IllustrationFIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT ALONG THE INNER WALL OF THE TIRE. *SLC
1996 Toyota 4 Runner
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Toyota 4 Runner do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 96.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 4 Runner 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
Limited mileage data: 9 of 89 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 16 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 reports0 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
89 reportsTIRE FAILED WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE AND WAS LOST (COULDN'T SEE IT AT NIGHT). LOCATION WAS ON INTERSTATE 15 JUST SOUTH OF BARSTOW CALIFORNIA. TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY IN THE IN LOW 50S. BEFORE THE TIRE FAILUE, I FELT A VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MILES, WHICH GRADUALLY GREW LARGER. SUDD…
Read full complaint
TIRE FAILED WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE AND WAS LOST (COULDN'T SEE IT AT NIGHT). LOCATION WAS ON INTERSTATE 15 JUST SOUTH OF BARSTOW CALIFORNIA. TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY IN THE IN LOW 50S. BEFORE THE TIRE FAILUE, I FELT A VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MILES, WHICH GRADUALLY GREW LARGER. SUDDENLY THE SOUND OF THE CAR CHANGED DRASTICALLY (AS THE TREAD SEPARATED, I PRESUME) AND I HEARD MUCH ROAD NOISE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT THE ROAD HAD CHANGED ITS SURFACE FROM ASPHALT TO SOMETHING MORE NOISY, LIKE A "CHIP-SEALED" ROAD SURFACE WITH OIL AND CINDERS, BUT THEN I HEARD MORE NOISE AND A BIT OF SIDEWAYS SHAKING, AND I PULLED OVER. I NEVER FELT THE CAR PULL SIDEWAYS AT ALL, OR EVEN SLOW DOWN (BUT, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON). WHEN I PULLED OVER, I HAD DRIVEN A GOOD 1/4 MILE OR SO ON THE FAILED TIRE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT LOST AIR PRESSURE, BUT BY THE TIME I GOT OFF THE ROAD, I COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS NO TREAD, AND THAT THE REMAINING SURFACE OF THE TIRE HAD BEEN SLICED BY THE RIM, AS IT ROLLED ON THE TIRE ONCE PRESSURE WAS LOST. I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THIS TIRE FAILURE UNTIL THE PUBLICIZED REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES ON SIMILAR SIZED TIRES OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. I SUSPECT THE ISSUE WITH THE P235 SIZED FIRESTONE TIRES MAY WELL APPLY TO OTHER SIZES, SUCH AS MY P225 TIRES. WE ARE GOING TO REPLACE ALL OF OUR REMAINING TIRES WITH NEW ONES, AND WILL HOLD ON TO THE OLD ONES, IN CASE OF A RECALL ON THAT SIZE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )
A SECOND TIRE HAD TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE WEAR IN ONE SECTION OF ITS TREAD. IT IS NOW MY SPARE TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: W2HH AWB TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH & WAS TURNING INTO CURB, ROAD WAS WET, AND VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE. APPLIED THE ABS AND RPMS REVVED UP. LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE & SPUN AROUND, AND HIT A UTILITY POLE WITH REAR OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE TOWED DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK
WHILE PAVEMENT IS WET AND WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEVICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO TRAVEL, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPIING DISTANCE. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE PORBLEM . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK
REAR BRAKES BIND TO WHEEL EVEN AFTER RELEASE OF BRAKE PEDAL. MUST PUT INTO DRIVE AND PRESS ON ACCLERATOR TO RELEASE. WHEN ACCLERATOR IS DEPRESSED THE BRAKES RELEASES WITH A SUDDEN JOLT WHICH CAUSES RAPID ACCLERATION AND A SAFETY HAZARD. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE AT DEALER'S TWICE FOR BRAKE REPAIRS, BUT DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING LEAKAGE ONTO CYLINDER, RESULTING IN MAJOR DAMAGE TO ENGINE PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE. MJS
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO, DEALER REPLACED TWO MASTER CYLINDERS AND LEAKING CALIPER, WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
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.