IllustrationWE HAVE A THUMPING NOISE IN ONE OF THE TIRES. FIRESTONE WILL NOT HONOR THE RECAL ON THIS AS IT IS A 225 . DO WE HAVE ANY RECOURSE? I AM CONCERNED THAT ALL THE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS AT THIS POINT. (TIRESIZE: 22575R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 22575R15 )
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.
12 crash reports3 fire reports10 injury reports
Tires complaints
29 reportsTHE TIRE SHREDDED WHILE DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY. I DO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE TIRE SHOWING THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE TIRE TREAD. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE RECALLED TIRES. HOWEVER, DUE TO THIS INCIDENT, I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE MY TIRES REPLACED BY FIRESTONE. I WILL FORWARD THE PHOTS TO YOUR OFFICE. (DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB068 TIRESIZE: P…
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THE TIRE SHREDDED WHILE DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY. I DO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE TIRE SHOWING THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE TIRE TREAD. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE RECALLED TIRES. HOWEVER, DUE TO THIS INCIDENT, I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE MY TIRES REPLACED BY FIRESTONE. I WILL FORWARD THE PHOTS TO YOUR OFFICE. (DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB068 TIRESIZE: P225 75R15)
PE 00 020/ TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY GOODYEAR CENTER AND INFORMED THAT THREE OF THE TIRES SHOWED SIGN OF TREAD SEPARATION ON A 1998 TOYOTA, 4 RUNNER; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, P225/75R15, DOT# W2HHAWB048 & W2HHAWBO38(TWO). FIRSTONE NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TIRES WERE NOT COVER UNDER RECALL. TIRES WERE …
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PE 00 020/ TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY GOODYEAR CENTER AND INFORMED THAT THREE OF THE TIRES SHOWED SIGN OF TREAD SEPARATION ON A 1998 TOYOTA, 4 RUNNER; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, P225/75R15, DOT# W2HHAWB048 & W2HHAWBO38(TWO). FIRSTONE NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT TIRES WERE NOT COVER UNDER RECALL. TIRES WERE AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. *AK
REPLACEMENT OF ALL FIVE TIRES AS TWO WERE ALREADY SEPARATING,HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH ONE LOOSING AIR SINCE BOUGHT,UNABLE TO FIND REASON,TIRES WERE REPLACED BY GOODYEAR AND FIRESTONE ADVISED CAN'T REEMBURSE BECAUSE OF ALREADY TAKEN OFF,OTHER FIRESTONE SAID TIRES ARE TWO YEARS OLD AND NEEDED REPLACING ANYWAY. I SPOKE WITH ROBERT OP…
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REPLACEMENT OF ALL FIVE TIRES AS TWO WERE ALREADY SEPARATING,HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH ONE LOOSING AIR SINCE BOUGHT,UNABLE TO FIND REASON,TIRES WERE REPLACED BY GOODYEAR AND FIRESTONE ADVISED CAN'T REEMBURSE BECAUSE OF ALREADY TAKEN OFF,OTHER FIRESTONE SAID TIRES ARE TWO YEARS OLD AND NEEDED REPLACING ANYWAY. I SPOKE WITH ROBERT OPER.50 AT NHTSA. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB048 TIRESIZE: P225/75R15)
UPON SWITCHING MY FIRESTONE TIRES TO ANOTHER BRAND, I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE TIRES REMOVED FROM MY VEHICLE HAD A DEFINITE CRACK BETWEEN THE TREAD. IT WAS AN OLDER TIRE, 2 YEARS, 40K MILES, BUT THE DEEP CRACK BETWEEN THE TREADS CONCERNED ME, AS I HAD NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. NONE OF THE OTHER 3 TIRES EXHIBITED THIS U…
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UPON SWITCHING MY FIRESTONE TIRES TO ANOTHER BRAND, I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE TIRES REMOVED FROM MY VEHICLE HAD A DEFINITE CRACK BETWEEN THE TREAD. IT WAS AN OLDER TIRE, 2 YEARS, 40K MILES, BUT THE DEEP CRACK BETWEEN THE TREADS CONCERNED ME, AS I HAD NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. NONE OF THE OTHER 3 TIRES EXHIBITED THIS UNUSUAL WEAR CHARACTERISTIC. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HH TIRESIZE: P225/75R15)
BOTH FAILURES WERE BLOWOUTS WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT APPROX. 75 MILES PER HOUR. THE FIRST FAILURE IN 1998 WAS IN THE EARLY EVENING ON INTERSTATE 45 IN HOUSTON TEXAS. THE LEFT TIRE BLEW WITH NO WARNING. THE TREAD SEPERATED AND THE TIRE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. A NEW TIRE WAS INSTALLED. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS O…
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BOTH FAILURES WERE BLOWOUTS WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT APPROX. 75 MILES PER HOUR. THE FIRST FAILURE IN 1998 WAS IN THE EARLY EVENING ON INTERSTATE 45 IN HOUSTON TEXAS. THE LEFT TIRE BLEW WITH NO WARNING. THE TREAD SEPERATED AND THE TIRE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. A NEW TIRE WAS INSTALLED. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS ON INTERSTATE 285 IN ATLANTA GA. AGAIN THE TIRE FAILED INSTANTANEOUSLY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TWO REMAINING TIRES ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT WITH 49000 + MILES. ONE OF THE TWO TIRES THAT WERE INSTALLED ARE STILL ON THE CAR. IT IS ON THE FRONT. EVER SINCE THEY WERE INSTALLED THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A VIBRATION. ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES IS STILL ON THE VEHICLE AND THE SPARE IS IN USE. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL SOON. IF YOU HAVE ANY DESIRE TO SEE IT YOU MUST RESPOND SOON. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P265/70R16 )
PE00 020; VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEWOUT. WHEN HE CHANGED TIRES THERE WAS ONE AND HALF INCH TEAR LOCATED IN THE INNER SIDE OF TIRE. TIRE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS#AT, P22575R15. FIRESTONE WAS NOTIFIED. *AK ONE OF THE TWO FIRESTONE DEALERS STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS DAMAGED DUE TO INCORRECT PRESSURE USED AND …
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PE00 020; VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEWOUT. WHEN HE CHANGED TIRES THERE WAS ONE AND HALF INCH TEAR LOCATED IN THE INNER SIDE OF TIRE. TIRE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS#AT, P22575R15. FIRESTONE WAS NOTIFIED. *AK ONE OF THE TWO FIRESTONE DEALERS STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS DAMAGED DUE TO INCORRECT PRESSURE USED AND THE SECOND DEALER CLAIMED IT TO BE DUE TO ROAD HAZARD. *YH
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND TIRE TREAD WAS WEARING OFF ALSO, THERE WERE STRESS MARKS AND BUMPS AROUND THE TIRES. CONSUMER CONTACTED FIRESTONE. *AK THE VEHICLE SKIDS WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED. TIRES ARE UNEVENLY WEARING AND RIDES PUMPY. *YH
WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE'S TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE. TIRE HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH SAME TYPE.*AK
TIRE BLOWOUT -- TIRE WAS DESTROYED( DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB487 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.