2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Steering Problems

The rear control arm broke while I was driving causing me to swerve uncontrollably and almost causing a collision

The frame broke loose from the rear sway bar due to excessive rust while I was driving it. My 4Runner is an 05 and has the same frame as the Tacomas of the same year, except with no recall. I believe it is wrong to recall the Tacoma frame and not the same 4Runner frame. It is available for inspection. The car wanted to loose control anytime the accelerator was pressed or released. The problem has been an issue for many 4Runner owners of similar years. There was no warning to this occurrence.

Upon recent inspection of my vehicle, it was noted that the frame is severely corroded and rusted to the point where collapse or breaking of the frame is possible while driving. Apprently the frame was not properly treated for rust protection and can now be unsafe for driving. Enclosed are pictures of the rusted frame.

When turning to park get message driving assist disabled drive with care and the dash loser power can’t turn steering. Power steering shuts off this has happens multiple times had battery check out alternator every show good. Have research online other people having same issue.

UPON RECENTLY DRIVING A FAMILY MEMBER'S 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED V8, I HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE OVER BUMPS. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, I DISCOVERED EXTENSIVE RUST ON NEARLY EVERY SINGLE PART OF THE STRUCTURAL FRAME, SUSPENSION COMPONENTS AND EVEN EXHAUST SYSTEM. SOME PARTS ARE SO BADLY RUSTED THAT THEY CAN BE PUNCTURED BY SIMPLY PUSHING YOUR FINGER THROUGH THEM (INCLUDING THE REAR FRAME CROSS MEMBER CRASH STRUCTURE BEHIND THE REAR BUMPER). THESE VEHICLES ARE RUSTING SO TERRIBLY THAT I'M SHOCKED NHTSA HASN'T FORCED TOYOTA TO RECALL THEM. YES, THEY'RE OLDER, BUT THE LEVEL OF RUST AND DECAY IS UNPRECEDENTED FOR NEARLY ANY MODERN CAR. TOYOTA ALREADY HAD TO RECALL ALL OF THEIR OTHER BODY-ON-FRAME VEHICLES (TACOMA, TUNDRA, SEQUOIA, AND LAND CRUISER) TO REPLACE THE FRAMES DUE TO RUST. WHY HAVE THEY NEGLECTED THE 4RUNNER WHEN IT'S ARGUABLY THE VEHICLE THAT WILL LIKELY SEE USE OFF ROAD MORE THAN ALL THE OTHERS? THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE TOYOTA TO RECALL THESE CARS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. LOOK AT ANY ONLINE FORUM AS I DID LAST NIGHT AND YOU'LL SEE TOYOTA IS ACTUALLY BEING SUED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. TONS OF PEOPLE ARE SHARING PHOTOS AND STORIES OF THEIR OWN INCIDENTS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED WHEN THEIR CAR DISINTEGRATES AS THEY DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND THEY LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR STEERING, BRAKING OR IF THEY'RE HIT IN A COLLISION AND THE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS OF THE CAR CRUMBLE LIKE A CRACKER.

Mileage: 196,000

THE FRAME UNDERNEATH THE FRONT BUMPER IS TOTALLY RUSTED AND CRUMBLING. MY MECHANIC SHOWED ME YESTERDAY AND SAID THE RADIATOR WOULD FALL OUT. ALSO THE CONTROL ARRMS TO THE FRONT TWO WHEELS ARE VERY BADLY RUSTED.

Mileage: 172,934

EXCESSIVE UNDERBODY RUST, RUSTING FRAME JOINTS, AND ROTTING FRAME MEMBERS FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

Mileage: 198,500

VEHICLE HAS VERY EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST. HOLES THROUGHOUT ENTIRE FRAME MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT DUE TO NEGLIGENCE ON TOYOTAS PART. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME EXACT FRAME THAT WAS RECALLED ON THE TACOMAS, TUNDRAS AND SEQUOIAS. PLEASE TELL ME WHY THE 4RUNNER WAS LEFT OUT?

Mileage: 130,000

VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO FRAME CORROSION,ALSO STEERING GOING OUT

Mileage: 200

MY 4 RUNNER HAS EXTREME FRAME CORROSION DUE TO POOR QUALITY. THE VEHICLE IS NOW SUFFERING NUMEROUS SAFETY ISSUES AS A RESULT. THE FRAME IS NOT REPAIRABLE AND THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IT HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION.

Mileage: 65,000

EXTENSIVE BODY FRAME RUST.LARGE RUSTED OUT HOLES IN FRAME. UNABLE TO GET MA. VEHICLE YEARLY INSPECTION STICKER. EMISSIONS TEST FAILED (MA. INSPECTION STATION #PB004755). VEHICLE BOUGHT NEW 6/2005 RECOMMENDED NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE DUE TO EXTENSIVE HOLES IN FRAME.

Mileage: 156,000

SEVERE FRAME AND FRONT END RUST, VEHICLE WELL TAKEN CARE OF> SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF TACOMA RECALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS VEHICLE HAS A VERY RUSTY FRAME. IT DOES NOT PASS STATE OF MAINE INSPECTION. LIKE MANY OTHER 4RUNNERS IT SUFFERS FROM TOYOTA'S FAULTY FRAMES. THIS TRUCK HAS NOT FALLEN APART AND CRASHED LIKE MANY SIMILAR UNITS. THIS ONE HAS A PERFORATED FRAME, AND DOESN'T PASS INSPECTION. WITH 80,000 MILES THE TRUCK IS LIKE NEW EXCEPT FOR THE FAULTY FRAME. THE RUST MULTIPLIES SITTING STILL OR TRAVELING. THE FRAME IS SO THIN IN SO MANY PLACES, THERE ISN'T PLACE TO MAKE SATISFACTORY REPAIRS.

Mileage: 75,000

THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS RUSTED, THE RUST INTEGRITY MAY RESULT IN A STEERING FAILURE.

Mileage: 165,000

SEVERE FRAME RUST TO THE POINT OF HOLES. THE FRAME INTEGRITY WILL SOON BE COMPROMISED; IF NOT ALREADY. TWO REAR BODY MOUNTS ARE RUSTING AWAY, THE BOTTOM OF BOTH MOUNTS IS NON EXISTENT. ONE MID MOUNT, THE SHEET METAL SIDE IS NEARLY RUSTED THROUGH. ONE FRONT MOUNT AREA IS RUSTED AWAY ON THE SHEET METAL SIDE. THE GAS TANK IS CURRENTLY ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY WHAT IS LEFT OF THE PROTECTION SHIELD UNDER THE TANK .

Mileage: 78,000

STEERING COLUMN RUSTED THROUGH. HARD TO TURN, WHEN TURNING WHEEL IT GOES FROM SMOOTH(NORMAL) THEN GRABBY. I ALMOST FLIPPED MY VEHICLE WHEN TURNING OFF OF MASS AVENUE IN SOMERVILLE. IF I WAS DRIVING ANY FAST I WOULD HAVE ROLLED. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY WHEELS CAME OFF THE GROUND, BUT IT WAS CLOSE.

Mileage: 100,000

FRAME RUSTED LEADING TO FAILURE OF SWAY BAR BRACKETS CAUSING STEERING TO BECOME UNSTABLE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN A HIGHWAY. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS TOTAL FRAME REPLACEMENT.

Mileage: 142,000

BROUGHT VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP FOR MUFFLER AND TAILPIPE INSPECTION. REPAIR SHOP FOUND FRAME CRACKED AND RUSTED ALONG WITH STEERING SHAFT BROKEN. REPAIR SHOP INDICATED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON 4RUNNERS YET THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 4RUNNER. REPAIR SHOP STATED IT WOULD COST $6000.00 FOR NEW FRAME FROM TOYOTA DEALER. HARTFORD TOYOTA SUPERSTORE HAS DONE OIL CHANGES ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE YET HAS NEVER BROUGHT THE FRAME PROBLEM TO OUR ATTENTION.

Mileage: 162,624

LAST SEPTEMBER, I SENT A WRITTEN PLEA ASKING TOYOTA TO EVALUATE AND CORRECT THE EXCESSIVE FRAME CORROSION ON MY 2005 4RUNNER. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED OUTSIDE SOUTH CAROLINA OR EVER BEEN EXPOSED TO ROAD SALT. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE DISCLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY WAS UNSATISFACTORY. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS CORRECTED THIS IDENTICAL PROBLEM ON SIMILAR MODELS AND MODEL YEARS. YESTERDAY, MY WIFE AND I AND TWO FRIENDS RIDING WITH US NARROWLY ESCAPED A FATAL ACCIDENT WHEN THE FRONT SUSPENSION SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME DUE TO THE CORROSION PROBLEM. AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND THE STEERING WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AFTER COMING CLOSE TO HITTING AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO AN EXPERIENCED INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO EXPRESSED DISBELIEF AT THE CORRODED CONDITION OF THE FRAME AND IMMEDIATELY DECLARED THE VEHICLE UNREPAIRABLE AND INOPERABLE. HE SAID WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SURVIVED THE STRUCTURAL FAILURE. IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF SEVERE CORROSION ON SIMILAR VEHICLES AND HAS CORRECTED THE ISSUE ON SOME MODELS, PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AND DETERMINE IF THE EXCESS CORROSION IS INHERENT TO 4RUNNERS AND IF AN IMMEDIATE RECALL IS WARRANTED. THE INTERNET HAS MANY REFERENCES TO EXCESS FRAME CORROSION ON 4RUNNERS. IT IS UNCONCIONABLE THAT TOYOTA WOULD PUT THOUSANDS OF THEIR CUSTOMER'S LIVES AT RISK TO AVOID THE COST OF REPAIRING FRAMES THAT WERE SUBJECT TO AN INADEQUATE CORROSION PROTECTION PROCESS. AGAIN, MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 76,000 MILES, HAS NO CORROSION WHATSOEVER ON THE BODY, AND HAS NEVER BEEN OPERATED WHERE SALT IS APPLIED TO THE ROADS. ATTACHED IS ONE OF THE MANY PHOTOS OF THE FAILURE LOCATION. *JS*JS*JS *JS *JS *TR

Mileage: 76,112

MY SUV ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES ON IT AND RECENTLY (PAST MONTH) THE STEERING IS VERY LABORIOUS. TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN. THE STEERING IS HARD TO START A TURN (NO MATTER WHAT SPEED) AND AS I CONTINUE TO TURN THE WHEEL IT WILL EASE UP A BIT AND THEN BE HARD TO TURN IT BACK AGAIN TO STRAIGHT. MEANING THAT IT WILL NOT RETURN WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE EFFORT. I WAS ON CARS.COM WEBSITE AS THEY HAD RECALLS LISTED. I LOOKED UP 4 RUNNER STEERING PROBLEMS AND THEY GAVE ME A RECALL NUMBER. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR MY VIN #. I THINK TOYOTA IS RIPPING ME OFF BECAUSE THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING IS JUST WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN THE SUMMARY. THE COMPONENT LISTED IS STEERING; LINKAGES; ROD; RELAY; CONNECTING. THE CONSEQUENCE LISTED IS IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE RELAY ROD MAY FRACTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 05V389000 AND THE RECALL DATE IS 09-06-2005. PLUS MY WIFE AND I DO NOT TURN THE WHEEL UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. WE ARE OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IS WAS LIKE BEFORE CARS HAD POWER STEERING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! THANKS FOR ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN DO FOR US.

Mileage: 66,000

THE STEERING SYSTEM OF THE CAR IS NOT BEHAVING PROPERLY. IT IS MUCH HARDER TO TURN THAN NORMAL. FURTHERMORE, WHEN DRIVEN THROUGH CURVE, THE STEERING DOES NOT ALIGN BACK TO A STRAIGHT LINE AS IT HAS DONE IN THE PAST. SO, IN OTHER WORDS IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH A CURVE AND LET THE STEERING WHEEL GO FREE, THE CAR WILL NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT BUT CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE CURVE. THE STEERING HAS TO BE PULLED HARD TO STRAIGHTEN THE VEHICLE OUT AND DRIVE A STRAIGHT LINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS ARE COMING UP IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TO ADVISE OF ANY MALFUNCTION. *TR

Mileage: 102,000

VIBRATION ISSUES.STERRING WHELL VIBRATES EVEN AFTER WITH A SET OF 4 KNEW TIRES.AT SPEED OF ABOUT 5O MILLES / HOUR VIBRATION STARTS.

Mileage: 72,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE STEERING WAS VERY TIGHT TRAVELING AROUND CURVES. THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN U JOINT WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,066.

Mileage: 169,066

UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL WITHOUT GREAT EFFORT, WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN TO STRAIGHT AFTER TURN WITHOUT DRIVER PULLING WHEEL BACK TO ORIGINAL POSITION. *TR

Mileage: 90,000

VEHICLE IS VIBRATING WHEN BRAKING,UNSTABLE AT SPEED OF 50MPH ,TOYOTA DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BAD LEFT & RIGHT BALL JOINT/LOWER CONTROL ARM ,AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2300 VEHICLE ONLY HAVE 55000 MILES NO ACCIDENTS..I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT ALMOST EVERY 4RUNNER OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 45,000

2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNERS HAVE A VERY FREQUENTLY REPORTED VIBRATION ISSUE. THIS ISSUE IS REPORTED ALL OVER THE WEB AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY DEALERS NATIONWIDE. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, 2004 TO 2007 4RUNNERS ARE ALL IMPACTED. CUSTOMER SPEND 1000S OF DOLLARS REPLACING TIRES, BALANCING WHEELS, REPLACING STEERING WHEELS, ETC AND THE CAR STILL VIBRATES AND IS SUSPECT TO BE UNSAFE. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT THIS IS THE DESIGN OF THE CALL. STEERING WHEEL CAN SHAKE BADLY. I HAVE HAD MY 4RUNNER IN MANY TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE TO MULTIPLE DEALERS. ALL SAY IT IS A PROBLEM, BUT ALL 4RUNNERS OF SAME VINTAGE HAVE SAME ISSUE, SO NOTHING THAT TOYOTA WILL DO ABOUT IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL ALWAYS TURNED TO THE LEFT. HE THEN HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE NEAR THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE STABILIZER BAR SNAPPED AND THE METAL APPEARED TO BE CRYSTALLIZED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE STABILIZER BAR AND THE RACK AND PINION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND WAS NOT SERVICED AT A DEALER. THE CONTACT BELIEVES A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 53,000.

Mileage: 53,000