IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000.
1997 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 4RUNNER years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER are substantially higher than the model-year median of 58.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 4RUNNER years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
40–25K
025–50K
150–75K
175–100K
25100–150K
87150K+
118 reports with mileage · 21 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports
Suspension complaints
65 reportsVEHICLE FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTING OUT AROUND THE REAR SUSPENSION. TRAILING ARM MOUNT FROM AXLE TO FRAME IS SEPARATED FROM FRAME AND VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR
LEFT REAR CONTROL ARM MOUNT ROTTED/SEPARATED FROM FRAME. CONTROL ARM MOUNT IS WELDED TO FRAME FROM FACTORY. MOUNT IS SERVICED WITH FRAME. VEHICLE FRAME HAS OTHER ROTTED AREAS. VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. CONTACTED TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY STATED THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE FRAME RECALL. *TR
THE BODY ON THE 4RUNNER IS CLEAN WITH VERY LITTLE RUST. THE FRAME HOWEVER IS RUSTING BADLY AND THE MOUNTS FOR THE REAR CONTROL ARMS ARE ALMOST RUSTED OFF. *TR
I HAVE A 1997 4RUNNER THAT IS CATASTROPHICALLY RUSTED THROUGH THE FRAME AND HAS BEEN A DANGER SINCE PURCHASING. THE AMOUNT OF RUST HAS COMPLETELY EVAPORATED MY INVESTMENT. *TR
1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER FRAME ROT AND RUST: I NOTICED RUST DEBRIS IN MY DRIVEWAY. I INSPECTED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE INSIDE OF DRIVER-SIDE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY ROTTED WITH EXTENSIVE RUST ALONG ENTIRE LENGTH OF ADJACENT FUEL TANK. HOLES LARGE ENOUGH TO PUT FOUR FINGERS IN AND CRUMBLE. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE ROT HAS ALM…
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1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER FRAME ROT AND RUST: I NOTICED RUST DEBRIS IN MY DRIVEWAY. I INSPECTED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE INSIDE OF DRIVER-SIDE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY ROTTED WITH EXTENSIVE RUST ALONG ENTIRE LENGTH OF ADJACENT FUEL TANK. HOLES LARGE ENOUGH TO PUT FOUR FINGERS IN AND CRUMBLE. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE ROT HAS ALMOST GONE ENTIRELY THROUGH THE FRAME AS THERE ARE SEVERAL SMALL HOLES ON OUTSIDE OF FRAME AS WELL. THE RUST HAS ALSO SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED THE WELD SEAM ON THE SUSPENSION COMPONENT ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. RUST AND ROT OF THIS SEVERITY ON THIS VEHICLE IS ISOLATED ONLY TO THIS AREA OF THE FRAME. THE REST OF VEHICLE FRAME SHOWS TYPICAL SURFACE RUST AS EXPECTED WITH AGE OF VEHICLE. *TR
I HEARD A NOISE TOWARD THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, SO I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE LEFT REAR FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED INTO AND THE FRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS ALMOST AS BAD. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT HOME AND PARK IT BEFORE A BAD ACCIDENT HAPPENED. *TR
REAR FRAME IS RUSTED BADLY WHERE THE REAR SUSPENSION CONNECTS. *TR
HAVING COMPLAINED ABOUT A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, I WAS SOLD A NUMBER OF REPAIRS OVER THE LAST 15,000 MILES, INCLUDING REAR STABILIZER LINKS AND REAR SHOCKS. HOWEVER, THE NOISE PERSISTED. AFTER SPENDING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON REPAIRS, I HAVE NOW DISCOVERED…
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HAVING COMPLAINED ABOUT A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, I WAS SOLD A NUMBER OF REPAIRS OVER THE LAST 15,000 MILES, INCLUDING REAR STABILIZER LINKS AND REAR SHOCKS. HOWEVER, THE NOISE PERSISTED. AFTER SPENDING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON REPAIRS, I HAVE NOW DISCOVERED THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE PORTION OF THE FRAME IN THE AREA UNDER THE REAR SEAT HAS TOTALLY ROTTED AWAY AND THE LOWER REAR CONTROL ARM WELDMENT IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE FRAME, LEAVING THE VEHICLE UNSTABLE (SWAYING SIDE TO SIDE) AND UNSAFE. THE DEALERSHIP NEVER ADVISED ME OF ANY PROBLEM, LEADING ME TO SPEND THE MONEY ON THESE OTHER REPAIRS. THIS FRAME DESIGN HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A PROBLEM BY TOYOTA A FEW YEARS BACK. TOYOTA PROVIDED RELIEF FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THE TACOMA. OBVIOUSLY THE 4RUNNER SUFFERS THE SAME PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE EVALUATED AS THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
VEHICLE DEVELOPED SERIOUS REAR END SWAY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN ROAD. LOUD POPPING NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE VICINITY OF THE REAR AXLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. UPON INVESTIGATION IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE FRAME RAIL HAD RUSTED THROUGH IN SEVERAL AREAS. ADDITIONALLY THE FRAME HAD RUSTED AWAY FROM THE LOWER TRACK ARM MOUNTING PLATE …
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VEHICLE DEVELOPED SERIOUS REAR END SWAY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN ROAD. LOUD POPPING NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE VICINITY OF THE REAR AXLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. UPON INVESTIGATION IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE FRAME RAIL HAD RUSTED THROUGH IN SEVERAL AREAS. ADDITIONALLY THE FRAME HAD RUSTED AWAY FROM THE LOWER TRACK ARM MOUNTING PLATE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE RESULTING IN FORWARD AND BACKWARD MOVEMENT IN THE MOUNTING PLATE. THE VEHICLE IS OTHERWISE VIRTUALLY RUST FREE. *TR
Official recalls
102V021000 · Suspension
Jan 18, 2002
ON CERTAIN 2-WHEEL-DRIVE (2WD) AND 4-WHEEL-DRIVE (4WD) 4RUNNER SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF HEAVY LOADING (SIMULTANEOUS LOADING TO REAR GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING AND GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING) AND SEVERE STEERING MANEUVERS COULD CAUSE THE 2WD 4RUNNER TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL STABILITY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE REAR SUSPENSION PARTS. ALTHOUGH THE 4WD 4RUNNERS DO NOT EXHIBIT THE HANDLING CONDITION, TOYOTA WILL RECALL THESE VEHICLES TO AVOID ANY PUBLIC CONFUSION AS TO WHICH VEHICLES SHOULD RECEIVE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.