NHTSA Complaint #11064157 — 2010 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT RATED HIGH, EVEN THOUGH IT COST MORE MONEY THAN COMPETITOR MODELS. RELIABILITY IS WORTH IT TO ME. HOWEVER, THE FRAME STARTED HAVING SIGNIFICANT RUST AFTER JUST A FEW YEARS AND WAS CAUSING SOME EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. FIRE SHIELD RUSTED OFF AND WAS REMOVED. NOW THE MASSIVE SKID PLATE BRACKET RUSTED OFF. TOYOTA SERVICE JUST REMOVED THE ENTIRE UNREPAIRABLE SKID PLATE DUE TO THE LEVEL OF RUST. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO ATTACH TO. THE MECHANICS SAID THEY WERE AFRAID TO SCRAPE OR CHIP ANY MORE RUST BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID THAT OTHER STUFF WOULD FALL OFF AND MAKE THE VEHICLE EVEN MORE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY INDICATED THAT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THEIR OFFICIAL TOYOTA REPAIR ESTIMATE TO FIX THE RUSTING, FAILING FRAME AND MAKE IT SAFE AGAIN IS $17,783.71 WHICH IS HALF THE VALUE OF A BRAND NEW VEHICLE! TOYOTA CORPORATE SAID, SORRY, WE HAVE RECALLED MANY OTHER RUSTING FRAMES ON OUR OTHER MODELS BECAUSE THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE RUSTED THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, WE WILL NOT STAND BEHIND YOUR 4RUNNER THAT YOU PAID $34,500 FOR. I AM TOLD THAT IT IS THE SAME FRAME AS SOME OF THE OTHER RECALLED MODELS. THE TOYOTA CORPORATION TRIED TO COMFORT ME BY ENSURING ME THAT THEY LOGGED MY CASE WILL CONTACT ME VIA FIRST CLASS MAIL IF THEY EVER DO DECIDE TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND MAKE GOOD ON MY $17,000 PILE OF UNSAFE, USELESS RUST.