1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Power Train Problems

AS I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE POSTED, I HAVE THE CLASSIC 4RUNNER REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEEPAGE. MINE IS A 1996. SEEMS TO BE DUE TO A BAD CASTING FROM FACTORY. NEVER HAVE I RUN INTO THIS BEFORE. VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY WASHED, HARDLY ANY RUST ON ENTIRE VEHICLE, BUT FOR THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASTING TO BE RUSTED THROUGH/POROUS ENOUGH TO SEEP GEAR OIL THROUGH THE INTERSTICES WHILE MAINTAINING STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY (SAFETY ISSUE?!!!!!) IS A MAJOR FAILURE FOR TOYOTA AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED AND SHOULD BE REDEEMED BY COMPANY. I SEE FROM READING ONLINE BLOGPOSTS THAT I AM 1 OF MANY THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. I'VE HAD MANY OTHER OLDER VEHICLES, ONE IN MY POSSESSION NOW (1989 FORD F-150 WHICH HAS BEEN USED IN WINTER BUT SAT ALL LAST SUMMER, AND HASN'T BEEN WASHED IN YEARS) THAT HAS NO PROBLEMS REMOTELY LIKE THIS RELATED TO THE REAR AXLE. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE...

DIFFERENTIAL/AXLE HOUSING RUSTED OUT. I PURCHASED THE TRUCK THIS PAST WEEK AND NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING AND WHERE THE SUSPENSION PARTS CONNECT TO THE HOUSING. THIS IS WHAT HOLDS THE DIFFERENTIAL/AXLE ASSEMBLY TO THE TRUCK. IF LEFT UNCHECKED THE COVER WILL EVENTUALLY RUST OUT AND LEAK OIL AND COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A CRASH IF THE DIFFERENTIAL LOCKS UP DUE TO NO FLUID. ALSO THE BRACKETS COULD RUST OUT CAUSING THE SUSPENSION PARTS TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE HOUSING CAUSING A CRASH. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE ON 4RUNNERS AND WELL DOCUMENTED ON MANY INTERNET FORUMS. *TR