IllustrationWHILE DRIVING 25 MPH REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
1997 Toyota 4 Runner
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 21 of 122 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.
- Suspension. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
23 crash reports0 fire reports10 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
8 reportsWHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN UNDER RAINY ROAD CONDITIONS REAR END BEGAN TO SLIDE OUT OF CONTROL. AS A RESULT, DRIVER DID A 180 DEGREE SPIN, AND STOPPED HEAD ON IN A DITCH. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE VEHICLE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
AIRBAGS FAILED TO INFLATE UPON HEAD ON IMPACT. FURTHER, VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AFTER INITIAL IMPACT. *AK
SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HER. AIRBAG DEPLOYED TO SOON. SHE WENT FACE FIRST INTO THE DASH & WINDSHIELD WAS KNOCKED UNCONSIOUS. SHE HAS NECK & BACK INJURIES STILL TODAY. THE SEATBELT IS STILL LAYING ON THE SEAT. LAP PART HELD HER NOT THE SHOULDER STRAPE HER HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD & BROKE WINDSHIELD. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF …
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SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD HER. AIRBAG DEPLOYED TO SOON. SHE WENT FACE FIRST INTO THE DASH & WINDSHIELD WAS KNOCKED UNCONSIOUS. SHE HAS NECK & BACK INJURIES STILL TODAY. THE SEATBELT IS STILL LAYING ON THE SEAT. LAP PART HELD HER NOT THE SHOULDER STRAPE HER HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD & BROKE WINDSHIELD. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF YOU NEED MORE INFOMATION. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN RED LIGHT & WAS HIT BROADSIDE. UPON IMPACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS HOSPITALIZED. *AK *SLC
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 45 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK THIS IS THE SECOND OCCASION IN WHICH THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *SLC
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 60 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION DIRECTLY HITTING A TREE IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE HAD A FRONTAL COLLISION, RESULTING IN 1 FATALITY, 3 OCCUPANTS INJURIED BECAUSE BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER' SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *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.