1999 Toyota 4Runner Steering Problems

Over the years of ownership, my vehicle has been overwhelmed with rust issues. All four axles are rusted to include the brake components. I didn't realize how bad the rusting was until I heard "popping" noise when making turns The rear suspension sway bar link was rusted so bad, it broke free. I had the rack and pinion replaced in August of 2020 because rust ate through the lines. The frame appears to have separations due to rust as well.

NHTSA ID

11420795

Incident

Jun 14, 2021

I HEARD RUBBING NOISES FROM MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL.I THOUGHT BRAKES BUT WHEN I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF MY VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE RUBBING WAS COMING FROM A RUSTED AND BROKEN OFF BRAKE SHIELD.I AM OLDER WITH BACK ISSUES SO GETTING UNDER THE CAR FOR A GOOD LOOK M IS TOUGH AT BEST.WHAT I COULD SEE USING A RIGID SEESNAKE BOROSCOPE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST .RUST ALL OVER KEY STRUCTURAL FRAME COMPONENTS FROM MOTOR MOUNTS TO STEERING LINKAGE THE CHASSIS IN SOME AREAS HAS COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED.LOOKING AT THE BODY YOU WOULD THINK THE CAR WAS IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE BUT NOT UNDERNEATH.TOYOTA DIDN'T HAVE 4RUNNERS AS PART OF THEIR RECALL BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE AS THE 4RUNNER USES THE SAME TRUCK CHASSIS AS THE TACOMAS .I NEED THIS TRUCK AND I NEED IT TO BE SAFE.THANKS FOR LISTENING

NHTSA ID

11342840

Incident

Aug 2, 2020

Mileage

150,000 mi

FRAME ROT HAS LED TO ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, VEHICLE CHANGING LANES UNEXPECTEDLY, AND DEATH WOBBLE. TIRES AND SHOCKS REPLACED SEPTEMBER, NEEDED NEW TIRES AFTER 90 DAYS ALSO TIE RODS AND BUSHINGS. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ID

11163792

Incident

Dec 28, 2018

Mileage

229,000 mi

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THE FRAME IS JUST ROTTEN THROUGH AND THROUGH IN THE BACK, I HAVE A TUNDRA, 2 SEQUOIA'S, A HIGHLANDER AND A RAV4. RANGING FROM 2001 TO 2015, AND THE FRAME ON THE 01 SEQUOIA LOOKS NEW, THIS IS A BAD FRAME AND GABE AT KEITH PIERSON TOYOTA IN JACKSONVILLE SAID THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FESS UP TO THIS ONE.

NHTSA ID

11101883

Incident

Jun 14, 2018

Mileage

127,000 mi

THE BALL JOINT ON MY 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I STOPPED AT MCDONALD'S BEFORE MY LONG JOURNEY ONTO THE FREEWAY, WITH MY 9 MONTH OLD BABY IN THE CAR, AND THAT SAVED US FROM A VERY BAD CRASH THAT MAY HAVE TAKEN OUR LIVES HAD WE BEEN GOING 60-70 MPH. HOW DOES A BALL JOINT BREAK IN HALF???

NHTSA ID

11013604

Incident

Aug 5, 2017

Mileage

170,000 mi

FRAME SNAPPED AT THE DRIVERS REAR TORSION BAR DUE TO FRAME RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE. I JUST HAD THIS CHECKED AND A LITTLE RUST TO THE FRAME WAS APPARENT BECAUSE IT IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE AND NOT SO APPARENT. ONCE IT BEGAN TO DECAY IT JUST BECAME MOSTLY RUST DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF FRAME ONLY OPTION. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO HELP ON THIS MODEL (4RUNNER) BUT IS ON OTHER TRUCK MODELS, SAME FRAMES SAME YEAR..

NHTSA ID

10731610

Incident

Jun 17, 2015

Mileage

198,730 mi

ORIGINAL OWNER, NOT LOCATED IN THE "RUST BELT" TOOK 4RUNNER TO EXHAUST SHOP TO HAVE A NEW EXHAUST PUT ON AND ONCE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE YOU COULD SEE THAT THE FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH NEAR WHERE THE TRAILING ARM BRACKETS ARE AND ON THE INSIDE/UNDERNEATH OF THE FRAME. THE REST OF THE FRAME IS IN GREAT CONDITION BECAUSE THE 4RUNNER HAS BEEN TAKE CARE OF AND MAINTAINED. THERE WILL BE ABOUT A 2 FOOT SECTION OF FRAME THAT WILL NEED TO BE CUT OUT AS WELL AS NEW TRAILING ARM BRACKETS TO BE CUT AND WELDED IN. THIS VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AND WORTH SCRAP VALUE, WHEN IT SHOULD BE WORTH ABOUT $5000. THE INTERIOR IS PERFECT, IT RUNS GREAT, AND EVERYTHING WORKS AS IT SHOULD BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE, THE FRAME IS CRUMBLING. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. I HAVE DOMESTIC VEHICLES THAT ARE 10 YEARS OLDER WITH MORE MILES THAT LOOK NOTHING LIKE THIS. THEY RECALL TUNDRAS, TACOMAS, AND SEQOUIAS, BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER? GIVE ME A BREAK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10704958

Incident

Dec 1, 2014

Mileage

245,000 mi

THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER REAR LINK FELL OFF THE FRAME DUE TO SEVERE RUSTING. PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT TO. MECHANIC WON'T EVEN ATTEMPT A REPAIR. THE FRAME IS TOO RUSTED. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I BOUGHT IT USED AND HAVE HAD IT FOR 2.5 YEARS. TOYOTA HAS NO RECALL ON IT AND CAN NOT ASSIST ME, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT THE TACOMA AND OTHER MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10683353

Incident

Feb 11, 2015

Mileage

146,200 mi

WHILE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. THE LEFT FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED CAUSING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO COME OFF THE CAR FRAME. SPEED WAS THE POSTED 55 MPH. NO OTHER TRAFFIC, THANK GOODNESS. WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD FOR ASSISTANCE. THIS IS A STUPID DESIGN. A MAJOR COMPONENT IF IT FAILS SHOULD NOT CAUSE THIS TYPE OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. IT DANGEROUS AND TOYOTA SHOULD WARN THE CONSUMER OF THIS STUPID DESIGN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10629378

Incident

Aug 28, 2014

Mileage

298,912 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 3/13/15*CN

NHTSA ID

10597378

Incident

May 20, 2014

Mileage

200,000 mi

I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5, WITH AN IMMACULATE BODY, HOWEVER THE FRAME RAILS HAVE ROTTED OUT SO BADLY THAT YOU CAN PUT YOUR FINGER THROUGH THE RAIL IN SOME PLACES. THE FRAME IS UNSAFE AND A FAILURE COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH. THE MOST SEVERE LOCATION OF THE ROT IN JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME. TOOK IT FOR INSPECTION AND IT FAILED AS IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. NOW HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A WELDER TO SEE IF IT CAN EVEN BE REPAIRED. THINKING OF FILING A CLAIM WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NY STATE. THE THING IS IT PASSED INSPECTION AT THE SMALL CAR BUSINESS I BOUGHT IT FROM( D AND D AUTOSALES IN BINGHAMTON NY-DON'T GO THERE!!!!!!) AND THERE IS NO WAY IT ROTTED LIKE THIS IN LESS THAN A YR SO I'M THINKING THEY PASSED IT JUST TO GET THE SALE. HAVEN'T CONTACTED TOYOTA BUT THEY MOST LIKELY WONT DO A THING FOR ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10438714

Incident

Dec 5, 2011

FULL BLOWN FRAME RUST MECHANIC STATES IS 100% INVASIVE AFFECTING STEERING, ALIGNMENT, BRAKING, AND CHECKING OF DIFFERENTIAL AND REAR-END FLUIDS DUE TO SEIZED COMPONENTS. FRAME IS TOTALLY COMPROMISED, NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND RECTIFIED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10434011

Incident

Oct 27, 2011

THE TRAILING ARMS IN THE REAR HAVE BROKEN. FIRST THE RIGHT AND I HAD IT REPAIRED AND NOW THE LEFT AND IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE METAL BEING SPONGY. IT IS ALSO CALLED THE SWAY BAR LINK. THE STEERING HAD BECOME ERRATIC AND I TOOK IT IN TO BE LOOKED AT AND RECEIVED THE BAD NEWS. TOYOTA HAS NO RESPONSE. THE 4RUNNER HAS THE SAME BODY AS THE TACOMA BUT THERE IS NOT RECALL ON THIS LEMON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10266722

Incident

Apr 12, 2009

-STARTED THE VEHICLE. -MOVED FORWARD A FEW FEET -STARTED TO TURN STEERING WHEEL LEFT, NOTICED STEERING WAS HEAVIER THAN NORMAL AS WELL AS UNUSUAL NOISE -CAR JERKED AND SHOT LEFT... TRIED TO STEER TO AVOID HITTING OBSTACLES BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAVINESS OF THE STEERING WHEEL. DUE TO THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED DIRECTLY TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS -MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY NOTICE UNUSUAL SEPARATION OF THE RACK AND PINION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10255373

Incident

Jan 16, 2009

Mileage

100,000 mi

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY JERKED OUT OF MY HANDS TO THE RIGHT. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT TO CORRECT. THE ROADS WERE WET FROM AN EARLIER RAIN; THERE WAS NO STANDING WATER, NO POT HOLES, OR OTHER VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE, TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH. THE CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL - DOING 2 COMPLETE SPINS ON THE HIGHWAY, THEN INTO THE DITCH ON THE RIGHT; HITTING TREES, FLIPPING, HITTING MORE TREES, AND FINALLY COMING TO A HALT STRADDLING THE DITCH PERPENDICULAR TO THE HIGHWAY. SINCE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING TO ACT LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEM WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK SO HARD TO THE RIGHT AND KEEP ME FROM BEING ABLE TO CORRECT IT. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT PERHAPS THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE LOCKED UP, THE TIE ROD BROKE, OR SOME KIND OF STEERING DEFECT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR.

NHTSA ID

10005490

Incident

Dec 31, 2002

Mileage

59,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 15 MPH ON A STRAIGHT ROAD VEHCILE SPUN OUT OUT OF CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA ID

862891

Incident

Jan 1, 2000