IllustrationVEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT STALLING FROM 18,000 MILES UP TO THE PRESENT 22,000 MILES AT 25 MPH IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN DEALER'S SHOP FOR REPAIRS. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. *AK *ML
1999 Toyota 4 Runner
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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: 25 of 110 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 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports3 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
110 reportsWHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 15 MPH ON A STRAIGHT ROAD VEHCILE SPUN OUT OUT OF CONTROL. *AK
THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT DURING BRAKING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ON VARYING ROADS SURFACES AND HILLS THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHAKES TO THE POINT IT FEELS AS IF THE DRIVER MAY LOSE CONTROL. AUGUST 1999 TOOK TO AUBURN TOYOTA AND THEY STATED FRONT ROTORS WERE EXTREMELY WARPED AND WERE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED FIR…
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THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT DURING BRAKING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ON VARYING ROADS SURFACES AND HILLS THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHAKES TO THE POINT IT FEELS AS IF THE DRIVER MAY LOSE CONTROL. AUGUST 1999 TOOK TO AUBURN TOYOTA AND THEY STATED FRONT ROTORS WERE EXTREMELY WARPED AND WERE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED FIRST BEING NOTICED THE NEXT DAY. AGAIN IN NOVEMBER 1999 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SERVICE, THIS TIME THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. AGAIN THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT--YOU COULD LITERALLY BRAKE FEEL THE VIBRATION, LET OFF, APPLY THE BRAKES AGAIN AND FEEL NO VIBRATION. OTHER TIMES IT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE PERSISTENT. MOST OF THE TIME THE BRAKE SYSTEM SEEMS TO FUNCTION NORMALLY, BUT AT TIMES THE FRONTEND VIBRATES SOMETHING FIERCE. THAT ALSO VARIES. SOMETIMES IT IS A SLIGHT VIBRATION, AND OTHER TIMES IT VIBRATES UP THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL QUITE SEVERELY. THE SIMPLE ANSWER FROM TOYOTA IS IT MUST BE THE ROTORS OR WE COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THAT WE ARRIVE AT A MORE UNDERSTANDABLE EXPLANATION AND HOPEFULLY A SOLUTION. CAN ABS CREATE A VIBRATION IF THE SYSTEM IS NOT PULSATING LIKE IT SHOULD? *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY AND WON'T RESTART AFTER 4 TIMES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH A TELEPHONE POLE IN WHICH THE FRONT END WAS CRUSHED. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THE CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TIRES PUT ON BY MANUFACTURER PERFORMED VERY POORLY. TIRES FORCED VEHICLE TO GO FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AND SOMETIMES VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD, EXTREME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL VEHICLE DURING NORMAL DRIVING. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER NOTHING WOULD HELP. *AK
TIRES ON HIS VEHICLE ARE WORN OUT AT UNDER 10,000 MILES. CONSUMER STATED HAD REPLACED THREE SET OF TIRES ALREADY. *AK
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CLUNKING IS STILL. THE GAS SMELL IS ELLUSIVE. TAIL LIGHTS = FRUSTRATING!!!
AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING 70MPH ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY ATTEMPTING TO SWITCH LANES WHEN THE CAR LOST COMPLETE CONTROL. THE CAR SWERVED SEVERELY LEFT AND THERE WAS NO FUNCTIONING OF THE BRAKES OR STEERING. I WAS THEN HIT DRIVER SIDE BY A SEMI-TRACTOR TRAILOR WHO KNOCKED ME INTO A CONCRETE WALL. THE CAR WAS DEMOLISH…
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AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING 70MPH ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY ATTEMPTING TO SWITCH LANES WHEN THE CAR LOST COMPLETE CONTROL. THE CAR SWERVED SEVERELY LEFT AND THERE WAS NO FUNCTIONING OF THE BRAKES OR STEERING. I WAS THEN HIT DRIVER SIDE BY A SEMI-TRACTOR TRAILOR WHO KNOCKED ME INTO A CONCRETE WALL. THE CAR WAS DEMOLISHED. THE MECHANICAL EXPERT REPORT SHOWED THAT THE THROTTLE WAS OPEN AND IT APPEARED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD CAUSED THE CAR TO ACCELLERATE ALTHOUGH THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT TURNED ON AT THE TIME. MY CONCERNS RELATE TO THE INABILITY TO STEER THE CAR OR INITIATE THE BRAKES IF IT WAS IN FACT A TIRE BLOW-OUT AND ALSO I AM CONCERNED AT TO WHY THE THROTTLE WAS OPEN WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON. IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, I FELT AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS ACCELLERATING INDEPENDENTLY OF MY UTILIZING THE GAS PEDAL. IN CONCLUSION, I AM NOT CERTAIN AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE CAR TO GO OUT OF CONTROL, HOWEVER, IF IT WAS A TIRE BLOW-OUT, I THINK THAT IT WAS UNBELIEVABLY UNSAFE TO NOT BE( DOT NUMBER: )
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.