NHTSA Complaint #11341853 — 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

IN PENNSYLVANIA, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR YEARLY SAFETY INSPECTIONS ON ALL VEHICLES. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP IN JULY 2019 AND HAVE HAD LITTLE TO NO ISSUES WITH THE CAR. WE REPLACED THE EXHAUST (WHICH IS TYPICAL IN PENNSYLVANIA) AND A FEW SUSPENSION PARTS IN MAY/JUNE 2020, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT OUR MECHANIC OBSERVED RUST TO THE FRAME THAT HE BELIEVED POSED A REAL DANGER TO OUR SAFETY. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK IN IN LATE JULY 2020 TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE FRAME ISSUE, AS THE YEARLY INSPECTION IS UP AT THE END OF AUGUST. OUR MECHANIC STATED WE COULD DO A REPAIR JOB OF $1,500, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE FRAME WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION NEXT YEAR. HE SAID THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, BUT THE FRAME IS A SAFETY HAZARD. WE GAVE OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER A CALL TO SEE IF WE COULD FULLY REPLACE THE FRAME AND WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR NEEDED REPAIRS. THE TECHNICIAN/REPRESENTATIVE IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT LET US KNOW THAT THE FRAME FOR THIS CAR HAS BEEN TOTALLY DISCONTINUED. HE STATED OUR ONLY OPTION WOULD BE TO HAVE IT CUSTOM MADE, SHIPPED IN FROM JAPAN, AND WOULD COST $7,000 JUST FOR THAT PART. LABOR WAS NOT DISCUSSED, AS THE CAR IS CURRENTLY ONLY WORTH THAT MUCH ACCORDING TO KELLY BLUE BOOK. ESSENTIALLY, THE CAR IS TOTALED DUE TO RUSTING ON THE FRAME THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE IN SIMILAR TOYOTA MODELS IN THE SAME YEAR (ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE). I HAVE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY SAY THERE IS NO SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME TO REPAIR THE FRAME ON THIS CAR. WE HAD BOUGHT THIS CAR UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECENT FRAME RECALL, IT WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE.