Illustration2/4 ORIGINAL TIRES HAVE FAILED SEVERAL TIMES TO MAINTAIN AIR PRESSURE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. OF THOSE TWO TIRES, 1 HAS BEEN REPLACED AFTER SHOWING SIGNS OF SEPERATION, AND THE OTHER IS NEEDING MORE AIR 2-3X/WK, AND IS SHOWING SIGNS OF SEPERATION( DOT NUMBER: W2HH TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )
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
Tires complaints
15 reportsNO SUMMARY( DOT NUMBER: EX BM06247 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
TOYOTA, 4 RUNNER EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS/AT TIRES, SIZE P225R7515. HAS EXPERIENCED A TREAD SEPARATION WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH. FIRESTONE HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
THE SIDEWALLS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. NO WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES PRIOR TO THE EVENT. NO PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE TIRE. THE TIRE CAME APART INSTANTLY.( DOT NUMBER: W2HH TIRE SIZE: P225 75R15 )
THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEW WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. ( GOODYEAR WRANGLER P265/70R16 ) *YC
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.