ON FEBRUARY 28, 2010, MY 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAD A REPEATED ACCELERATOR ISSUE. MY TRUCK ACCELERATED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THE TRUCK SURGED FORWARD. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET AND THE ACCELERATOR CONTINUED TO RACE. I WATCHED THE TACHOMETER GO FROM 1.1K RPM TO 4K RPM WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS HAPPENED OVER AND OVER AGAIN OVER A 1/2 MILE STRETCH OF CITY BLOCKS (EL CAJON BLVD IN SAN DIEGO, CA). I HAD TO PULL OVER SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE I COULD NOT CONTROL THE SPEED. IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I REMOVED THE PLACEMAT AND THE ISSUE CONTINUED. IN FACT, WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE TACHOMETER WENT FROM 4K RPM TO 8K RPM IN THE RED ZONE EVEN THOUGH I WAS BARELY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS I HAD TO PLACE THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL WHEN ACTUALLY RIDING ON THE STREET JUST TO CONTROL MY SPEED. MY TRUCK HAS 143K MILES AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE. I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY NEXT TRIP. *TR
1996
STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
THE REAR END OF THE FRAME BROKE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BACK BY THE REAR WHEEL GOING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH. UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWAY OUT OF CONTROL. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE THERE WAS AN ON COMING SEMI & ANOTHER ONE FOLLOWING BEHIND ME, WAY TOO CLOSE OF COURSE. THIS SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME FOR I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY 4RUNNER FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 1996 & PRIDED MYSELF FOR IT LOOKING LIKE NEW. ALL THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED OVER THE YEARS. IT DOES NOT LEAK ANY FLUID OR BURN ANY OIL WITH 250,230 MILES ON IT. IN FACT I RECEIVE COMPLIMENTS REGULARLY ON IT'S EXCELLENT CONDITION. NO DOOR DINGS, KEEP IT POLISHED & IN THE WINTER RINSE THE UNDER BODY AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK TO KEEP THE SALT OFF. I HAD PLANNED ON DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 100,000 MILES. AFTER ESCAPING A NEAR DEATH ACCIDENT I NURSED IT OVER TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG BY SIMPLY LOOKING UNDER THE VEHICLE. ONCE I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY PUT IT UP ON THE LIFT & ASKED ME TO COME LOOK AT IT. I WAS IN DISBELIEF AT WHAT I HAD SAW. A PORTION OF THE FRAME THAT KEPT THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WHEEL IN PLACE WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED. WHEN I ASKED THEM WHAT COULD BE DONE THEY SUGGESTED A NEW FRAME. I SAID CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST HE SAID HE WOULD CHECK & COME & GET ME. HE CAME BACK SEVERAL MINUTES LATER TO TELL ME IT WOULD BE A MINIMUM OF $10,000.00. EVEN IN EXCELLENT CONDITION THE VEHICLE MIGHT BE WORTH $3,000.00. NOT ONLY DO I NOT HAVE $10,000.00 TO FIX & IF I DID, WOULD I? I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT REPLACING FRAMES, BUT I KNOW IT'S NO SMALL JOB. WOULD IT BE WORTH IT? I BOUGHT A TOYOTA BECAUSE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LAST FOREVER. NOW I'M LEFT WITH NO VEHICLE & I HAVE NOTHING TO TRADE IN! WILL TOYOTA STAND BEHIND IT'S PRODUCT? *TR
