MY 1999 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER HAS A SEVERE ISSUE WITH A ROTTED OUT FRAME. I WAS SIMPLY BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND CAME TO A HALT WHEN I HEARD A THUMP. AS I PRECEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IT BECAME APPARENT THE BACKEND WAS NOT RESPONDING WELL. I COULD FEEL THE BACK END SWAYING AND IT FELT AS IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SUSPENSION. I TOOK IT IN FOR INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD THE FRAME HAD ROTTED OUT RIGHT WHERE THE SPRINGS ATTACH TO THE FRAME ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE FRAME. THE RIGHT SIDE IS ROTTED AS WELL BUT THE FRAME IS STILL ATTACHED. *TR
1994
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
I OWN A 94 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND A 94 TOYOTA SR5 PICKUP TRUCK. BACK IN '98 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE I BROUGHT BOTH MY VEHICLES TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA IN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL. THEY REPLACED THE HEAD GASKETS ON BOTH VEHICLES. RECALL NOTICE: A 3VZ-E HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT JUNE 26, 1998 VEHICLE: TOYOTA TRUCK 4X4MILEAGE: 46,623 JULY 17, 1998 VEHICLE: TOYOTA 4RUNNERMILEAGE: 38,037 THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY 2006 OF THIS YEAR, MY TOYOTA PICKUP TRUCK BLEW A HEAD GASKET WHEN I CRANKED IT UP ONE AFTERNOON. DENSE SMOKE AND RADIATOR FLUID FLOWED FROM THE TAILPIPE AND THE ENGINE WAS VIBRATING.LESS THAN 12 HOURS AFTER THE HEAD GASKET BLEW IN MY PICKUP TRUCK, THE VERY NEXT MORNING I STARTED MY WIFE'S 4RUNNER TO MAKE A TRIP INTO TOWN. IMMEDIATELY WHEN I STARTED IT, DENSE SMOKE AND RADIATOR FLUID FLOWED FROM THE TAILPIPE AND THE ENGINE WAS VIBRATING EVEN WORST THAN BEFORE. I IMMEDIATELY TURN THE TRUCK OFF. TOYOTA OPENED A CASE# 200602060829. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CALL CHAN COLEMAN AT SANFORD TOYOTA AND TRY TO GET A SPECIAL PRICE. I CALLED CHAN AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE IN HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. HE TRANSFERRED ME TO SERVICE AND WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,600 PER VEHICLE TO REPAIR. I HAD BOTH VEHICLES TOWED AND REPAIRED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. BELOW ARE THE DATES AND MILEAGE FOR THE REPAIRS. FEBRUARY 16, 2006 VEHICLE: TOYOTA TRUCK 4X4 MILEAGE: 120,000 FEBRUARY 4, 2006 VEHICLE: TOYOTA 4RUNNER MILEAGE: 102,000 I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC AT THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT THE REASON THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWING WAS BECAUSE OF A CASTING DESIGN FLAW WITH THE ENGINE HEADS AND NOT THE HEAD GASKETS. THE HEADS HAD DIMPLES WHICH OVER TIME WOULD CAUSE THE HEAD GASKET TO BLOW. THE HEADS ON BOTH MY VEHICLES HAD TO BE RESURFACED TO REMOVE THE DIMPLES. I CALLED TOYOTA WITH THIS INFORMATION BUT WAS TOLD THEY SHOW BOTH MY VEHICLES WERE FIXED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE RECALL AND IT IS A ONE TIME FIX ONLY AND THE OWNER NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AT SOME POINT. *NM