Toyota 4Runner Class Action Says Vehicles Prone to Excessive Rust

A class action lawsuit claims Toyota 4Runners have frames that are prone to severe and premature rust corrosion.

Plaintiff Gary Weinreich says the frame of his Toyota 4Runner experienced excessive rust because it was manufactured with insufficient rust protection.

Weinreich argues that the rust problem can affect the structural integrity of 4Runners like his, and makes them “unsafe to drive and a hazard on the roadways.”

The Toyota class action claims that the problem affects 2005-2011 Toyota 4Runners, as well as 2005-2010 Toyota Tacomas, 2007-2008 Toyota Tundras and 2005-2008 Toyota Sequoias. 

Allegedly, the company addressed the problem in other vehicles, but refused to address it in the case of the 4-Runners.
Toyota was hit with a class action lawsuit
over the same alleged rust defect in Tacomas, Tundras and Sequias in 2014. That Toyota rust defect lawsuit settled for $3.4 billion in late 2016. Those affected had until June 2017 to file a claim to join that Toyota rust defect settlement.

Weinreich aims to represent himself and all other similarly affected 4-Runner drivers, claiming that he was financial injured by Toyota because had he known that his 4-Runner possessed the dangerous rust defect, he would not have purchased the vehicle or would not have paid as much for it as he did.

The plaintiff says he purchased a Toyota 4-Runner Sport in South Carolina in June 2005. He says that he had the vehicle regularly serviced at a Toyota dealership.

The Toyota rust defect class action states that during one of his regular service checks in April 2011, a mechanic noted that there was a “severe and excessive” amount of rust on the undercarriage of his vehicle and the drive shaft transmission.

He says that during another appointment at the same Toyota Service Center in October 2013, the mechanic noted that the undercarriage, splash shields, exhaust, and shocks were very rusted.

The Toyota 4-Runner class action goes on to claim that the plaintiff took his car to a repair shop on July 17, 2017 for brake replacement and an oil change. Allegedly, he was told at this appointment that his vehicle suffered “excessive frame corrosion.”

Weinreich claims that at this appointment, he was told for the first time that Toyota had recently issued a Customer Support Program for Toyota truck owners “under which they would inspect and replace frames experiencing severe corrosion.”

However, he was allegedly told that 4-Runners were not included in the program, but the mechanic could not tell him why Tacomas, Sequoias, and Tundras of approximately the same age were included.

The 4-Runner Toyota rust defect class action lawsuit argues that Toyota knew its 4-Runners were prone to rust, but failed to address the issue.

To support this claim, the Toyota class action lawsuit notes that the company set-up a program to help truck owners deal with the rust defect in other trucks, but did not set-up a system to help 4-Runner owners deal with the same defect.

Allegedly, Weinreich attempted to contact the company and received no response to his question about the rust.

The Toyota 4-Runner class action states that when he contacted the company a second time, he was told that the rust was his responsibility, and was offered no assistance.

Weinreich is represented by J. Edward Bell III and by Gabrielle A. Sulpizio of Bell Legal Group LLC.

The Toyota 4-Runner Frame Rust Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Gary Weinreich v. Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-03294-RMG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division.

Join a Free Toyota 4Runner Rust Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you own a Toyota 4Runner that has been impacted by excessive rust on its undercarriage, you may qualify for this Toyota 4Runner class action lawsuit investigation.

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