IllustrationDOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND FOUND HUGE HOLES IN THE FRAME! WOW. TIME TO RETIRE THIS VEHICLE, AND TAKE TOYOTA OFF MY SHOPPING LIST OF POTENTIAL REPLACEMENTS.
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.
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
00–25K
225–50K
750–75K
1475–100K
46100–150K
111150K+
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
Unknown Or Other complaints
34 reports604I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND OUT OF NO WHERE A LOUD BEEPING STARTED, ALONG WITH FLASHING "LOSS OF TRACTION" ICON AND THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE BRAKES ENGAGED AND A LOUD GRINDING SOUND BEGAN WHICH SLAMMED MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN FORWARD. IT SLAMMED US SO HARD IT BROUGHT MY SPEED DOWN FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH, AND I WAS UNABLE…
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604I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND OUT OF NO WHERE A LOUD BEEPING STARTED, ALONG WITH FLASHING "LOSS OF TRACTION" ICON AND THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE BRAKES ENGAGED AND A LOUD GRINDING SOUND BEGAN WHICH SLAMMED MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN FORWARD. IT SLAMMED US SO HARD IT BROUGHT MY SPEED DOWN FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH, AND I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OR CONTROL THE SPEED. TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE I HAD TO SWERVE, AND BEGAN PUSHING THE BRAKE TO TRY TO SLOW THE SUV, WHILE IT WAS STILL GRINDING SO LOUD. I PRACTICALLY WAS STANDING WITH BOTH FEET IN THE BRAKES TO STOP IT. THE DEALER SHIP SAID IT WAS A FAULTY YAW RATE SENSOR.
UPON DOING A ROUTINE INSPECTION ON MY TRUCK. THE FRAME ON THE PASSANGERS REAR SIDE IS CORRODED TO A MECHANICALLY UNSAFE CONDITION. THIS IS WHERE REAR ANTI-SAY BAR ATTACHES AND THE REAR SPRINGS. THE FRAME IS PAPER THIN IN NUMEROUS PLACES. ADDITIONALLY THERE ARE MORE LOCATIONS ON THE REAR SECTION OF THE FRAME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE T…
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UPON DOING A ROUTINE INSPECTION ON MY TRUCK. THE FRAME ON THE PASSANGERS REAR SIDE IS CORRODED TO A MECHANICALLY UNSAFE CONDITION. THIS IS WHERE REAR ANTI-SAY BAR ATTACHES AND THE REAR SPRINGS. THE FRAME IS PAPER THIN IN NUMEROUS PLACES. ADDITIONALLY THERE ARE MORE LOCATIONS ON THE REAR SECTION OF THE FRAME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THAT ARE APPROACHING A SIMULAR STATE. I HAVE WASHED THE TRUCK ON A REGULAR BASIS AND USED CORROSION INHIBITING FLUID ON THE FRAME TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION FROM HAPPENING. HOWEVER THIS FRAME IS UNDRIVABLE DUE TO SAFEY CONCERNS. I HAVE A 1995 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WITH 200000 MILES AND THE FAME IS BRAND NEW COMPARED TO THIS.
THE FUEL SENDING UNITS ON THE '99 AND '00 4 RUNNER ARE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE TO NOT READ PROPERLY. I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE THE GAUGE IS READING HALF FULL. TOYOTA HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS BUT NO RECALL. BULLETIN EL010-00 AND EL010-99. IT IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS ON A…
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THE FUEL SENDING UNITS ON THE '99 AND '00 4 RUNNER ARE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE TO NOT READ PROPERLY. I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE THE GAUGE IS READING HALF FULL. TOYOTA HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS BUT NO RECALL. BULLETIN EL010-00 AND EL010-99. IT IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. *TR
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.