NHTSA Complaint #11331522 — 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

THIS WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE HAD BEEN FUNCTIONING FLAWLESSLY UP TO THIS POINT. OUR SON WAS ON HIS WAY HOME AND VEHICLE FELT UNSTABLE AND STARTED TO VEER IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. HE MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. I PERSONALLY DROVE THE VEHICLE UPON HIS DESCRIPTION AND SURE ENOUGH IT SEEMED VERY UNSTABLE. AFTER CLOSE EXAMINATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FRAME HAD SEPARATED AT A LOCATION WHICH LEFT A DRIVERS SIDE REAR STABILIZER BAR DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY DETERIORATING AND FLAKING APART. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WE PURCHASED THIS ONE OWNER VEHICLE FOR OUR SON. WE OWNED A TOYOTA SEQUOIA THAT GAVE US SAFE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR FAMILY FOR MANY YEARS AND THOUGHT THIS 4RUNNER WOULD BE A SAFE AND RELIABLE VEHICLE FOR OUR SON TO GO OFF TO COLLEGE. THE BODY AND MECHANICS OF THE VEHICLE WERE VERY SOUND. NOW, TO FIND OUT, BECAUSE OF THE INFERIOR FRAME, THE VEHICLE IS WORTHLESS. WE ARE OUT THE MONEY WE PAID FOR THE VEHICLE AND DISHEARTENED BY TOYOTA'S RESPONSE THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE FRAME RECALL THAT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND SAFETY ISSUE FOR SO MANY OWNERS. THIS COULD HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION IF HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. WE UNDERSTAND RUST & CORROSION, BUT THIS IS EXTREME. I HAVE OWNED MANY DIFFERENT BRANDS OF VEHICLES AND HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THIS FRAME IS LITERALLY CRUMBLING AWAY LEAVING A BEAUTIFUL VEHICLE TO WASTE.