Less than 6 months and 7500 miles and hitch is already rusting

I’ve driven on maybe one day with roadsalt, but the fact that the paint on my hitch is literally peeling away is just nuts.

I have never had this happen before with another vehicle.



The paint is about to come off even more, as it is already separating away.

Is this really normal for these vehicles?

 

Mine is like that, can’t say about the first 25k miles of its life though.

Honestly it seems similar to my Sorento’s aftermarket hitch rust, I plan to whack it periodically with rust converter and a splash of paint.

 

For a 4runner in the rust belt, Yes. Rusting frame is the 4runners Achilles heel.

Wire brush your frame and spray fluid film/surface shield. It will prolong the life of your frame.

For this, wire brush, surface prep and rust preventive paint. Then fluid film it.

 

X2

 

X3

Welcome to the joys of BOF Toyota ownership.

 

I did mine with black POR 15 and been good since

 

Zero rust here on my 2020 in Montana no frame treatment yet.

 

Well that's normal. If you didn't have some rust on your hitch i would think there was something wrong.

Don't worry it will take about 30 years for it to become an issue.

 

POR 15

 

Except we have had no snow to speak of.

We had exactly one brine application that I drove during and I washed it afterwards.

My Acura never did this, nor did even my Alfa Romeo.

For the paint to literally be chipping off is crazy.

 

In my experience, you'd really have to neglect your vehicle for the frame to rust through on a 4Runner. These aren't Tacomas.

Surface rust is common, but it's also easy enough to prevent or treat.

 

I’m in So Cal and mine looks like that on my 22’.

Mine is probably from using the Thule bike rack attachment, though.

Pretty absurd but it is what it is lol

 

I think this is what Toyota expects us to do; not them.

 

Hell, my license place has some exposed metal on it and it hasn’t even formed a bit of surface corrosion, and the licenses plates in our state are the cheapest POS known to man - the numbers on a good portion of them become illegible after a few years.

Time to see how well they stand behind the warranty.

 

I have neglected my Hyundai and Suzuki and the frame has never rusted. Hardly even surface rust.
If I treated the 4runner , the same way, I would be paying a lot in time and money to have the frame maintain logitivity.

 

I've almost never had a license plate rust.

Good luck with your warranty claim.

 

I see scratches in there, is that yellow paint that I'm seeing?

 

The hitches on these seem to always be the first thing to rust. They must be sourced from a mfg. who doesn't have the quality we expect from Toyota, and it's a mystery why. A little rust treatment and some paint, it'll be good for years.

 

Were either of those other vehicle body on frame?

I neglected my '03, and the frame had nothing beyond surface rust after 15 years and 257K miles.

 

Inadequate factory prep before there frames get dipped and hung to cure. Probably a drip was forming and when it was bumped on whatever, it lost its grip.
Mine is like that too and around the hitch pin.

 

The Suzuki yes, it was called the Suzuki Gypsy. A lengthened version of the Suzuki Jimny. I had a carbureted version in the 90s and then it came with fuel injection in the 2000s. Not an ounce of surface rust. Over 200k on both.
The Hyundai of course was a sedan. But again over 200k on that too.
Also have another Toyota, it's called an Innova. Based on the Hilux pickup. No rust on it. Has about 150k .
But this 4runner, different story. It just needs more proactive indulgence from the owner.

 

It's definitely worth taking some preventative measures. I just don't think it's as bad as some make it out to be. The Tacoma frames are another story.

I wish we could get those cool Suzikis here in the US!

 

That Suzuki was phenomenal. It was a mountain goat. Light, nimble, rudimentary, fail proof,4x4 and a soft top. I would put it above the Mitsubishi Pajero even for off road duties.

 

As others have said; get a six pack (small 4oz cans) of POR-15, brush it on and it’s gone for good!

 

Everything now is powder coated it seems. I think the finish is tougher but it doesn't seem to adhere and seal the surface as well as good old real paint. Couple that with massive over application of salt, and now brine, and your vehicle is doomed to rusting away. Around here our winters are mild so they can afford practically pave the road in salt at the first flake. One slushy day followed by two weeks of white, dusty roads. It might last until 2030 when private vehicles will be banned.

 

Easy part to clean up and touch up. Easy part to replace if it bothers you enough. I had a couple of those minor issues with my vehicle and said “I will replace it when I get around to it “. It fades and you end up forgetting about it.

 

No, that’s just rust. I could peel off more black paint with my fingertips to expose more.

 

Your picture brings back memories of when my 4runner was a wee laddy. That is exactly what my first hitch paint chip looked like!

If you bond with and love your 4runner you’ll tell yourself stories explaining why every 4runner hitch has paint failure in the exact same manner. My story is that it’s because the steel used is hand-smelted and hand-hewn by craftsmen making the hardest and toughest steel demanded by toyota. It is so strong, it rejects all outside forces perfectly, including the adhesion forces caused by paint as it tries desperately to hold on .

If you can’t stomach the rust or telling yourself lies, then I recommend having this on hand every time you find yourself doing work anywhere near the hitch.



This is what mine looks like after a few paint touch-ups. It time for another one.

 

Could be either poor prep at the factory (Tahara folks probably don't understand what rust is) or stones kicked up from the road. The hitch is a separate piece attached to the frame crossmember with 6 bolts. It's probably e-coated or powdercoated with a different process than the rest of the frame:
https://www.4runners.com/threads/re...alling-trailer-hitch-receiver.562/#post-13609

My 2nd gen Tacoma (Fremont) hitch was rusted on the dealer's lot. My 3rd gen Tacoma (San Antonio) hitch had no rust until its first wheeling trip at 7 months old. Then it got yearly paint touchups for trail scars along with my skid plates and sliders before each winter.

If you don't tow, there's a shackle mount that replaces the hitch, forming a nice high-clearance recovery point. Requires cutting a bigger opening in the plastic bumper cover: https://80percentoffroad.com/products/5th-gen-4runner-hitch-replacement-recovery-point

 

I like POR15 and as a rule, do not spray fluid film if I come across an area where rust has eroded the paint to bare metal before applying POR.
However, POR only works if you properly prep it. First the degreaser, then metal etch and then paint. That is very very time consuming and literally tests patience. My only issue with POR really.