Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | ||||||||||||||||
| 05V225000 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | from 05/22/2001 to 08/23/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 768379 | 07/05/2005 | ODI | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 05/17/2005 | 05/17/2005 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint may have been scratched. the ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing loss of steering control and a crash could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints free of charge. the recall began on july 5, 2005. owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Toyota recall no. 50j.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 08/20/2012 | 145000 | ||
| My vehicle has very little rust except for the rear differential. large flakes of rust have formed. the differential recently began leaking. after searching online i see this is a common problem with 4runners. | |||
| 05/05/2012 | 125000 | ||
| 3rd generation 2001 toyota 4runner with excessive frame and body rust. the gas tank stem is rusted, the rear differential is literally porous and leaking oil due to excessive rust. rear bumper is rusted, spare tire mount is rusted. other areas of rust are too numerous to list. repair shop said car is not worth fixing. dana corp that made frames for toyota tacomas/tundras that were recalled also is best know for rear differentials. why weren't the 4runners included in the recall/buyback by toyota? | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 150000 | ||
| The rear differential on my toyota 4runner rusted so badly in 9 years of ownership that the structural steel frame that supports the differential gears (the housing) cracked and oil spilled out on the road. i discovered the rust during the yearly state inspection and consequently had the differential inspected by my toyota dealer (berlin city portland, me) a few months back and they said it was structurally sound but rusty. i am an engineer and clearly it was not structurally sound or it would not have failed in short order as it did.... this failure could have caused the rear wheels to lock up resulting in a severe accident. this rust problem is common on most toyota truck frames and drive trains owned in the north east. toyota has elected to repair the trucks at no cost but not the 4runners with the same frame and differentials. this is dangerous as hell... they put me and my family at grave risk.... | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 04/10/2010 | 116000 | ||
| The suspension recall on my 2001 toyota 4runner was done at arond 60k miles.it now has 116k miles and the problem is back,i can turn my steering wheel about 1/2 in either direction and not have the wheels move,when driving the steering wanders and occasionaly grabs inwhat feels like a flat spot..the campaign no is 05v225000 | |||
| 05/24/2008 | 98000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a used 2001 toyota 4 runner 4 wheel drive last year with approx 88 k mile. prior to giving it to my daughter i replaced the tires ( goodyear) and took the vehicle to my local toyota dealership on 6-2-2007 requesting a full check of the vehicle to verify road worthiness prior to giving it to my 16 year old daughter. they suggested and performed 90 k maintenance package including suspension inspection and front end alignment. she returned to virginia and has been driving it daily on paved roads to high school. she has not taken it off road or used the 4 wheel drive. last weekend she was slowly turning into her friends driveway and the right front wheel broke off the axle collapsing the wheel and ripping out the front axel. a state trooper passing by indicated at highway speeds this likely would of flipped the vehicle. thank heavens she was going less than 10 mph. the vehicle was towed and at a local repair shop it was noted that the lower ball joint dropped down triggering the catastrophic front end failure. toyota recalled 210,000 axles on the prados vehicle ( not distributed in usa) which is on a similar platform as the 4 runner. blog entries describe similar failures with the wheels snapping off. i contacted my toyota service manager and described the failure. i requested he evaluate and asked if they missed this on their inspection in june. i also request that they cover the repair costs of approx. $600.00 to include a detailed inspection and l ball joint replacement. he indicated they would not cover the repair expenses. my concern is this failure should not have occurred if the joint was assessed as road worthy june 2007 and only approx. 9 k miles have been added since then with no pothole or off road trauma noted. how can i be assured that this won't happen again maybe at highway speeds with life threatening outcomes? have similar complaints been filed? does this warrant further investigation by your agency and or toyota? *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 06/07/2008 | 122000 | 1 | |
| When on a long highway trip on the weekend of june 7, 2008, my husband noticed black spots on the rear window of our 2001 toyota 4runner (121,000 miles). he cleaned it off to see if it returned as we resumed our journey. when we next stopped several hundred miles later, the black spots were on the entire rear of the vehicle. my husband checked beneath the rear of the vehicle and saw transmission fluid dripping out of the differential. we then took the vehicle to a mechanic who reported that the rear axle housing was completely corroded to the point of failure, and that it was beyond repair, and that he hadn't ever seen this on a car of this age and mileage. he informed us that toyota has recently recalled tacoma vehicles from the same year for similar corrosion problems. we contacted toyota and they said there was nothing they could do for us. we are left with a vehicle that is beyond repair that we are unable to sell, and we have maintained it in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines. please help. *tr the consumer was informed the entire rear axle including the axle, differential, brakes, and exhaust system were corroded beyond repair. updated 08/27/08. *jb | |||