IllustrationFAIL SAFETY INSPECTION DOE TO A VERY BAD ROST FRAME COMPLETE UNSAFE TO USELESS
2000 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most 4RUNNER years
Owner complaints for the 2000 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
50–25K
425–50K
650–75K
1975–100K
127100–150K
147150K+
308 reports with mileage · 71 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 255 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 97 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
Structure complaints
255 reports"TAKATA RECALL" I NOTICED A VERY LARGE RUST WHOLE IN MY FRAME RIGHT NEXT TO THE TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER, IT SPANS ABOUT 5-6IN FROM WHERE THE VISIBLE WHOLE IS. ALSO WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET ATTACHES TO THE FRAME IS ROTTING AWAY. BOTH WHOLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.
THE TRUCK BEGAN TO FEEL FUNNY WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET,I TOOK IT IN FOR INSPECTION,AND THE FRAME HAS SEPARATED FROM RUST,MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE,AND A POSSIBLE DEATH TRAP FOR THE MOTORIST.
FRAME RUSTED OUT DATE IS WHEN I WAS INFORMED OF THE ISSUE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME RAILS WERE SEVERELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME RAILS WERE SEVERELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED AT PRIORITY TOYOTA CHESAPEAKE (1800 GREENBRIER PKWY, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320), THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL WAS RUSTED AND HAD SEVERAL HOLES. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED AT PRIORITY TOYOTA CHESAPEAKE (1800 GREENBRIER PKWY, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320), THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL WAS RUSTED AND HAD SEVERAL HOLES. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 250,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE FRAME ON THE CAR IS RUSTED BEYOND WHAT IS NORMAL.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND WENT OVER A SMALL TRANSITION IN THE ROAD AND THE CAR STARTED ROCKING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE, LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO ROLL OVER. ANY TIME THAT THE CAR IS OVER ABOUT 40 MPH AND IT HITS EVEN THE SMALLEST OF BUMPS, THIS IS THE RESULT. UPON INSPEC…
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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND WENT OVER A SMALL TRANSITION IN THE ROAD AND THE CAR STARTED ROCKING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE, LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO ROLL OVER. ANY TIME THAT THE CAR IS OVER ABOUT 40 MPH AND IT HITS EVEN THE SMALLEST OF BUMPS, THIS IS THE RESULT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, I FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME RAIL WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT, INCLUDING ONE OF THE STABILIZERS HANGING LOOSE. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP TO SEE IF IT WAS REPAIRABLE, AND THEY STATED THAT THIS IS THE WORST CASE OF FRAME RUST THEY HAVE EVER SEE, EVEN ON VEHICLES TWICE ITS AGE! AND THAT IT CANNOT SAFELY BE REPAIRED! THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH MANY OTHER 4RUNNERS OF THE SAME AGE, AS EVIDENCED BY READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ON HERE AND THE NTSB WEB SITE, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER WEB SITES OF THIS TYPE. THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT CAUSED THE 2000 TOYOTA TACOMAS TO BE RECALLED. THIS VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE, AND CANNOT BE SOLD TO SOMEONE AT THE PRICE IT SHOULD BE VALUED WITHOUT THIS ISSUE, SO I HAVE LOST THE FULL VALUE OF THIS VEHICLE! THERE IS NO REASON THAT A 17 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF FRAME DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF RUST!
THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC AT MUFFLER MAN SHOWED ME THAT IT IS ABOUT READY TO BREAK ITS RUSTED SO BAD. HE SHOWED ME THAT WHERE THE AC UNIT IS PLACED THE WATER FROM IT RUNS DOWN THE FRAME COLLECTS THERE AND THEN RUSTS OUT THE FRAME. DRIVER SIDE IS GOOD. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO …
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THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC AT MUFFLER MAN SHOWED ME THAT IT IS ABOUT READY TO BREAK ITS RUSTED SO BAD. HE SHOWED ME THAT WHERE THE AC UNIT IS PLACED THE WATER FROM IT RUNS DOWN THE FRAME COLLECTS THERE AND THEN RUSTS OUT THE FRAME. DRIVER SIDE IS GOOD. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY ON A HOIST WHEN THEY SHOWED ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR FRAME WAS RUSTED WITH HOLES. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 164,000.
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.