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1999 Toyota 4RUNNER

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most 4RUNNER years

Owner complaints for the 1999 Toyota 4RUNNER are substantially higher than the model-year median of 58.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

180 reports with mileage · 40 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 111 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 17 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 reports6 injury reports

Structure complaints

111 reports
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267,000 miles · Mar 6, 2011
StructureSuspension

MARCH 6, 2011: 99 TOYOTA 4RUNNER: I NOTICED MY 4RUNNER PITCHING ON HIGHWAY EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AFTER I BROUGHT INTO TOYOTA THEY INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY UNSAFE - REAR END DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM FRAME ON REAR PASSENGER SIDE - RIGHT REAR AXLE CLOSE TO COMPLETE FAILURE - TOYO…

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MARCH 6, 2011: 99 TOYOTA 4RUNNER: I NOTICED MY 4RUNNER PITCHING ON HIGHWAY EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AFTER I BROUGHT INTO TOYOTA THEY INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY UNSAFE - REAR END DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM FRAME ON REAR PASSENGER SIDE - RIGHT REAR AXLE CLOSE TO COMPLETE FAILURE - TOYOTA STATED IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. SEVERE RUST ON THE STRUCTURAL AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS IS EXCESSIVE. ALSO LARGE HOLES IN DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE. TOYOTA STATED THEY COULD FIND USED PARTS, INCLUDING SUSPENSION BRACKET & ENTIRE REPLACEMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING & SWAY BAR COMPONENTS - WOULD COST UP TO $3000 TO REPAIR AT MY COST. ANOTHER OPTION IS TO FIND A MECHANIC TO WELD & REPAIR SUSPENSION BRACKETS. THE REAR TRANSFER CASE IS SO THIN THAT OIL IS LEAKING THROUGH RUST HOLES. FRAME RAILS & ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE ALSO SEVERELY RUSTED & DETERIORATED, INCLUDING ENTIRE DISINTEGRATION OF THE REAR BUMPER WITH THE FRONT BUMPER HAVING MASSIVE RUST HOLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10386627

200,000 miles · Feb 18, 2011
Power TrainStructure

FRAME ON 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS RUSTED THROUGH IN FRONT OF REAR AXLE ATTACHMENT ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES. REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER HAS ALSO RUSTED TO POINT WHERE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID IS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND WASHED REGULARLY WITH NO RUST ANYWHERE BUT FRAME AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE IS…

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FRAME ON 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAS RUSTED THROUGH IN FRONT OF REAR AXLE ATTACHMENT ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES. REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER HAS ALSO RUSTED TO POINT WHERE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID IS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND WASHED REGULARLY WITH NO RUST ANYWHERE BUT FRAME AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND MUST BE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO MECHANIC. TOYOTA STATES THAT THEY HAVE A VOLUNTARY BUY-BACK PROGRAM ON TACOMA'S OF SAME VINTAGE, BUT NOT FOR THE 4RUNNER? *LN

NHTSA ODI #10383194

194,000 miles · Sep 21, 2010
Structure

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED RUST AND A HOLE NEAR THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 194000.

NHTSA ODI #10356745

110,000 miles · Jul 29, 2010
Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR AXLE DRIVE TRAIN AREA WAS EXHIBITING SEVERE RUST. PRIOR TO NOTICING THE RUST, THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A LEAK OF UNKNOWN FLUID FROM THE REAR AXLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 175,000.

NHTSA ODI #10346149

117,000 miles · Apr 30, 2010
Structure

OUR 1999 4RUNNER RECENTLY WENT TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION, WHERE WE LEARNED THAT THE FRAME ON THE TRUCK WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THERE ARE SOFTBALL SIZE HOLES IN IT. THE TRUCK IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AS A RESULT. THERE HAS BEEN A SIMILAR ISSUE ON THE TUNDRA FRAMES, WHICH WERE PART OF A BUY BACK PROGRAM FROM TOYOTA. …

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OUR 1999 4RUNNER RECENTLY WENT TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION, WHERE WE LEARNED THAT THE FRAME ON THE TRUCK WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THERE ARE SOFTBALL SIZE HOLES IN IT. THE TRUCK IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AS A RESULT. THERE HAS BEEN A SIMILAR ISSUE ON THE TUNDRA FRAMES, WHICH WERE PART OF A BUY BACK PROGRAM FROM TOYOTA. WE WERE TOLD WE COULD HAVE A NEW FRAME PUT ON, BUT IT WOULD COST MORE THAN THE TRUCK IS WORTH AND THE TRUCK WOULDN'T BE THE SAME AGAIN. OUR TOYOTA DEALER HAS GIVEN US A PHONE NUMBER (AND WE HAVE A CLAIM NUMBER) FOR TOYOTA AND WE HAVE MADE OUR CASE WITH THEM, BUT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AND THE DEALER HAS BASICALLY SAID THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER HE CAN DO. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10328255

335,000 miles · Apr 7, 2010
Service Brakes, HydraulicStructure

UPON A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ON THE FRONT BRAKES MY MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE FRONT FRAME WAS RUSTED TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL. I WILL HAVE TO HAVE PLATES WELDED ONTO THE FRAME TO MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD AND CAREFULLY MAINTAINED. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10324197

80,000 miles · Dec 15, 2009
Structure

RUST ON THE STRUCTURAL AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS IS EXCESSIVE. I HAVE HAD WELDING DONE TO REPAIR SUSPENSION BRACKETS. THE REAR TRANSFER CASE IS SO THIN THAT OIL IS LEAKING THROUGH RUST HOLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10295887

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2009
Structure

1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, FRAME RUST ALONG THE ENTIRE FRAME. BODY SHOP WOULD NOT TRY TO REPAIR DUE TO LIABILITY. I LIVE IN NJ WHERE THE SALT IS NOT AS BAD AS IN THE NORTHERN STATES. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THE REAR END SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME AS THEIR IS RUST THROUGH WERE THE REAR SUSPENSION CONNECTS TO THE FRAME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10293598

190,000 miles · Oct 9, 2009
Structure

1999 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER- I NOTICED THE REAR END SWAYING WILDLY AT EVEN LOW SPEEDS. I NOTICES THAT THE REAR END HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM FRAME. I WENT TO A PROFESSIONAL WELDER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE SOME WORK FOR ME. HE SAID THAT THE FRAME COMPONENTS WERE SO BADLY DETERIORATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. I WENT TO STEET TOYOTA IN U…

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1999 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER- I NOTICED THE REAR END SWAYING WILDLY AT EVEN LOW SPEEDS. I NOTICES THAT THE REAR END HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM FRAME. I WENT TO A PROFESSIONAL WELDER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE SOME WORK FOR ME. HE SAID THAT THE FRAME COMPONENTS WERE SO BADLY DETERIORATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. I WENT TO STEET TOYOTA IN UTICA N.Y., AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD COST OVER $15,000 TO REPAIR. THE FRAME AND COMPONENTS WERE INDEED DEFECTIVE, BUT I HAD NO RECOURSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10286898

143,000 miles · Aug 21, 2008
Structure

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE IS A HOLE IN THE BOX FRAME OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME. WATER SEEPS IN THROUGH THE FRAME, CAUSING IT TO RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THEY INFORMED HER OF THE FAILURE. T…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE IS A HOLE IN THE BOX FRAME OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME. WATER SEEPS IN THROUGH THE FRAME, CAUSING IT TO RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THEY INFORMED HER OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY TWO REPAIR SHOPS AND THEY BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 143,000. UPDATED 09/29/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/29/08. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10239136

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.