NHTSA Complaint #10460915 — 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

BROUGHT MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY THAT WAS LEAKING. ONCE THE TRUCK WAS PUT ON THE LIFT IT WAS QUICKLY DISCOVERED BY THE MECHANIC I HAD MUCH GREATER PROBLEMS THAN A LEAKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL, HE INFORMED ME THAT MY FRAME WAS "JUNK". HE TOLD ME THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL ROT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL STARTING FROM WHERE THE REAR SUSPENSION TIES IN ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. HE SAW NO POINT IN REMOVING GAS TANK ON THE OTHER SIDE TO INVESTIGATE HOW BAD IT MAY BE THERE, THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ENOUGH TO RENDER THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I QUICKLY ASKED IF THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE FRAME TO WHICH HE SAID NO, TOYOTA ISN'T DOING ANYTHING TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE AT THIS TIME. HE TOLD ME A FRAME FOR THIS VEHICLE WOULD COST ME BETWEEN $10-12 THOUSAND DOLLARS! I'VE TAKEN IT TO TWO DIFFERENT HIGHLY QUALIFIED BODY SHOPS AND BOTH HAVE GIVEN ME OUTRAGEOUS QUOTES TO GET THIS FRAME PATCHED, YET BOTH ALSO SAID IT WOULD ONLY BE A TEMPORARY FIX, THAT THE FRAME WOULD IN FACT NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND BOTH ENCOURAGED ME TO STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND AM NOW LEFT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION AS I NO LONGER HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN WELL KEPT AND DEALER SERVICED ITS ENTIRE LIFE IT ONLY HAS 128,000 MILES ON IT. TOYOTA.... STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCTS AND REPLACE THESE FRAMES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. IM SURE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MOTORISTS DRIVING THIS SAME YEAR VEHICLE THAT LOOK TO BE IN GREAT SHAPE AND HAVE NO IDEA THEIR VEHICLES COULD LITERALLY FALL APART AT A MOMENTS NOTICE! *JS