NHTSA Complaint #11124488 — 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

THE FRAME OF MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER V8 DEMONSTRATES EXCESSIVE AND CONCERNING RUST DAMAGE. THE BODY IS IN EXTREMELY GOOD CONDITION AND HAS ALMOST ZERO RUST, A STARK CONTRAST AGAINST THE FRAME. THE FRAME HAS RUST DAMAGE HEAVILY ON THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT, A 8" LONG SPOT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TRANSMISSION CROSSMEMBER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, AND BY THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR LOWER TRAILING ARM MOUNT. THESE AREAS OF RUST DAMAGE CAUSE ME TO BE CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE IN THE LONG TERM. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 180K MILES, WHICH SHOULD LEAVE MANY YEARS OF ENJOYABLE TOYOTA OWNERSHIP FOR ME, IF ONLY THE FRAME WAS STILL IN HALF AS GOOD OF SHAPE AS THE BODY. I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS RECENTLY DONE FRAME REPLACEMENTS FOR OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD NOT DO AT LEAST SOMETHING FOR THE 4RUNNER. LIVING IN MICHIGAN I ALWAYS EXPECT SOME RUST ON A 15 YEAR OLD VEHICLE, BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY EXCESSIVE. I HAVE STARTED TO USE POR15 RUST COATING TO HOPEFULLY SLOW THE ROT SO THAT THE VEHICLE MAY REMAIN SAFE TO DRIVE FOR A FEW MORE YEARS, BUT I AM HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING NONE THE LESS. I HAD EXPECTED THIS ON MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE, A NISSAN WITH OPEN RECALLS FOR EXCESSIVE RUSTING, BUT I HAD FAITH THAT THIS TOYOTA 4RUNNER WOULD NOT HAVE THESE ISSUES SINCE TOYOTA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN GOOD ABOUT MAKING THINGS RIGHT WHERE RUSTY FRAMES ARE CONCERNED. CLEARLY NOT IN THIS CASE. THIS DOES GENUINELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY LIKELIHOOD TO PURCHASE A NEW TOYOTA IN THE FUTURE, AS RUST IS A NIGHTMARE TO DEAL WITH AND I DON'T INTEND TO RISK HAVING TO AGAIN, UNLESS I SEE SOME SIGNS THAT TOYOTA WILL HELP WHERE THERE WAS CLEARLY SOME KIND OF MISTAKE.