Illustration#1 STARTER STUCK TWICE-EVEN REMOVED KEY AND ENGINE KEPT CRANKING. #2 FUEL GUAGE REAES FULL WHEN EMPTY AND VISE VERSA. #3 P0171 ENGINE CODE KEEPS THROWING #4 BRAKES FADE WHEN APPLIED HARD. HAVE REPLACED PADS AND ROTORS AND STILL FADE. *TR
1999 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 4RUNNER years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
00–25K
225–50K
750–75K
1475–100K
46100–150K
111150K+
180 reports with mileage · 40 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 111 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 17 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 reports6 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
3 reportsI HAVE 99 4 RUNNER AND AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY VEHICLES ENGINE DIED, I HAD TO CUT ACROSS TRAFFIC WITHOUT POWER BRAKES OR STEERING. I SPOKE TO THE DEALER ABOUT MY PROBLEM AND THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF AROUND $1000 DOLLARS, IF U LOOK ON THE INTERNET THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE,I THINK THER…
Read full complaint
I HAVE 99 4 RUNNER AND AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY VEHICLES ENGINE DIED, I HAD TO CUT ACROSS TRAFFIC WITHOUT POWER BRAKES OR STEERING. I SPOKE TO THE DEALER ABOUT MY PROBLEM AND THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF AROUND $1000 DOLLARS, IF U LOOK ON THE INTERNET THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE,I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL CONCERNING THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS POSSIBLE TO CAUSE A COLLISION UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. THANKS *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER, DOWN THE ROAD WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE, INSTANTLY THE ENGINE STARTED TO SHAKE AND THEN LOUD GRINDING NOISE, THE CAR QUIT AND OIL EVERYWHERE. I HAD THROWN A ROD. NO WARNING AT ALL. SERVICE MAINTENANCE MAINTAINED. NO REASON FOR THE ENGINE TO BLOW! *TR
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.