NHTSA Complaint #11040236 — 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

MY 2005 IS SEVERELY RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT IT IS PROBABLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IT HAS ONLY 106K MILES. I'VE TAKEN IT TO TWO FRAME REPAIR/SWAP SHOPS. BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE RUST HAS EATEN HOLES THROUGH THE FRAME AND THAT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE IS LIKELY VERY COMPROMISED. THEY'D SAID THE EXTENT OF THE RUST WAS THE WORST THEY'D EVER SEEN,AND THAT A COLLISION COULD CRUMPLE THE WEAKENED FRAME, PUTTING THE PASSENGERS AND GREATER RISK OF INJURY/DEATH. I EVEN HAD ONE OF THOSE SHOPS START A FRAME SWAP, BUT THEY SAID THAT EVERY BOLT AND PART WOULD SNAP AND BREAK WHEN THEY TRIED TO REMOVE IT AND TOLD ME THAT THE LABOR COULD EXCEED THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE, IF THEY WERE EVEN ABLE TO FINISH THE JOB. EVEN WITHOUT COLLISION I'M WORRIED AN AXLE OR TIE ROD OR SOMETHING WILL BREAK AT HIGH SPEED AND CAUSE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I'VE SUBMITTED A CLAIM TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THEY WOULD DO (FIX, OR BUY BACK THE VEHICLE). THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL FOR TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAMES, BUT THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR FRAME RUST ON THE TACOMA, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE SAME FRAME. AFTER LOOKING AROUND ONLINE AT 4RUNNER FORUMS, I'VE SEEN THE RUST COMPLAINT AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND IN THE WAKE OF THE KOBE METALS SCANDAL, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO RAISE MY CONCERN WITH THE NHTSA. I'M ATTACHING PICTURES OF THE RUST AND A CARFAX REPORT SHOWING THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ACCIDENT ON THE VEHICLE.