1999 Toyota 4runner Steering Problems

Your 4Runner has developed severe rust throughout the steering and suspension system. You may hear popping noises when turning, which can indicate that suspension components like the sway bar links have become corroded and broken. The rack and pinion (steering gear) may need replacement if rust damages the internal lines, and the frame itself may develop cracks from rust damage.

You're hearing a rubbing noise from your left front wheel, which you discovered is caused by a rusted and broken brake shield. Upon closer inspection underneath your vehicle, you found extensive rust damage affecting key structural components including motor mounts, steering linkage, and chassis areas that have significantly deteriorated. A professional inspection and replacement of the rusted brake shield and affected structural components will likely be necessary to restore safe operation.

FRAME ROT HAS LED TO ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, VEHICLE CHANGING LANES UNEXPECTEDLY, AND DEATH WOBBLE. TIRES AND SHOCKS REPLACED SEPTEMBER, NEEDED NEW TIRES AFTER 90 DAYS ALSO TIE RODS AND BUSHINGS. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THE FRAME IS JUST ROTTEN THROUGH AND THROUGH IN THE BACK, I HAVE A TUNDRA, 2 SEQUOIA'S, A HIGHLANDER AND A RAV4. RANGING FROM 2001 TO 2015, AND THE FRAME ON THE 01 SEQUOIA LOOKS NEW, THIS IS A BAD FRAME AND GABE AT KEITH PIERSON TOYOTA IN JACKSONVILLE SAID THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FESS UP TO THIS ONE.

THE BALL JOINT ON MY 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I STOPPED AT MCDONALD'S BEFORE MY LONG JOURNEY ONTO THE FREEWAY, WITH MY 9 MONTH OLD BABY IN THE CAR, AND THAT SAVED US FROM A VERY BAD CRASH THAT MAY HAVE TAKEN OUR LIVES HAD WE BEEN GOING 60-70 MPH. HOW DOES A BALL JOINT BREAK IN HALF???

FRAME SNAPPED AT THE DRIVERS REAR TORSION BAR DUE TO FRAME RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE. I JUST HAD THIS CHECKED AND A LITTLE RUST TO THE FRAME WAS APPARENT BECAUSE IT IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE AND NOT SO APPARENT. ONCE IT BEGAN TO DECAY IT JUST BECAME MOSTLY RUST DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF FRAME ONLY OPTION. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO HELP ON THIS MODEL (4RUNNER) BUT IS ON OTHER TRUCK MODELS, SAME FRAMES SAME YEAR..

ORIGINAL OWNER, NOT LOCATED IN THE "RUST BELT" TOOK 4RUNNER TO EXHAUST SHOP TO HAVE A NEW EXHAUST PUT ON AND ONCE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE YOU COULD SEE THAT THE FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH NEAR WHERE THE TRAILING ARM BRACKETS ARE AND ON THE INSIDE/UNDERNEATH OF THE FRAME. THE REST OF THE FRAME IS IN GREAT CONDITION BECAUSE THE 4RUNNER HAS BEEN TAKE CARE OF AND MAINTAINED. THERE WILL BE ABOUT A 2 FOOT SECTION OF FRAME THAT WILL NEED TO BE CUT OUT AS WELL AS NEW TRAILING ARM BRACKETS TO BE CUT AND WELDED IN. THIS VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AND WORTH SCRAP VALUE, WHEN IT SHOULD BE WORTH ABOUT $5000. THE INTERIOR IS PERFECT, IT RUNS GREAT, AND EVERYTHING WORKS AS IT SHOULD BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE, THE FRAME IS CRUMBLING. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. I HAVE DOMESTIC VEHICLES THAT ARE 10 YEARS OLDER WITH MORE MILES THAT LOOK NOTHING LIKE THIS. THEY RECALL TUNDRAS, TACOMAS, AND SEQOUIAS, BUT NOT THE 4RUNNER? GIVE ME A BREAK. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER REAR LINK FELL OFF THE FRAME DUE TO SEVERE RUSTING. PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT TO. MECHANIC WON'T EVEN ATTEMPT A REPAIR. THE FRAME IS TOO RUSTED. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I BOUGHT IT USED AND HAVE HAD IT FOR 2.5 YEARS. TOYOTA HAS NO RECALL ON IT AND CAN NOT ASSIST ME, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT THE TACOMA AND OTHER MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR. *TR

WHILE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. THE LEFT FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED CAUSING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO COME OFF THE CAR FRAME. SPEED WAS THE POSTED 55 MPH. NO OTHER TRAFFIC, THANK GOODNESS. WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD FOR ASSISTANCE. THIS IS A STUPID DESIGN. A MAJOR COMPONENT IF IT FAILS SHOULD NOT CAUSE THIS TYPE OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. IT DANGEROUS AND TOYOTA SHOULD WARN THE CONSUMER OF THIS STUPID DESIGN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 3/13/15*CN

I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5, WITH AN IMMACULATE BODY, HOWEVER THE FRAME RAILS HAVE ROTTED OUT SO BADLY THAT YOU CAN PUT YOUR FINGER THROUGH THE RAIL IN SOME PLACES. THE FRAME IS UNSAFE AND A FAILURE COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH. THE MOST SEVERE LOCATION OF THE ROT IN JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME. TOOK IT FOR INSPECTION AND IT FAILED AS IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. NOW HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A WELDER TO SEE IF IT CAN EVEN BE REPAIRED. THINKING OF FILING A CLAIM WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NY STATE. THE THING IS IT PASSED INSPECTION AT THE SMALL CAR BUSINESS I BOUGHT IT FROM( D AND D AUTOSALES IN BINGHAMTON NY-DON'T GO THERE!!!!!!) AND THERE IS NO WAY IT ROTTED LIKE THIS IN LESS THAN A YR SO I'M THINKING THEY PASSED IT JUST TO GET THE SALE. HAVEN'T CONTACTED TOYOTA BUT THEY MOST LIKELY WONT DO A THING FOR ME. *TR

FULL BLOWN FRAME RUST MECHANIC STATES IS 100% INVASIVE AFFECTING STEERING, ALIGNMENT, BRAKING, AND CHECKING OF DIFFERENTIAL AND REAR-END FLUIDS DUE TO SEIZED COMPONENTS. FRAME IS TOTALLY COMPROMISED, NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND RECTIFIED. *TR

THE TRAILING ARMS IN THE REAR HAVE BROKEN. FIRST THE RIGHT AND I HAD IT REPAIRED AND NOW THE LEFT AND IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE METAL BEING SPONGY. IT IS ALSO CALLED THE SWAY BAR LINK. THE STEERING HAD BECOME ERRATIC AND I TOOK IT IN TO BE LOOKED AT AND RECEIVED THE BAD NEWS. TOYOTA HAS NO RESPONSE. THE 4RUNNER HAS THE SAME BODY AS THE TACOMA BUT THERE IS NOT RECALL ON THIS LEMON. *TR

-STARTED THE VEHICLE. -MOVED FORWARD A FEW FEET -STARTED TO TURN STEERING WHEEL LEFT, NOTICED STEERING WAS HEAVIER THAN NORMAL AS WELL AS UNUSUAL NOISE -CAR JERKED AND SHOT LEFT... TRIED TO STEER TO AVOID HITTING OBSTACLES BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAVINESS OF THE STEERING WHEEL. DUE TO THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED DIRECTLY TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS -MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY NOTICE UNUSUAL SEPARATION OF THE RACK AND PINION. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY JERKED OUT OF MY HANDS TO THE RIGHT. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT TO CORRECT. THE ROADS WERE WET FROM AN EARLIER RAIN; THERE WAS NO STANDING WATER, NO POT HOLES, OR OTHER VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE, TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH. THE CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL - DOING 2 COMPLETE SPINS ON THE HIGHWAY, THEN INTO THE DITCH ON THE RIGHT; HITTING TREES, FLIPPING, HITTING MORE TREES, AND FINALLY COMING TO A HALT STRADDLING THE DITCH PERPENDICULAR TO THE HIGHWAY. SINCE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING TO ACT LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEM WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK SO HARD TO THE RIGHT AND KEEP ME FROM BEING ABLE TO CORRECT IT. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT PERHAPS THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE LOCKED UP, THE TIE ROD BROKE, OR SOME KIND OF STEERING DEFECT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR.

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 15 MPH ON A STRAIGHT ROAD VEHCILE SPUN OUT OUT OF CONTROL. *AK