THE REAR AXEL HOUSING ON OUR 2001 SR5 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER IS RUSTED OUT PRETTY BAD. THE ENTIRE FIRST LAYER OF THIN METAL HAS COMPLETELY FLAKED OFF. IT HAS NOT BEGAN TO LEAK YET, BUT IT IS A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL IT DOES. TOYOTA INDICATED THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUED ON THIS PART, WHICH I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SINCE IT IS SUCH A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH 1999 - 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNERS. THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS IN GREAT SHAPE, AND RUNS GREAT - WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER WITH ITS PERFORMANCE. BUT THE ROTTING REAR AXEL NOT ONLY IS SURPRISING, BUT HAS ME QUITE CONCERNED THAT WE WILL END UP WITH A PRETTY EXPENSIVE REPAIR WITHOUT TOYOTA TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE REAR AXEL HOUSING. IF ANYONE SIMPLY DOES AND INTERNET SEARCH REGARDING THIS PROBLEM - YOU WILL SEE THAT ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA TRUCKS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE REAR AXEL HOUSING. *TR
2004
SERVICE BRAKES
ON 8/22/2011, PHIL BACHMAN TOYOTA IN JOHNSON CITY, TN REPLACED A LEAKING LEFT FRONT CALIPER ON MY TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE LEAK WAS SO BAD THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE SATURATED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. BRAKE FLUID COVERED MY TIRE AND WHEEL, AND THE WHEEL HAD SEVERAL KNICKS FROM SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED RELATED TO THE BRAKES AND THIS ISSUE. ON 3/16/12, THE VERY SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN WITH THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER; THE BRAKE PADS AGAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED BUT PHIL BACHMAN DID THIS WORK UNDER WARRANTY. ON 1/31/13, THE VERY SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED BUT THIS TIME IT WAS WITH THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER, AND IT WILL COST ME SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO HAVE THIS FIXED. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY 2003 AND 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WHY WAS THERE NOT A RECALL BY TOYOTA FOR THIS PROBLEM? IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE--BY THE TIME I REALIZED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS EACH TIME, MY LIFE WAS AT RISK IN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. *TR
