Your vehicle report
1997 Toyota 4RUNNER
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 139
- Received Nov 2006 to May 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Frame rusts and corrodes through57 complaints · 41% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking11 complaints · 7.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Automatic emergency braking applies without reason4 complaints · 2.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #02V021000On 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 2 fires, 8 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 6 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 18 |
| 2011 | 10 |
| 2012 | 10 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2014 | 16 |
| 2015 | 16 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 139 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 57 | 41% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 11 | 7.9% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 4 | 2.9% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 2.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #02V021000January 18, 2002273,743 vehicles affected
suspension
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN