Problems with 2002 Toyota 4Runner STRUCTURE

I purchased the 2002 4runner in 2014. at that time, the 4runner only had 79,000 miles and had been cared for meticulously. i have taken the car in for routine service over the past 5 years. upon taking the 4runner in due to a vibration and check of the differential, the mechanic called me in to look at the frame while it was up on the lift. below in the attached photos, there is extensive rusting of the rear differential, axle and frame. the vehicle was stationary and the issue was found during routine maintenance. the rusted frame and differential have rendered this vehicle practically valueless and unsafe.

Very excessive rusting and corrosion on the frame near where the leading arm attaches on the passenger side. hole has developed very quickly, only in the span of a couple years. when going around left corner >15mph, a clunking noise can be heard from the problem area. very occasionally a similar noise can be heard when going through right turns. vehicle has spent most of its life in southern minnesota, although some time has been spent in south florida. repair will be necessary soon, as i'm starting to not feel safe driving long distances or at highway speeds (70+ mph). thank you, have a nice day. *tr

Right frame rail is very rusted to the point of non repair. unable to repair suspension due to unable to remove bolts that hold suspension to frame.

Vehicle frame has corroded, fractured especially on passenger rear of vehicle. many holes along frame. was hearing loud thunking in rear of vehicle took it in for a visual inspection and found the issue.

I was doing an oil change and noticed that the frame was rusted very badly . i think that there should be a recall on this model 3rd gen 4runner (1999-2002)this is the same frame as the truck that was recalled ,so this should be included .if this frame breaks it will hurt or kill some one .

We purchased a 4runner for our 18 year old daughter to drive thinking it would be safe, esp in mn. she was driving home from college (130 miles) and noticed it had a bad vibration, especially over 40 mph. it was very difficult to drive. we were out of town and when we got back, brought it to the shop, only to be told the frame was responded beyond repair (see photos). not only does that scare me for my daughter, but she has been driving it a few years and had friends and other family members in the vehicle. the vehicle has relatively low miles for it's age and based on toyotas reputation of longevity, we never expected this sort of issue. we're thankful she wasn't hurt, but are concerned about others driving a vehicle and not knowing it could literally break in half while driving down the road!

I have seen classi. cars from the 60s with frames in better shape than my 4runner. the rear control arms brackets are close to detaching from the frame. rust is eating the back half of my frame. the frame rails are completely rusted through and will soon need replacing. there are numerous bolts and hardware that can no longer be used due to rust. the fill plug on the rear differential has rusted away as well. the quality of this steel is absolutely horrible. toyota should be ashamed of a vehicle that has problems like this. i have never seen rust this bad on a frame before.

First, the motor blew for no reason at 152,000 miles. i rebuilt the car and had a new motor put in. i was not aware of the rusting frame issue, however, after driving the vehicle with a lovely new rebuilt motor for about one year, the frame rotted beyond repair causing the power steering to go out. i don't drive much, so there was no excessive exposure to salt. the car was parked in my driveway. it was an exceptionally cold day. i started the vehicle and found the power steering fluid had frozen and lost all the fluid as a result of the steering rack being rusted and weakened. the repair shop told me that the frame and rocker panels are severely compromised too badly to bother fixing the steering rack. the car is not safe to drive.

At a stop light, went to drive heard load pop clank. vehicle started shaking and driving funny. looked under car and my control arm ( that stabilizes my axel ) mount rusted off. my entire under carriage is rusted out. the control arm shifted

Excessive rust on frame. rusting from the inside out, on passenger side near muffler, by rear suspension mounts. rusted all the way through on the inside of the frame. likely rusted in other parts that are not visible.

My 2002 toyota 4runner has excessive rust on the frame to the point that it has been deemed by my local toyota dealership as "unsafe to drive." it only has 180,000 miles on it, the rust should not be this extensive.

My 2002 toyota 4 runner failed mass state inspection due to emergency brake not engaging. i immediately brought the vehicle to a local auto shop for repair. i was then notified by the shop that the entire frame was completely rotted & unsafe to drive. they refused to do any repair to the e-brake until the frame was repaired. i'm devastated that my well cared for vehicle , with only 130,000 miles is now unsafe to drive due to frame rot.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota 4runner. while the vehicle was undergoing routine service at an independent mechanic shop, the technician noticed that the frame was corroded through and caused the tailpipe to detach. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 168,000. ..*bf *jb

Check engine light comes on so i take my 2002 4 runner to get it checked. i noticed it sounds like it might be a exhaust problem. then i get the bad news . the frame experience excessive corrosion. my understanding is that there was some kind of recall on this matter a few years ago but i never received a notice .i purchased it used in 2003 so maybe the notice went to the first owner. i have been living at the same address since i owned it.

I have a 2002 4 runner and put almost $2,800.00 in it last year for a new rear end, new tires, because i felt it still had a tremendous amount of life left in it, only to find out that the frame has 2 holes in it from excessive rust. the dealership i took it to informed me that they were currently in the process of replacing frames for 2003 - 2009 models. when i asked about the 2002 models, they stated that toyota does not assume responsibility for the 4 runners. my question is "how do i find out if the 2002 frames were manufactured with the same materials that the 2003 models were made of?" i really wanted to hand this car down to my daughter. she needs a car and with the current situation of the frame, there is no way i can let her drive this in its current condition. please help!!!