2010 Toyota 4Runner Body & structure Problems

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally file a complaint against Toyota regarding their failure to notify me of a recall related to the clear coat peeling from my vehicle’s paint. I was never informed of this issue through a recall notice, nor did it appear in my vehicle’s history. I only became aware of the recall when a friend, who owns the same make and model in the same color, experienced the same problem and was able to have it repaired under the recall. When I contacted my local Toyota dealership, I was told that I am now outside the recall window and that the repair can no longer be completed under the recall. However, had I been properly notified in a timely manner, I would have taken my vehicle in for the necessary repairs. I believe Toyota’s failure to send me the recall notice has unfairly prevented me from receiving the repair I was entitled to. I am requesting NHTSA’s assistance in addressing this matter, as Toyota’s lack of proper notification has left me with an unresolved defect. Please advise on the next steps I can take to ensure Toyota takes responsibility for this issue. Thank you for your time and assistance. Best regards, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] UANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11649198

Incident

Mar 19, 2025

I was told the paint on my 4 runner was recalled, but because it was a salvage title they where very rude and told me sorry but they can't fix it. I was so upset because when you spend 40,000. on a vehicle and something recalls it shouldn't matter if its a salvage title or not. So I left. I recently was getting some work done at a different dealership because a friend works there and I was explaining to him the situation and he said that isn't right and I needed to look more into and see about having Toyota fix the problem. I have sense called them back and they are still giving me the same run around and are still very rude. I haven't asked for a manager or anything but wanted to see if there was anything I could do first. It just upsets me because it runs so well but the paint looks horrible on it and it isn't my fault they have bad paint on there. Please help me

NHTSA ID

11578355

Incident

Mar 18, 2021

Frame is starting to rot despite undercoating. Has several soft spots.

NHTSA ID

11484044

Incident

Jun 30, 2017

I own a 2010 Toyota 4Runner VIN # [XXX]. I bought the vehicle late last year and found that the vehicle paint was peeling. I took my 4Runner to the one and only dealer here in Laredo, Texas. They told me to take it to their company body shop. The body shop looked at my 4Runner, took pictures and submitted everything to Toyota. This was late November or early December 2021. I called the body shop back in January. The body shop manager told me it had been approved to paint all the metal panels on the truck, but that I would have to wait until May of 2022. In May of 2022 I physically went back to ask the body shop manager about the truck getting painted. He said that it would not be painted until August, but that if I did not want to wait I could “take it somewhere else”. After waiting all of this time I did not want to start all over again somewhere else, so I told him that I would leave it there. Sometime in late June or early July 2022 I physically went to check with the to see if my truck could be painted, and the body shop manager told me that he did not know when but I was the "fourth one in line". I did not want to lose all my “wait time” and have to start all over again. I am very concerned that my 2010 4Runner will not get the paint job that Toyota already knows it needs before the expiration date of December 11, 2022. I have reached out to Toyota Brand Engagement Center and have spoken to them to exhaustion about the fact that it appears that my truck will not get painted (case# [XXX]). Toyota refuses to provide me with documentation that the claim for paint was submitted and approved (documentation I can use to protect myself should the expiration date come and go without getting painted). Toyota also refuses to extend the expiration date of the paint program to allow for paint job approvals that have not been completed. I have tried to make a claim on my own insurance which was subsequently denied. They said to contact Toyota. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5

NHTSA ID

11477363

Incident

Aug 3, 2022

RUST HOLE IN FRAME ON PASSENGER SIDE REAR TRACK ARM MOUNT. CREATED A WEAK SPOT IN THE FRAME WHERE THE REAR AXEL MOUNTS. DUE TO NOT ENOUGH RUST PREVENTION FROM MANUFACTURE.

NHTSA ID

11378590

Incident

Nov 29, 2020

Mileage

285,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BUCKEYE TOYOTA (740-654-3943, LOCATED AT 1903 RIVERWAY DR, LANCASTER, OH 43130) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR END OF THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND DAMAGED THE SUSPENSION. THE HEAT SHIELD WAS ALSO RUSTED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE HEAT SHIELD, THE EXHAUST SYSTEM (WHICH WAS ALSO RUSTED) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT CALL THE CONTACT BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 241,000.

NHTSA ID

11296671

Incident

Jan 2, 2020

Mileage

241,000 mi

MY FRAME IS RUSTING AWAY. THE UPPER REAR CONTROL ARM BRACKET ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OFF THE FRAME. THE FRAME IN FRONT OF AND AROUND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM IS RUSTING AWAY WITH A LARGE HOLE JUST IN FRONT OF THE BRACKET. IN A MATTER OF TIME THE BRACKET WILL SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME. THE FRAME WELD SEAMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE ABOVE THE REAR AXLE ARE EITHER MISSING OR FULL OF POROSITY. ALSO, THE REAR SWAY BAR RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKE RECENTLY.

NHTSA ID

11169976

Incident

Jan 1, 2019

Mileage

263,200 mi

BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT RATED HIGH, EVEN THOUGH IT COST MORE MONEY THAN COMPETITOR MODELS. RELIABILITY IS WORTH IT TO ME. HOWEVER, THE FRAME STARTED HAVING SIGNIFICANT RUST AFTER JUST A FEW YEARS AND WAS CAUSING SOME EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. FIRE SHIELD RUSTED OFF AND WAS REMOVED. NOW THE MASSIVE SKID PLATE BRACKET RUSTED OFF. TOYOTA SERVICE JUST REMOVED THE ENTIRE UNREPAIRABLE SKID PLATE DUE TO THE LEVEL OF RUST. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO ATTACH TO. THE MECHANICS SAID THEY WERE AFRAID TO SCRAPE OR CHIP ANY MORE RUST BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID THAT OTHER STUFF WOULD FALL OFF AND MAKE THE VEHICLE EVEN MORE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY INDICATED THAT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THEIR OFFICIAL TOYOTA REPAIR ESTIMATE TO FIX THE RUSTING, FAILING FRAME AND MAKE IT SAFE AGAIN IS $17,783.71 WHICH IS HALF THE VALUE OF A BRAND NEW VEHICLE! TOYOTA CORPORATE SAID, SORRY, WE HAVE RECALLED MANY OTHER RUSTING FRAMES ON OUR OTHER MODELS BECAUSE THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE RUSTED THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, WE WILL NOT STAND BEHIND YOUR 4RUNNER THAT YOU PAID $34,500 FOR. I AM TOLD THAT IT IS THE SAME FRAME AS SOME OF THE OTHER RECALLED MODELS. THE TOYOTA CORPORATION TRIED TO COMFORT ME BY ENSURING ME THAT THEY LOGGED MY CASE WILL CONTACT ME VIA FIRST CLASS MAIL IF THEY EVER DO DECIDE TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND MAKE GOOD ON MY $17,000 PILE OF UNSAFE, USELESS RUST.

NHTSA ID

11064157

Incident

Jan 19, 2018

Mileage

75,000 mi

MY WIFE WAS AT A RED LIGHT WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE WHEN SHE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT FENDER AND TIRE AREA . NO AIR BAG DEPLOYED THERE IS OVER 8,000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGES THE OTHER DRIVER WAS MOVING 35+ MPH AT IMPACT SO NOW ALONG WITH THE WHIPLASH AND SHOULDER BRUISES AND SEAT BELTS CUTS THERE MENTAL DAMAGE SHE FEEL THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AND IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT WHEN REPAIRED IN CLOSING I FEEL AT THE SPEED OF TRAVEL ON IMPACT THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10597794

Incident

Jun 1, 2014

Mileage

58,000 mi

THIS 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WAS BEING DRIVEN LESS THAN 30MPH WHEN A KNOCK WAS HEARD COINCIDING WITH SLOPPY HANDLING. TAIL PIPE WAS RIPPED FROM MUFFLER. 4W DRIVE HAD BEEN IN USE FOR A FEW DAYS DUE TO SNOW, THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE TRUCK WAS PUT BACK INTO 2WD. BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO MY MECHANIC THINKING STEERING/SUSPENSION PROBLEM, WRONG! WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT AND COULDN'T BE FIXED. MY MECHANIC REMEMBERED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A FEW TACOMA PICKUPS AND SUGGESTED LOOKING FOR RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM. THERE AREN'T ANY. HOWEVER, IF YOU DO AN INTERNET SEARCH ENTERING "TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAME ROT" YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT WHAT SHOWS UP. OWNERS WHO HAVE WELL MAINTAINED THEIR 4RUNNERS AND TACOMAS FROM THIS ERA ARE BRINGING THEIR TRUCKS IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND ARE FINDING OUT THAT THEY'RE LUCKY THAT THEY WEREN'T KILLED OR INJURED BECAUSE OF FRAME FAILURE. OTHER OWNERS HAVEN'T BEEN AS LUCKY. JUST GO TO ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM AND LOOK UP "2000 4RUNNER FRAME COMPLAINTS" AND THERE ARE 36 HITS. THAT'S JUST ONE MODEL YEAR AND ONE WEB SITE.THIS IS DANGEROUS. IT'S NOT OBVIOUS UNTIL THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM. THE FRAME ROTS FROM THE INSIDE. MOST INTERESTING WAS THE MECHANIC WHO HAD HIS FINGERS GO THROUGH THE FRAME WHILE TRYING PULL HIMSELF UNDER TO LOOK AT SOMETHING. IT SEEMS, AFTER READING COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS ISSUE, THAT TOYOTA FEELS THIS IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. IT SHOULD CONCERN THEM THAT THEY MADE 4RUNNERS THAT, WHILE STILL LOOKING GREAT AFTER MANY YEARS ON THE ROAD, ARE SUBJECT TO UNEXPECTED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. MY SON AND MY 2 YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTERS WERE IN THIS VEHICLE WHEN THE FRAME BROKE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10561743

Incident

Jan 23, 2014

Mileage

128,100 mi

PASSENGERS ARE FALLING WHILE USING THE FOOT STEP INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE WHEN LOADING AND UNLOADING DUE TO THE IMPROPER DESIGN AND INSUFFICIENT SURFACE PROVIDED BY THE FOOT STEP TO SECURE PROPER FOOTING. SEVERAL INCIDENTS INVOLVING FRONT AND BACK PASSENGERS, WORSE UNDER WET CONDITIONS. FOOT STEP TOO NARROW AND I AM NOT SURE THAT MEETS FEDERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10394425

Incident

Mar 15, 2011

Mileage

9,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE LIFT GATE WAS OPEN AND CLOSED ON ITS OWN WITH FORCE WHILE THE CONTACT WAS STANDING UNDERNEATH IT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFT GATE WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING AUTOMATICALLY AND THAT SHE HAD TO MANUALLY OPEN IT. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,500.

NHTSA ID

10376523

Incident

Jan 8, 2010

Mileage

11,500 mi