IllustrationJOINT THAT CONECTS TIRE TO STEERING WHEEL BROKE AND CAUSED TIRE TO POP AND FLIP OVER. *AK
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
What owners actually said
120 reportsGAS PEDAL STICKING T-BODY STICKING EVERY 3000-4000 MILES. *AK
WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT, SPARE TIRE FELL OFF FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS NOT SAFE BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON HIGHWAY.*AK *SLC
WHILE DRIVING, RIGHT REAR FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE P225/75R15 EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, DOT W2HHAWB487. *SLC
GEAR SHIFTER LOCKS UP WHEN PLACED IN "PARK" (P) POSITION RESULTING IN KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION. THIS CAUSED THE PUSH-BUTTON CONTROL HANDLE TO BECOME COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE GEAR SHIFTER ARM AND SERVERED THE WIRE FOR THE PUSH-BUTTON OVERDRIVE CONTROL. THE SCREWS BECAME STIPPED AND THE HOUSING INSIDE THE…
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GEAR SHIFTER LOCKS UP WHEN PLACED IN "PARK" (P) POSITION RESULTING IN KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION. THIS CAUSED THE PUSH-BUTTON CONTROL HANDLE TO BECOME COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE GEAR SHIFTER ARM AND SERVERED THE WIRE FOR THE PUSH-BUTTON OVERDRIVE CONTROL. THE SCREWS BECAME STIPPED AND THE HOUSING INSIDE THE RUBBER COVER WERE CRACKED. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE DUE TO PAST PROBLEMS I'VE HAD WHEN REPORTING DEFECTS TO THEM.*AK
WE 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 )
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: 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)
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.