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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 →
122Owner complaints

Model-year median: 96.5

0Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
52
1994125
199589
1996122
1997120
1998110
1999104
2000
Compare all 4 Runner years →

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

What owners reported most

Suspension
30Service Brakes, Hydraulic
22Tires
15Power Train
14Engine And Engine Cooling
11
All reported categories
Air Bags
8Structure
7Equipment
6Electrical System
5Seat Belts
5Wheels
5Steering
4Unknown Or Other
4Vehicle Speed Control
4Latches/locks/linkages
3Visibility
3Exterior Lighting
2Seats
2Interior Lighting
1Parking Brake
1

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

Seats complaints

2 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · May 16, 2002
Latches/locks/linkagesSeatsService Brakes, Hydraulic

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE TRUCK HAS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*JB THE RIGHT REAR SEAT WILL NOT FOLD. THE BRACKETS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND THE SEAT IS STILL HALF WAY FOLDED. ALSO THE DOOR INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND DOES NOT GO OFF AND THE LOCKS WILL NOT L…

Read full complaint

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE TRUCK HAS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*JB THE RIGHT REAR SEAT WILL NOT FOLD. THE BRACKETS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND THE SEAT IS STILL HALF WAY FOLDED. ALSO THE DOOR INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND DOES NOT GO OFF AND THE LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK. THEY WERE INSPECTED AND NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR IS FALLING. THE BRAKES NEEDED REPAIRS PERFORMED. THE FRONT ROTORS HAD EXCESSIVE ROUT OUT. *JG

NHTSA ODI #8009998

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2002
Seats

METAL WHERE BOLTS CONNECT TO THE SEATS HAVE COME THROUGH, CAUSING SEAT TO WOBBLE WHEN ACCELERATING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8005537

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.