FULL BLOWN FRAME RUST MECHANIC STATES IS 100% INVASIVE AFFECTING STEERING, ALIGNMENT, BRAKING, AND CHECKING OF DIFFERENTIAL AND REAR-END FLUIDS DUE TO SEIZED COMPONENTS. FRAME IS TOTALLY COMPROMISED, NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND RECTIFIED. *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
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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
4 reportsUPON A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ON THE FRONT BRAKES MY MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE FRONT FRAME WAS RUSTED TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL. I WILL HAVE TO HAVE PLATES WELDED ONTO THE FRAME TO MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD AND CAREFULLY MAINTAINED. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. *TR
I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ABS AS IS BEING REPORTED FOR THE 2010 PRIUS, ONLY WORSE. WHEN THE ABS KICKS IN ON SLICK OR UNEVEN SURFACES, THE VEHICLE GOES INTO A FREELY-FLOATING MODE FOR 5+ SECONDS. THERE IS NO BRAKING CAPACITY AT ALL DURING THAT TIME AND STEERING IS DIFFICULT. THE VEHICLE IS…
Read full complaint
I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ABS AS IS BEING REPORTED FOR THE 2010 PRIUS, ONLY WORSE. WHEN THE ABS KICKS IN ON SLICK OR UNEVEN SURFACES, THE VEHICLE GOES INTO A FREELY-FLOATING MODE FOR 5+ SECONDS. THERE IS NO BRAKING CAPACITY AT ALL DURING THAT TIME AND STEERING IS DIFFICULT. THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL DURING THAT TIME. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE NEAR-MISSES WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS HARM TO MYSELF AND OTHERS AND A FEW INCIDENCES WHERE I ENDED UP RUNNING OFF THE ROAD (ONCE INTO A RAVINE) OR HITTING MEDIAN STRIPS W/O INVOLVING OTHER VEHICLES. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALER TWICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. ONCE I WAS TOLD I WAS NUTS, THAT THE ABS COULDN'T POSSIBLY BEHAVE THAT WAY; AND THE OTHER TIME I WAS TOLD THAT, "OH YEAH, THAT'S HOW ABS WORKS." NO EXAMINATION OR CORRECTION WAS OFFERED. MY STRATEGY HAS BEEN TO ALWAYS TOUCH THE BRAKES SO GENTLY THAT ABS DOESN'T KICK IN, BUT THIS WINTERS SNOWY WEATHER HAS DEFEATED THIS PLAN. WHENEVER I BRAKE ON A SLICK, SNOWY SURFACE THE ABS KICKS IN NO MATTER HOW GENTLY I TOUCH THE BRAKES. LAST WEEK, I HAD AN EXTREMELY HARROWING CLOSE CALL WHEN MY VEHICLE WENT CAREENING OUT OF CONTROL INTO AN INTERSECTION WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS PASSING THROUGH IT. THIS WAS ON A SIDE STREET WHEN I WAS MOVING VERY SLOWLY AND HAD BEGUN THE GENTLE BRAKING AT LEAST 30' BEFORE THE INTERSECTION... BUT THE ABS KICKED IN, AND I COULD NOT STOP BEFORE SLIDING INTO THE INTERSECTION. (FOR THE REQUIRED FIELD ASKING FOR THE INCIDENT DATE, I'LL GIVE THE DATE OF THIS MOST RECENT NEAR-MISS, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INCIDENTS OVER THE YEARS.) *JB
#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
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.
Illustration