MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ALONG APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDOW SHATTERS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. LUCKILY OUR 3 YEAR OLD CHILD WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE. SHE CALLED THE POLICE AND HE SAID IT WAS A DEFECT IN TOYOTA 4RUNNERS. TS
1998 Toyota 4 Runner
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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: 17 of 120 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.
- Tires. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. 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.
Structure complaints
6 reportsON 03'04/02 I WAS SITTING AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT WITIN ON THE LIGHT TO CHANGE TO GREEN. THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN , THEN I PROCEEDED INTO THE INTERSECTION WHERE I WAS T-BONED ON THE DRIVER SIDED. AT THIS TIME I HEAR A LOUD BANG THEN THE LOWER AREA BY THE BRAKES CAVED IN ON MY LEFT LEG, THE THE DOORS LOCKED ,THEN MY CAR ALARM …
Read full complaint
ON 03'04/02 I WAS SITTING AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT WITIN ON THE LIGHT TO CHANGE TO GREEN. THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN , THEN I PROCEEDED INTO THE INTERSECTION WHERE I WAS T-BONED ON THE DRIVER SIDED. AT THIS TIME I HEAR A LOUD BANG THEN THE LOWER AREA BY THE BRAKES CAVED IN ON MY LEFT LEG, THE THE DOORS LOCKED ,THEN MY CAR ALARM SOUNDS OFF. DURING THIS TIME I CAN SEE SMOKE TO MY LEFTT IN THE DOOR AREA. SO IMMDIATELY I TRY TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BUT I HAD TO UNLOCK DOORS FIRST. I RECALL TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE SEAT BUT IWAS RESTRAINT BY THE SEAT BELT DURING THIS TIME FROM THE IMPACT MY VEHICLE IS STILL MOVING. I REACHED OVER TO REMOVE MY SEAT BELT WHILE ALSO RAISING MYSELF OUT OF THE SEAT WHEN THE DRIVER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. MY ARM TO THE FULL FORCE OF THE PRESSURE OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING. I MANAGED TO GET BETWEEN THE FRONT SEAT TO CROSS OVER TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE AIR BAG STARTED TO DEPLOYED I REACHED FOR MY PURSE ON FRONT FLOOR OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND CONTINUE TO GET TO THE BACK SEAT OF 4 RUNNER. I TRIED TO GET OUT ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR BUT IT WOULD NOT OPEN THEN I WENT TO THE PASSENGER REAR DOOR AND GOT OUT BUT WHEN I STOOD UP OUT OF THE VEHICLE MY LEFT LEG COLLASPE AND I FOUND MY SELF IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION UNPROTECTIVE. I LAID IN THE INTERSECTION FOR ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES BEFORE OTHER CITIZEN CAMED ON THE SCENE. YOU COULD NOT BEGAN TO IMAGE YOURSELF TRAPPED IN THIS UTILITY VEHICLE LIKE A CAGED MOUSE WITH NO WAY OUT. ALL HEAR IS THE BANG, ELECTRIC DOORS LOCKING, ALARM SOUNDING OFF, AND SMOKE TO THE LEFT OF YOU AND NO VISIBLE PERSON TO HELP YOU GET OUT OF THIS CAGE. NLM
SUPPORT STRUTS ON LIFTGATE UNABLE TO FULLY SUPPORT LIFTGATE WHEN REAR WINDOW RETRACTED DOWN INTO DOOR - APPARENTLY DUE TO ADDITIONAL WEIGHT TOWARDS BOTTOM OF THE DOOR.
REAR GATE HANDLE LATCH SHARP METAL CAUSING FINGERS TO CATCH WHEN CONSUMER ATEMPT TO OPEN THE GATE. YH
STRUCTURE IS NOT VERY STABLE IN WINDY WEATHER AT SPEEDS OF 55-65MPH. YH
REAR PANEL ADJUST ROD FAILED. MJS
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.
Illustration