NHTSA Complaint #11185623 — 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

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.