If there should be a recall, it should be for Toyota's crappy lower ball joint design. There's tons of documented failures and likely even more undocumented ones. I'm pretty sure people have lost their lives from this flaw.

Yea. A SAS front end with front locker. Like the fzj

Old ball joints fail too. Slap on a lift and it seems the failures increase way more. It's your job to inspect the underpinnings on a 20 year old truck. Want to reduce your chances of failure? Stay stock.

https://youtu.be/SMVkUgQR9NQ

The problem is not necessarily a flaw in the design of the ball joint. It's a poor design, not a flawed one. The average OEM LBJ probably lasts 150-200K without maintenance/failure.

The true problem is that Toyota OVER-engineered the rest of the vehicle.

On most vehicles I've owned, things like wheel bearings and ball joints have lower or equal durability to ones found in a 3rd gen 4Runner. But by then, the rest of those other cars are falling apart as well, unlike the 4runner's drivetrain which would still be considered in its infancy.

But this thread is about a frame recall, which I don't think there would ever be grounds for one. Take my 4Runner for Example. I live in Ontario Canada. We salt our roads pretty heavily. My 4runner was never rustproofed by its previous owners and it's just now starting to show signs or rot starting. It's a 20 year old vehicle with 180K on it. In my area, it's considered a very old and tough vehicle. Well maintained, but daily/winter driven vehicles in my area tend to last about 10 Years/155K miles before they are just about ready for the junk pile.

If people are complaining NOW that their 20 year old vehicle is "falling apart", please don't ever buy a newer vehicle. The old adage "they don't build them like they used to." rings true. We live in a throw away society and car makers take advantage of that (and were probably the cause to begin with). It's not uncommon now for people to own a vehicle as long as it has an active warranty and then trade up. The average consumer doesn't care about lasting durability. They just want their vehicles to last problem free for as long as they own it and won't have to pay for repairs.

Tacoma frames rotted prematurely in a pretty crucial spot. I can't justify or make the same parallel with the 4runner. Even a poorly maintained 4Runner's Frame will likely last 10-12 years before starting to rot. I wouldn't consider that "premature".

None of the numbers I threw out are fact though. Just assumptions and opinions based on observations of vehicle ownership in my area.

If you live in a climate like I do, it's up to the owner to ensure the vehicle is properly cared for accordingly.

Car manufacturers aren't going to design/engineer/build every vehicle to be able to withstand the absolute harshest of climates. It would be overkill for the average owner. It wouldn't make financial sense.

Sounds more like a rust belt issue than a 3rd gen issue for OP. My Colorado 3rd gen and many others here have just surface rust on frame and bolts. And that's without any frame treatment with anti corrosion products.

Sent from my LGMS428 using Tapatalk

I think people are trying to blame Toyota for something that is in essence, largely the fault of the EPA regulations. The push from the EPA is to make the vehicle get better fuel economy....so they are trying to find ways to lighten the vehicle's overall mass. When gas prices are higher....consumers push for this as well....and Toyota needs to provide what the customers want in order to stay competitive.

Most "serious" 4wd vehicles are still body on frame construction. Everything else in the passenger vehicle segment has gone unibody for multiple reasons...not the least of which is weight, crumple zones, etc.

Fact is, the newer frames are very thin to begin with....hydroforming and specialized metallurgy of the base material are supposed to equate to the same or better strength than older frames with less mass. However, in terms of longevity....metal fatigue sets in over time and cycling and corrosion becomes more of an issue with the reduced mass.

This basically boils down to the old adage, if you want something done right, do it yourself.....and if you plan to really wheel your T4R or keep it going long term.....you're going to likely have to do some frame repair work in the long run....though preventative maintenance in highly corrosive environments is critical as well.

Expecting Toyota to recall a frame that is over 12 years old and often is not the original owner making the complaint is a little far fetched, IMO.

Its been over a year since this thread was originally started. I think its fair to assume the OP didn't get as far with it as he hoped. In my area, older Toyota's are known for rusting, not just the frame either. Fords and Chevys are also known for rusting. As mentioned above in other posts, expecting a car company to take responsibility of a vehicle "defect" 10 years after the fact is irrational.

I bought my 4runner after owning a Jeep Cherokee. The XJ us a uni-body design, so no frame and guess what... it was rusting as well and it was 2 years newer than the 4runner. Car manufacturers are in the market of selling vehicles. Making one that lasts forever is not in their best interest. Making one that lasts longer than the competition that nets them a good reputation is and I think Toyota has hit that mark. They are known for being reliable, long lasting vehicles and that is how i will always refer to my 4runner as being, whether the frame rots out or not.

It would be nice if someone could go out and buy the steel and weld up their own frame from scratch using a better grade of material. At the very least they would be able to coat the inside and outside with an extreme rust resistant material.

Just a side note but did anyone else see that they are recalling 2005-2010 Tacomas and early years second gen Tundras and Sequoias?

Jeez you'd think they would've learned from their last frame recall.

Amazing how common sense ain't so common, no?

It’s sky high and tires the size of ceiling fans around here, sir.

I have a '03 4-Runner that still runs as great as it did when I first drove it off the lot. Now the frame is completely rusted/cracked and no one wants to take it in trade. (I do not need a lawn ornament.) I've reached out to the BBB because Toyota Corp USA won't offer anything. I heard Toyota had some sort of programs for the Tacoma but nothing for us? I want to buy another Toyota but not if they cannot stand by their product. There's no reason for this amount of rust when I see plenty of older cars still out on the road. Came onto this site to see if anyone has had any luck.

I don't think so. While a rusted frame is frustrating when the rest of the car is good, it isn't hard to inspect it every once and a while (even once a year is enough) and take measures to protect / repair it before it gets too bad. Everyone knows Toyota's rust. The old cars you see around were probably properly cared for.

The problem with the Tacoma frames was that they would actually fill up with water at the rear wheel arch, they didn't drain. 3rd gen 4runners don't have this problem, not sure if your 4th gen does but I haven't heard of it.

There is nothing wrong with 4Runner frames. They were made in Japan unlike Tacomas, Tundras & Sequoias that were made by Dana Corp in Mexico. If you didn't take it to the car wash after every snowstorm to get the salt off then it's on you.

Stand by their product??? Name another car company that's going to give you a new frame after 14 years! LOL

There was a time when people understood that a 3 year warranty meant it was warranted for THREE YEARS. Now everyone thinks they are at Costco with their 15 year old truck and they want to return it!

Do you suppose the frame rusted from one day to the next?

Do you not assume any responsibility for the maintenance of your own vehicle, or is Toyota responsible for that?