IllustrationVEHICLE FRAME IS ROTTED
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
What owners actually said
220 reportsI HEARD RUBBING NOISES FROM MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL.I THOUGHT BRAKES BUT WHEN I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF MY VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE RUBBING WAS COMING FROM A RUSTED AND BROKEN OFF BRAKE SHIELD.I AM OLDER WITH BACK ISSUES SO GETTING UNDER THE CAR FOR A GOOD LOOK M IS TOUGH AT BEST.WHAT I COULD SEE USING A RIGID SEESNAKE BOROS…
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I HEARD RUBBING NOISES FROM MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL.I THOUGHT BRAKES BUT WHEN I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF MY VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE RUBBING WAS COMING FROM A RUSTED AND BROKEN OFF BRAKE SHIELD.I AM OLDER WITH BACK ISSUES SO GETTING UNDER THE CAR FOR A GOOD LOOK M IS TOUGH AT BEST.WHAT I COULD SEE USING A RIGID SEESNAKE BOROSCOPE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST .RUST ALL OVER KEY STRUCTURAL FRAME COMPONENTS FROM MOTOR MOUNTS TO STEERING LINKAGE THE CHASSIS IN SOME AREAS HAS COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED.LOOKING AT THE BODY YOU WOULD THINK THE CAR WAS IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE BUT NOT UNDERNEATH.TOYOTA DIDN'T HAVE 4RUNNERS AS PART OF THEIR RECALL BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE AS THE 4RUNNER USES THE SAME TRUCK CHASSIS AS THE TACOMAS .I NEED THIS TRUCK AND I NEED IT TO BE SAFE.THANKS FOR LISTENING
THE VEHICLE READS EMPTY WHEN FULL AND FULL WHEN EMPTY SOMETIMES. CONSTANTLY CHANGING NEVER ABLE TO KNOW IF THE TANK IS FULL AND RAN OUT OF GAS SINCE IT WASN'T READING THE CORRECT AMOUNT CAR WAS NOT IN MOTION WHEN I RAN OUT FORTUNATELY. *TR
VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED HEAD GASKET FAILED, 3RD CYL AFFECTED. *TR
FRAME ROTTED OUT PREMATURELY
OUR 4RUNNER WENT IN FOR SHOCKS AND WE WERE TOLD WE HAVE A RUSTED FRAME. WE ONLY HAVE 89,000 MILES ON IT AND WE HAVE KEPT UP WITH ALL MAINTENANCE. THIS VEHICLE STILL HAS LOTS OF LIFE LEFT IN IT AND DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE FRAME. I HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH 4RUNNERS.
MY 1999 4-RUNNER WITH ONLY 89,000 MILES HAS A RUSTED FRAME. IT NEEDS REPAIR OR IT WILL NOT BE DRIVEABLE. I HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE OF THIS VEHICLE. WENT IN FOR SHOCKS, AND WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT THE FRAME HAS RUSTED.
FRAME RUSTED FALLING APART. SO SOFT I CAN STICK MY FINGERS THROUGH IT.
I WAS DRIVING MY 4 RUNNER AND IT STARTED TO LIKE IT WAS 'FLOATING' AND 'SWAYING' FRONT TO BACK. I WASN'T FAR FROM HOME SO I PARKED HER. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TAKING MY SON TO SCHOOL AND IT FELT LIKE THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR DIPPED DOWN. WE WERE MAYBE 20 YDS FROM THE HOUSE SO I PARKED IT. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT TO SEE WHAT WAS W…
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I WAS DRIVING MY 4 RUNNER AND IT STARTED TO LIKE IT WAS 'FLOATING' AND 'SWAYING' FRONT TO BACK. I WASN'T FAR FROM HOME SO I PARKED HER. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TAKING MY SON TO SCHOOL AND IT FELT LIKE THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR DIPPED DOWN. WE WERE MAYBE 20 YDS FROM THE HOUSE SO I PARKED IT. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND HE RAN OFF THE ROAD AND ALMOST ROLLED THE TRUCK. I CALLED OUR MECHANIC AND HE CALLED A ROLL BACK TO PICK IT UP. THE OWNER DROVE IT AND HE RAN OFF THE ROAD AND ALMOST CRASHED. HE LOOKED AT IT AND SAW THE FRAME HAS RUSTED IN HALF.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER (TARBOX TOYOTA LOCATED AT 3671 QUAKER LANE, NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI 02852). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. *D…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER (TARBOX TOYOTA LOCATED AT 3671 QUAKER LANE, NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI 02852). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. *DT*JB
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.