foggysps

File a complaint here @ NHTSA and get a campaign started.
Apparently Toyota is not going to step up and fix the issues unless they have enough complaints and the government feels that there are enough incidents to pose as a safety concern.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

Look on the Left hand column and click "File a Complaint"

warpigg

like are we talking rust holes like the tacos or just lots of scaley rust like i have around my sprae tire carrier?

foggysps

Primarily I would say holes. Although the extensive scaling will ultimately lead to a hole.

foggysps

My best recommendation to determine if your frame is actually rusting from the inside out is to probe inside the access holes (both sides) that are found along the frame rail and/or run a compressed air line inside to see if any big chunks of rust come flying out.
My frame looked totally fine until I further examined it. Major scaling on the inside. Outside looks perfect. Well, it seems that the inside rotted so bad that my inner frame rail on the passenger side near the rear track arm had almost rotted through. It is soft like a sponge, but yet the factory Toyota frame paint held it together. Poking it with my finger and it all crumbled revealing quite a few holes.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Salt the roads where you live much?

:wabbit2:

foggysps

Massachusetts....it depends on the town or county. However, salt is definitely a contributing factor. Some places put down calcium chloride. I usually rinse the frame in and out every week in the winter and have on occasion put a few teaspoons of baking soda in a rinse to neutralize the salt. Looks to me it is caused by the lack of drainage just before the track bar mounting bracket.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

common sense (think someone wrote a book about that back east 225+ years ago) would show that if you live and drive a vehicle where they salt the roads or live in a salty area (like near a big body of salt water aka: ocean) your vehicle is gonna be exposed to an oxidizer that causes rust.
I was stationed at Ft. Drum for 3 years and lived in CHeektowaga, NY for 3 years. I washed my truck/car a least 2x/month to get the salt off the thing. An effort on the owner's part to prevent rust helps.

the Tacoma frames were made by one factory (Dana for Toyota) the 4runner frames were made by another Toyota Factory in Japan

and to the OP- you have been taking the PM action on your 4runner since it was purchased new?

Jay1

My 4runnerphone has some rust on it in the back. What's good to use to stop it?

Evilmunkey

Yeah My Runner came from the Vinyard/Cape in MA but the rust isn't too bad, but yeah I've seen worse. I thought Toyota included some of the 4Runner's in the recall w/ the Taco's

James Woods

iTrader: (1)

I completely agree, all metals will eventually rust no matter where you live, so if you have a 12 year old truck that only gets washed and cleaned underneath like once a year or less, I don't think that you are able to bitch about some rust especially if you bought your 4runner used.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

If it is beyond your skills to repair or beyond your budget to have this repaired .

Sell the vehicle in question.

The liquid brine they spray on the roads is down right brutal