IllustrationMY 1997 4RUNNER ONLY HAS 116,XXX MILES AND ITS FRAME IS STARTING TO ROT. MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND IT'S ALSO ON OTHER 4RUNNERS. I GUESS IT HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS BUT IT IS NEAR THE BACK BY THE REAR PART OF THE FRAME.
1997 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 4RUNNER years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER are substantially higher than the model-year median of 58.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 4RUNNER 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
40–25K
025–50K
150–75K
175–100K
25100–150K
87150K+
118 reports with mileage · 21 unknown
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.
- Structure. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 11 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 reports2 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
139 reportsI AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS 1997 TOYOTA WHICH I'VE PLANNED TO KEEP FOR EVER. HOWEVER, THIS WEEKEND WHILE REPLACING A SHOCK ABSORBER I FOUND THAT THE FRAME, BY THE MUFFLER HAS RUSTED THROUGH, THE GASH IS APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES LONG. THERE ARE OTHER AREAS FAR BEYOND WHAT CAN BE CONSIDERED NORMAL RUST DUE TO AGING. THE DAMAGE LOOK…
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I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS 1997 TOYOTA WHICH I'VE PLANNED TO KEEP FOR EVER. HOWEVER, THIS WEEKEND WHILE REPLACING A SHOCK ABSORBER I FOUND THAT THE FRAME, BY THE MUFFLER HAS RUSTED THROUGH, THE GASH IS APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES LONG. THERE ARE OTHER AREAS FAR BEYOND WHAT CAN BE CONSIDERED NORMAL RUST DUE TO AGING. THE DAMAGE LOOKS UNSAFE. I FOUND THE DAMAGE ON THE BELOW STATED DATE BUT THIS KIND OF DAMAGE MUST TO HAVE TAKEN YEARS.
THE FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE RUSTED THROUGH JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAR AXLE. THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE FRONT OF THE TRAILING ARM SUDDENLY SEPARATED FROM THE DISINTEGRATED FRAME CAUSING THE AXLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AT SPEED AND BECAME WILDLY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.
GOING DOWN ROAD AT 50MPH CAR LET LOOSE VERY HARD TO HANDLE PULLED ME INTO BURM OF ROAD SWAYING BACK AND FOURTH. HAD CAR TAKEN TO BE INSPECTED FRAME BROKE LOOSE TOTALLY ROTTED FROM INSIDE OUT LOOKS LIKE COOKIE CRUMBLES. FRAME HAS ALWAYS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF AS THIS IS 22ND 4RUNNER OWNED WITH SAME PROBLEM THIS TIME ALMOST SEVERE ACC…
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GOING DOWN ROAD AT 50MPH CAR LET LOOSE VERY HARD TO HANDLE PULLED ME INTO BURM OF ROAD SWAYING BACK AND FOURTH. HAD CAR TAKEN TO BE INSPECTED FRAME BROKE LOOSE TOTALLY ROTTED FROM INSIDE OUT LOOKS LIKE COOKIE CRUMBLES. FRAME HAS ALWAYS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF AS THIS IS 22ND 4RUNNER OWNED WITH SAME PROBLEM THIS TIME ALMOST SEVERE ACCIDENT. CONTACTING A LAWYER AS THIS ISSUE IS BEING NEGLECTED RESEARCH DONE AND THIS IS VERY COMMON IN 4RUNNERS AND A VERY GOOD CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT.
I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT AND HEARD A POP LIKE SOMETHING HAD BROKEN. PROCEEDED TO GET ON INTERSTATE ON RAMP AND WITHIN A MILE THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS SWERVING BACK AND FORTH. LUCKILY I ONLY HAD TO GO ABOUT A MILE TO MY EXIT. ONCE HOME I HAD DISCOVERED THAT PART OF THE FRAME HAD RUSTED INTO …
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I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT AND HEARD A POP LIKE SOMETHING HAD BROKEN. PROCEEDED TO GET ON INTERSTATE ON RAMP AND WITHIN A MILE THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS SWERVING BACK AND FORTH. LUCKILY I ONLY HAD TO GO ABOUT A MILE TO MY EXIT. ONCE HOME I HAD DISCOVERED THAT PART OF THE FRAME HAD RUSTED INTO AT A VERY CRITICAL AREA OF THE FRAME. IT WAS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN FRONT OF THE REAR AXLE AND WAS A PART WHERE A ROD MOUNTED TO IT THAT KEEPS THE REAR AXLE ALIGNED. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO A VEHICLES FRAME REGARDLESS OF IT BEING 19 YEARS OLD. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEABLE AND TOYOTA SOMEHOW DOESN'T FEEL THE NEED TO RECALL WHAT IS A HUGE ISSUE FOR LOTS OF OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES.
FRAME ROTTED APART HAVE TO HAVE SEVERAL MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE IT ANY LONGER I NEED MY VEHICLE FIXED CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER VEHICLE AT THIS TIME NOT IN OUR BUDGET MY WIFE AND I BOTH WORK NOT FINANCIALLY SET..DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IS VERY DANGEROUS TOTALLY ROTTED FRAME NEEDS REPLACING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S FRAME WAS CORRODED ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A BODY REPAIR SHOP, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.
RE: 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER - I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS DEFECTIVE VEHICLE.THE FRAME RAIL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS SEVERE RUST PERFORATION IN THE BACK WHERE THE REAR CONTROL ARM BRACKET IS WELDED TO THE FRAME RAIL. AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC HAS STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AS THI…
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RE: 1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER - I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS DEFECTIVE VEHICLE.THE FRAME RAIL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS SEVERE RUST PERFORATION IN THE BACK WHERE THE REAR CONTROL ARM BRACKET IS WELDED TO THE FRAME RAIL. AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC HAS STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AS THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DESIGN/MATERIAL DEFECT AND A COMMON ISSUE ALTHOUGH PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN TO ME. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I HAVE LEARNED THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS GENERATION OF THETOYOTA 4RUNNER HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE. PLEASE NOTE THERE A GREAT MANY OF THESE VEHICLES STILL IN SERVICE WHOSE OWNERS ARE UNAWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND ARE IN SERIOUS DANGER OF HARMING THEMSELVES AND OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE. MUST THE NHTSA WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO DIE BEFORE TOYOTA IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE NHTSA FOR THIS DEFECT?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SWAYED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND BECAME HARD TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE STABILIZER BAR TO THE FRAME WAS FRACT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SWAYED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND BECAME HARD TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE STABILIZER BAR TO THE FRAME WAS FRACTURED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WHOLE REAR FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 263,514.
FRAME AND CERTAIN CRITICAL SUSPENSION PARTS HAVE RUSTED OUT, CREATING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION.
Official recalls
102V021000 · Suspension
Jan 18, 2002
ON CERTAIN 2-WHEEL-DRIVE (2WD) AND 4-WHEEL-DRIVE (4WD) 4RUNNER SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF HEAVY LOADING (SIMULTANEOUS LOADING TO REAR GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING AND GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING) AND SEVERE STEERING MANEUVERS COULD CAUSE THE 2WD 4RUNNER TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL STABILITY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE REAR SUSPENSION PARTS. ALTHOUGH THE 4WD 4RUNNERS DO NOT EXHIBIT THE HANDLING CONDITION, TOYOTA WILL RECALL THESE VEHICLES TO AVOID ANY PUBLIC CONFUSION AS TO WHICH VEHICLES SHOULD RECEIVE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
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.