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2000 Toyota 4 Runner

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2000 Toyota 4 Runner do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 96.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 20 of 104 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.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Tires. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

21 crash reports0 fire reports12 injury reports

Power Train complaints

10 reports
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82,000 miles · Jul 30, 2006
Power Train

I HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE OF MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 2000 4RUNNER SR5. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN I COMPLETELY LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS. THE MOTOR WAS RACING BUT NO POWER WAS GETTING TO THE WHEELS. IT WAS A SUDDEN AND TOTAL LOSS OF POWER TRANSMISSION. I …

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I HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE OF MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 2000 4RUNNER SR5. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN I COMPLETELY LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS. THE MOTOR WAS RACING BUT NO POWER WAS GETTING TO THE WHEELS. IT WAS A SUDDEN AND TOTAL LOSS OF POWER TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO COAST ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE RIGHT AND WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY. I THEN TRIED ALL GEARS INCLUDING REVERSE BUT NONE WORKED THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. A USED TRANSMISSION WAS USED (REBUILT WAS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR CONSIDERABLY MORE MONEY). NO REAL DIAGNOSIS WAS MADE OF THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE AND TRANSMISSION HAD ABOUT 82000 MILES USAGE AT THE TIME. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS PERIODICALLY CHECKED AND ALWAYS WAS FINE BUT HAD NEVER BEEN REPLACED (THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TO CHECK IT EVERY 30000 MILES, BUT DOESN'T SAY TO REPLACE IT UNLESS OPERATING UNDER SPECIAL CONDITIONS LIKE TOWING WHICH I NEVER DID). *JB

NHTSA ODI #10163897

85,254 miles · Apr 4, 2006
Power Train

LOUD NOISE IN REAR END OF VEHICLE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP KEPT SAYING IT WAS MY TIRES. UNTIL, I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE AT 85,000 MILES. FRONT & REAR BEARINGS WERE GAULDED. "NEVER" DROVE 4 RUNNER UNDER SPECIAL CONDITIONS! VEHICLE MAINTENANCE WAS ALWAYS KEPT UP TO DATE. HAVE "ALL" RECORDS. REAR DIFFERE…

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LOUD NOISE IN REAR END OF VEHICLE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP KEPT SAYING IT WAS MY TIRES. UNTIL, I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE AT 85,000 MILES. FRONT & REAR BEARINGS WERE GAULDED. "NEVER" DROVE 4 RUNNER UNDER SPECIAL CONDITIONS! VEHICLE MAINTENANCE WAS ALWAYS KEPT UP TO DATE. HAVE "ALL" RECORDS. REAR DIFFERENTIAL PINION BEARINGS, CARRIER BEARINGS, CRUSH SLEEVE, PINION SEAL, DIFFERENTIAL GASKET, SPACER AND GEAR OIL ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED AND REPAIRED. WHEN ASKED TO SEE OLD PARTS. WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE SENT BACK TO TOYOTA! *JB

NHTSA ODI #10154494

91,000 miles · Jan 12, 2006
Power Train

THE CV JOINT BOLT AND CLIP ON MY 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER FELL OFF CAUSING THE SPINDLE TO BEND, THE AXLE AND CV JOINT TO BE DESTROYED. THE CLIP COULDN'T BE FOUND, ONLY THE BOLT. LUCKILY WE WERE IN A PARKING LOT OR SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. WE MET A MECHANIC WHO HAD JUST SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM W/ ANOTHER 4 RUNNER AND W…

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THE CV JOINT BOLT AND CLIP ON MY 2000 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER FELL OFF CAUSING THE SPINDLE TO BEND, THE AXLE AND CV JOINT TO BE DESTROYED. THE CLIP COULDN'T BE FOUND, ONLY THE BOLT. LUCKILY WE WERE IN A PARKING LOT OR SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. WE MET A MECHANIC WHO HAD JUST SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM W/ ANOTHER 4 RUNNER AND WE LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10147507

Mileage unknown · Dec 21, 2004
Power TrainTiresInjury

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BENT TO THE RIGHT, OUT OF CONTROL, THEN HIT THE DIVIDER AS A RESULT OF A BROKEN AXLE. *BF IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AXLE CENTER WAS TOTALLY BROKEN AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE GOING OUT. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE EMOTIONAL STREES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *SC

NHTSA ODI #10109397

46 miles · Aug 21, 2003
Power Train

VEHICLE MAKES A "CLUNK" OR "BUMP" IN THE REAR AFTER COMING TO A STOP AND RELEASING THE BRAKE. SHIFTER ALSO JUMPS FORWARD DURRING THE "CLUNK". *AK

NHTSA ODI #10033250

40,000 miles · Jul 2, 2003
Power Train

MY 2000 TOYOTA FOUR RUNNER TRANSMISSION MAKES A LOUD WHINING NOISE AND WHEN I PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL DOWN IT GETS STUCK . I AM UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR AND THE VEHICLE KEEPS ROLLING. THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE TURNED OFF TO STOP FROM GETTING INTO ACCIDENT.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10025327

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2002
Power TrainCrashInjury

REAR AXLE BROKE CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER 3 TIMES. MR

NHTSA ODI #767768

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2002
Power Train

TRANSFER CASE EXPLODED OFF THE VEHICLE AT 75 MPH WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE TRANSFER CASE NO LONGER EXISTS, DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION, FRONT AND REAR DRIVE SHAFTS AND MUFFLER.*AK

NHTSA ODI #766800

Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2001
Power TrainCrash

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #748353

Mileage unknown · Jan 16, 2001
Power Train

THERE IS NOISE COMING FROM CLUTCH PEDAL WHICH CAUSED PREMATURE FAILURE OF CLUTCH.*AK

NHTSA ODI #878180

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.