAS DOING AN OIL CHANGE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED VERY BADLY . I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL 3RD GEN 4RUNNER (1999-2002)THIS IS THE SAME FRAME AS THE TRUCK THAT WAS RECALLED ,SO THIS SHOULD BE INCLUDED .IF THIS FRAME BREAKS IT WILL HURT OR KILL SOME ONE .

FIRST, THE MOTOR BLEW FOR NO REASON AT 152,000 MILES. I REBUILT THE CAR AND HAD A NEW MOTOR PUT IN. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE RUSTING FRAME ISSUE, HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH A LOVELY NEW REBUILT MOTOR FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR, THE FRAME ROTTED BEYOND REPAIR CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO GO OUT. I DON'T DRIVE MUCH, SO THERE WAS NO EXCESSIVE EXPOSURE TO SALT. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT WAS AN EXCEPTIONALLY COLD DAY. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THE POWER STEERING FLUID HAD FROZEN AND LOST ALL THE FLUID AS A RESULT OF THE STEERING RACK BEING RUSTED AND WEAKENED. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE FRAME AND ROCKER PANELS ARE SEVERELY COMPROMISED TOO BADLY TO BOTHER FIXING THE STEERING RACK. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AROUND CURVES. SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MILES PER HOUR ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD, THE ANTI SKID LIGHT ILLUMINATES WITHOUT WARNING ON A DRY PAVED ROAD WITH A SUBSEQUENT SUDDEN PULL TO THE RIGHT AND "GRINDING" NOISE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE TOYOTA DEALER CAN NOT HELP, SINCE HE CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE LATEST OCCURRENCE PULLED THE VEHICLE ACROSS THE CENTER LINE INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. (HAD THERE BEEN ONCOMING TRAFFIC THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT)

LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE, BUT RECENTLY TOOK MY CAR IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE SLOWLY DRIFTS TO THE RIGHT, AND SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 50-60 MILES. I WAS TOLD BY 2 DIFFERENT BODY SHOPS (1 OF WHICH WAS TOYOTA) THAT MY ENTIRE POWER STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AND IS CURRENTLY LEAKING. I WAS ADVISED THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IF MY POWER STEERING WERE TO STOP WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT FAST SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY. I RECEIVED A FULL-POINT INSPECTION WHEN MY MILEAGE WAS AT THE 50,000 MARKER BUT THIS WAS NOT AN ISSUE AT THAT TIME.

VEHICLE BUCKED AND SWAYED AS REAR FRAME SEPARATED AT THE JOINT ON DRIVER SIDE WAS UNAWARE OF ISSUE BEFORE THIS TRIED TO FIND SWAY BAR ISSUE IT WAS SPOTTED AT A DISTANCE BY COWORKER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR END OF THE FRAME COMPLETELY RUSTED. IN ADDITION, THE RACK AND PINION WAS FAULTY AND REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILRUE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER RECALL ID FROM NHTSA: 05V225000 AUTO RECALL DATE: 05/17/2005 VEHICLE COMPONENT: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT ESTIMATED VEHICLES AFFECTED: 768379 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER DEFECT SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ISSUE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SURFACE OF THE BALL OF THE JOINT MAY HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED. THE BALL JOINT MAY EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND LOOSENESS, RESULTING IN INCREASED STEERING EFFORT. DEFECT CONSEQUENCE: THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITH THE BRAKES ENGAGED, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE REAR AND FRONT BUMPER WERE DAMAGED. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST WAS $3000. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THEM BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT A VERY LOW UNKNOWN SPEED THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS TURNED INWARD AND THE CONTACT NOTICED A ROD WAS HANGING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD WAS BROKEN. THE TIE ROD WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,925 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,200. UPDATED 10/05/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIIP MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AT NO CHARGE. UPDATED 10/07/10

WE TAUGHT THAT WE BOUGHT THE SAFEST CAR. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WE NOTICED THAT THE CAR VIBRATES WHILE DRIIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THAT IT IS PULLING SIDE TO SIDE. WE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PROBLEM ON MAY 20, 2002, JUNE01 AND 08, 2002, JULY 01, 2002, AND LAST TIME ON AUGUST 13, 2002. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CAR IS STILL HAVING THE SAME SAFETY PROBLEM. WE WANT TO HAVE IT RETURNED OR GET OUR MONEY BACK DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO FIX IT AFTER VISITING THE SERVICE FIVE TIMES. WE HAVE ALL WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION THAT CAN VERIFY EVERY FACT WE STATED. IF YOU NEED IT WE WILL SEND IT TO YOU. SINCERELY, [XXX] & [XXX] MR PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

THE CONSUMER NOTICED FROM THE WHEN THEY FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT IT VIBRATES (AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS) AND PULLED TO THE LEFT. THEY CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND BALANCED THE FOUR TIRES AND THAT DIDN'T HELP. (THE STEERING WHEEL(S) WERE NOT STRAIGHT AND PULLING FROM SIDE TO SIDE) THE CONSUMER HAD BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, AND ON ONE OCCASION WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG, AND ON THE SECOND THE REP NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTERED. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR A LAST TIME (AFTER HAVING LEGAL ASSISTANCE) AND WAS TOLD THAT A STEERING CONCERN EXISTS, AND PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT AND AFTER SEVERAL DAYS THE PROBLEM REOCCURED-WHICH WAS THE LAST STRAW. AT THIS POOINT THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING A NEW VEHICLE OR THEIR MONEY BACK. *SCC *TS