IllustrationTIRES HAVE BLOWN OUT 3 TIMES WITH PEELING TIRES, 7-5-00, 7-28-00, 7-29-00, BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T. (P265/70R16) TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *JB
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
What owners actually said
122 reportsTHE VEHICLE HAS SPUN OUT ON THREE OCCASIONS. NLM
VEHICLE LOCKED UP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. IT HAS BEEN TO DEALER THREE TIMES AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED. ALSO, REAR AXLE SEAL WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED. BRAKE PADS WERE CLEANED. IF PROBLEM REOCCURRED DEALER WAS SUPPOSE TO REPLACE PADS. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY WERE JUST CLEANED. CONSUMER WAS VE…
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VEHICLE LOCKED UP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. IT HAS BEEN TO DEALER THREE TIMES AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED. ALSO, REAR AXLE SEAL WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED. BRAKE PADS WERE CLEANED. IF PROBLEM REOCCURRED DEALER WAS SUPPOSE TO REPLACE PADS. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY WERE JUST CLEANED. CONSUMER WAS VERY FUSTRATED AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THERE SEEMED TO BE NO REMEDY. *AK
REAR AXLE SEALS LEAKING REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF SEALS & REAR BRAKE PADS. DEFOGGER IS INOPERABLE DUE TO LINKAGE DISENGAGED. *AK
DRIVING VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND HOOD ON VEHICLE FLEW UP WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING DAMAGE. CONTACTED MINOT CHRYSLER & TOYOTA CENTER, MINOT, ND PHONE 1-800-735-4483 WHARE THE VEHICLE IS AT RIGHT NOW. A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE WAS THERE AT TIME. DEALER AND TOYOTA REP STATED THAT THESE THINGS JUST HAPPEN. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED O…
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DRIVING VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND HOOD ON VEHICLE FLEW UP WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING DAMAGE. CONTACTED MINOT CHRYSLER & TOYOTA CENTER, MINOT, ND PHONE 1-800-735-4483 WHARE THE VEHICLE IS AT RIGHT NOW. A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE WAS THERE AT TIME. DEALER AND TOYOTA REP STATED THAT THESE THINGS JUST HAPPEN. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY ETC. AND A HIGHER SPEED SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILLED. *AK
NO SUMMARY
FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE (P225 75 R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC
WHENEVER VEHICLE HAS SAT A LONG TIME WOULD FAIL TO START UP. IGNITION WOULD LOCK UP. THE BATTERY IS FINE. BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE DEALER AT LEAST 20 TIMES. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER NO PROBLEM WITH IGNITION OR STARTER. WAS INFORMED WHAT TO DO BUT SOLUTION DO NOT WORK . *AK THE CAUSE FOR THE VEHICLE FAILING …
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WHENEVER VEHICLE HAS SAT A LONG TIME WOULD FAIL TO START UP. IGNITION WOULD LOCK UP. THE BATTERY IS FINE. BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE DEALER AT LEAST 20 TIMES. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER NO PROBLEM WITH IGNITION OR STARTER. WAS INFORMED WHAT TO DO BUT SOLUTION DO NOT WORK . *AK THE CAUSE FOR THE VEHICLE FAILING TO START UP IS INDICATED TO BE DUE TO THE BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM. *YH
FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES P225 75 R15 EXPERIENCED CUPPING AND VIBRATION, CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC
2/4 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 )
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.