IllustrationSEVERE CORROSION OF THE FRAME AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS OF MY VEHICLE. RUST HAS COMPLETELY PERFORATED AND SEPARATED STRUCTURAL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS (REAR PASSENGER SIDE FRONT CONTROL ARM MOUNT). VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL MAJOR REPAIRS OR COMPLETE FRAME REPLACEMENT IS PERFORMED. *TR
2000 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 4RUNNER years
Owner complaints for the 2000 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
50–25K
425–50K
650–75K
1975–100K
127100–150K
147150K+
308 reports with mileage · 71 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 255 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 97 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
Structure complaints
255 reportsIT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA WISHES TO NOT ADDRESS THAT THE FRAMES ARE NOT PROPERLY TREATED FOR RUST PREVENTION AND ARE PRONE TO RUSTING OUT AND FALLING APART AT A RATE THAT IS BEYOND REASONABLE. PICTURES FROM HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF 4RUNNER OWNERS ARE ALL OVER THE WEB AND TOYOTA FORUMS SHOWING THE SAME ISSUE. THE MOST…
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IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA WISHES TO NOT ADDRESS THAT THE FRAMES ARE NOT PROPERLY TREATED FOR RUST PREVENTION AND ARE PRONE TO RUSTING OUT AND FALLING APART AT A RATE THAT IS BEYOND REASONABLE. PICTURES FROM HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF 4RUNNER OWNERS ARE ALL OVER THE WEB AND TOYOTA FORUMS SHOWING THE SAME ISSUE. THE MOST PROBLEM SPOT IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME ON THE INSIDE NEAR THE MUFFLER, NEAR THE REAR AXLE. I CAN PHYSICALLY PUSH MY HAND RIGHT THROUGH THE RUSTED OUT FRAME. THE SIMILARLY DESIGNED TACOMA WAS RECALLED DUE TO THE FRAME RUSTING THROUGH SO BAD IT WOULD BREAK APART. UNFORTUNATELY TOYOTA DOES NOT WISH TO COVER ALL THE BASES AND HAVE LEFT THE 4RUNNERS OUT TO RUST (PUN INTENDED)
UPON INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE WHILE ON LIFT, I FOUND AN AREA OF RUST PERFORATION ABOVE THE RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM BRACKET ON THE FRAME. THE AREA IS APPROX .5"X 3" IN LENGTH. *TR
EXTREME RUST AND DAMAGE DUE THE AFOREMENTIONED RUST. THE REAR CONTROL ARMS COMPLETELY RUSTED OFF THE FRAME. I KNOW THE VEHICLE IS 15 YEARS OLD BUT THIS MUCH RUST IS NOT NORMAL AND WILL CAUSE INJURY TO MANY PEOPLE IF THEY DO NOT NOW IT IS FAILING. *TR
FRAME IS RUSTING PREMATURELY. *JS
WHILE VEHICLE WAS ON LIFT BEING SERVICED MY MECHANIC ADVISED ME TO RESPOND TO HIS SHOP, OBSERVED LARGE SECTIONS OF VEHICLE'S FRAME COMPLETELY ROTTED AND MISSING, MECHANIC ADVISED FRAME NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *DT
FRAME ROT ALONG TOPSIDE OF RAIL WITH HOLE PRESENT , JUST BEHIND PASSENGER WHEEL. CONCERNED THAT FRAME WILL FAIL WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE IS IN GREAT SHAPE OTHERWISE. *TR
WENT TO MY MECHANIC FOR AN FULL EXHAUST REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD FRAME ROT SO EXTENSIVE THAT THE REPAIR SHOULD NOT BE DONE, AND THAT IN FACT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS FRAME FOR THE TACOMA AND THE TUNDRA AS WELL, AND THERE SHOULD BE ONE ON THIS GENERATION OF 4RUNNER. I HAVE A 1989 4RU…
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WENT TO MY MECHANIC FOR AN FULL EXHAUST REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD FRAME ROT SO EXTENSIVE THAT THE REPAIR SHOULD NOT BE DONE, AND THAT IN FACT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS FRAME FOR THE TACOMA AND THE TUNDRA AS WELL, AND THERE SHOULD BE ONE ON THIS GENERATION OF 4RUNNER. I HAVE A 1989 4RUNNER WITH 250K MILES AND NO SUCH ISSUES WITH FRAME ROT. NOW I'M OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SINCE I'LL HAVE TO JUNK THE CAR AND BUY A NEW ONE. TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME WAS RUSTING AND HOLES WERE DEVELOPING ON THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF T…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME WAS RUSTING AND HOLES WERE DEVELOPING ON THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
SUSPENSION SYSTEM RUSTED APART CAUSING THE REAR SHOCKS TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS SEVERE RUST ON THE FRAME THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PROBLEMS OTHER ARE EXPERIENCING WITH FRAME ROT. THERE ARE NEARLY 200 COMPLAINTS ON HERE FOR THIS ISSUE...IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED. I CARY MY 2 YEAR…
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SUSPENSION SYSTEM RUSTED APART CAUSING THE REAR SHOCKS TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS SEVERE RUST ON THE FRAME THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PROBLEMS OTHER ARE EXPERIENCING WITH FRAME ROT. THERE ARE NEARLY 200 COMPLAINTS ON HERE FOR THIS ISSUE...IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED. I CARY MY 2 YEAR OLD AROUND IN THIS CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. SURPRISED TO FIND SUCH A POOR QUALITY CAR FROM TOYOTA AND THAT THEY AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT WHEN THEY DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT ON OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME FRAME AND SAME PROBLEM. *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.