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1997 Toyota Prerunner

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 3 of 3 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Power Train. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Tires. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

3 reports
18,502 miles · Jun 25, 2007
Tires

THE WRANGLER AT/D2 I PURCHASED YESTERDAY AT SAMS CLUB MAY HAVE A FACTORY DEFECT. I BOUGHT A PAIR OF LT265/75/R16. IT ALREADY HAD THIS SIZE OF TIRES WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED 7 YEARS AGO. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE STORE SAID HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO INSTALL THEM BECAUSE MY SUV SHOULD HAVE 265/70/16 TIRES. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROB…

Read full complaint

THE WRANGLER AT/D2 I PURCHASED YESTERDAY AT SAMS CLUB MAY HAVE A FACTORY DEFECT. I BOUGHT A PAIR OF LT265/75/R16. IT ALREADY HAD THIS SIZE OF TIRES WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED 7 YEARS AGO. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE STORE SAID HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO INSTALL THEM BECAUSE MY SUV SHOULD HAVE 265/70/16 TIRES. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I PURCHASED A PAIR OF 265/75/R16 AT DISCOUNT TIRES A YEAR AGO WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. SO, I PURCHASED THIS PAIR OF TIRES AT SAMS, ANYWAY, AND HAD THEM INSTALLED THIS MORNING AT A LOCAL TIRE SHOP. THE TIRES WERE MOUNTED AND BALANCED AND I DROVE OUT OF THE SHOP AND HEADED TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY FOR ONLY 2 MILES, AT 60MPH, WHEN A HEARD A HISSING NOISE AND THE SUV PULLED TO ONE SIDE. I MANAGED TO PULLED OUT OF THE FREEWAY AND ONE OF MY NEW TIRES WAS FLAT. I INSPECTED THE TIRE AND THERE WERE NO NAILS, SCREWS OR HOLES ON THE THREAD. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A LITLE DEFECT ON THE THREAD PATTERN AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HOLE, OR A CHUNK OF RUBBER MISSING, RIGHT NEXT TO THIS PATTERN DEFECT WHERE THE THREAD ENDS AND SIDEWALL BEGINS. THE REST OF THE TIRE LOOKS TO BE RADIALLY SYMMETRICAL AS IS THE OTHER TIRE ENTIRELY. COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME WITH MY PROBLEM? I PURCHASED GOODYEAR TIRE PRECISELY BECAUSE ITS QUALITY REPUTATION. NOW, THE TECHNICIAN AT SAMS WHO SOLD ME THE TIRES SAYS THAT HE CANNOT HELP ME AND THE OWNER OF THE LOCAL TIRE SHOP(SAHUAYO TIRES, LYNWOOD, CA, 310-638-7077) WOULD PROBABLY DENY ANY INSTALLATION WORKMANSHIP DEFECTS. I AM TAKING THE SUV BACK TO THE TIRE SHOP TOMORROW TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I AM GOING TO ASK THEM TO DISMOUNT THE TIRE AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK FROM THE INSIDE. BUT, IF THE TIRE IS RUINED AND IS DETERMINED TO BE BECAUSE OF THIS SUSPECTED FACTORY DEFECT, THEN I WOULD APPRECIATE VERY MUCH YOUR HELP TO RESOLVE THIS SITUATION. I AM CERTAIN THAT I DIDN'T RUN OVER ANY DEBRIS ON THE ROAD AND I SHOULD BE ENTITLE TO SOME KIND OF BASIC FACTORY WARRANTY. I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.

NHTSA ODI #10194173

75,000 miles · Dec 21, 2006
Power Train

REAR AXLE SEALS ON VEHICLE NEED REPLACING. HAS LEAD TO DAMAGE OF REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS THAT WILL IN TURN NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL OR SOME BULLETIN TO OWNERS AS THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS EQUIPMENT FAILURE? CAR HAS 75K MILES AND VERY WELL MAINTAINED, NO OFF ROAD USE. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10176745

103,477 miles · Jul 12, 2004
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO REAR BRAKES. THERE WAS A SEAL FAILURE IN REAR AXLE BRAKES. REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT CURRENTLY REAR BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10081693

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.