2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

Severe frame rust. 2 large holes on the inside of the frame just back from the front wheels and 2 large holes at the ends of the rear crossmember.

Odometer Fraud. The contact investigated a 2003 Toyota 4 Runner. The contact stated that during the investigation, he discovered a fraudulent scheme of approximately 15 vehicles with odometer fraud. The contact stated that the suspects targeted Facebook Marketplace victims by spraying oil on the engine prior to test-driving the vehicle, and when the vehicle began smoking, the suspects would ask for a discount for the vehicle. The contact added that after the vehicle was purchased, the odometer was rolled back and the vehicle was resold. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 150,000, and at the time of the vehicle being sold, it was discovered that the mileage was 306,000.

While my mechanic was servicing a small exhaust leak on my vehicle he noticed that the chassis/frame of the vehicle was heavily corroded. He told me that he believe it was no longer safe to drive and that I contact Toyota. I had a local Toyota service center also look at it and they confirmed that the chassis/frame was heavily corroded and unsafe to drive.

My vehicle: 2003 4Runner SR5 2WD VIN: [XXX] Issue: Front driver's side door will not open. Electronic locks are operating, but the door release is not functioning. Safety Concern: What if I was in a situation where I did need to get out of the vehicle immediately? Such as a high-water incident, fire, etc. Especially for a person [XXX], as myself, this would be a big issue. When attempting to exit the car after pulling into the driveway, I could not open the driver's door. The locks would release, but the door latch would not. I had to crawl over the console to get out through the passenger side. This was not easy as I had back fusion surgery and 8 disc replaced, fused. I had to open the sunroof to help with get over and out. After I did get out, I tried the key in the driver's door, it would actuate the door locks on all doors, but the driver's side door latch would still not release. I even disconnected the battery and reconnected. No help. And after knowing more, it was not an electrical issue, but mechanical failure. I now have it at the repair shop after talking with Toyota Service manage who admitted it was a poor design as the repair for this is to destroy the door panel to get to the actuator to attempt to release the door latch. The estimate for this work is 1,150.00. I am beyond frustration, and especially when I see there is no recall for this issue. There are penty of conversations on this same issue on 4Runner forums as well as all over YouTube. Thank you for looking into this. You can reach me at: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Toyota has had issues with their frames rusting out and the 4th generation 4Runner is not exempt from this issue. My 2003 is requiring extensive work to keep it on the road safely due to frame rust. A recall to replace frames should be in place.