NHTSA Complaint #11364283 — 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

THE RUST ON THE FRAME OF THIS VEHICLE IS UNLIKE ANYTHING I'VE SEEN IN COMPARISON TO IT'S AGE. I WORK ON VEHICLES FREQUENTLY AND HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN A MODERN AGE VEHICLE, AND VEHICLES THAT ARE OVER 40 YEARS OLD THAT I OWN OR WORK ON DON'T HAVE RUST THAT IS REMOTELY THIS BAD. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THE ENTIRE WELD LINE OF THE FRAME RAILS TO BE CORRODED THROUGH IN AN APPROXIMATELY 28" SECTION. WITH FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE ENTIRE BOTTOM SECTION OF THAT RAIL WAS RUSTED OUT TO BE EXTREMELY THIN AND SEPARATED AT THE SEAM, ENTIRELY COMPROMISING THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME RAIL. 2 OF THE BODY MOUNTS ARE ALSO RUSTED OUT AS WELL AS SOME OF THE SUSPENSION MOUNT COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE IS AT RISK FOR HAVING THE SPRING AND STRUT ASSEMBLY OR THE CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY DETACHING FROM THE FRAME UNDER NORMAL OPERATION CONDITIONS. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SAFETY RISK AS IT COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE LOSING ALL STEERING CONTROL. LUCKILY IT WAS FOUND BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED.