IllustrationTHE FRAME ON MY 2000 4 RUNNER IS RUSTED THROUGH. I BROUGHT IT TO GET WORK DONE IT BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HE WOULDN'T PUT IT ON THE LIFT BECAUSE THE FRAME IS SO ROTTEN.
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
Unknown Or Other complaints
56 reportsTOYATA SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTING SEVERE RUSTING OF THE FRAME ON THE 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, RENDERING VEHICLE UNSAFE.
FRAME HAS ROTTED THROUGH AND CAUSED THE BAR FROM AXLE TO FRAME TO BREAK AT THE FRAME. THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING CAUSING THE CAR TO SWAY SERIOUSLY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD PREVENTING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.
FRAME RUST FOUND NEXT TO MUFFLER ON PASSENGER SIDE AND NEXT TO GAS TANK ON DRIVER SIDE. HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND CONTROL ARM IS ALMOST BROKEN OFF. REQUEST FRAME REPLACEMENT.
MY 2000 4RUNNER ONLY HAS 123K MILS ON IT AND THE FRAME IS SO RUSTED IT MIGHT BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I TRIED TO GET NEW SHOCKS ON IT AND WAS TOLD THEY CAN'T DUE TO THE BAD RUST. THE REST OF THE TRUCK IS IN PERFECT CONDITION!
TAKATA RECALL..MY 2000 4 RUNNERS FRAME IS RUSTED OUT ON THE BACK END AND MY FIANCE HAD TO PUT A PLATE ON THE RIGHT FRONT ABOUT 3-4 YRS AGO BECAUSE IT WAS RUSTED PRETTY GOOD TOO..IT NOW LIKE DANCES IN THE BACK END IF I HIT A ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD WHICH DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL SAFE AT ALL TO PUT MY CHILDREN IN IT.
FRAME HAS COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT
ROTTING FRAME! UN DRIVABLE. STABILIZER BAR POPPED OFF.
I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5. THE FRAME IS VERY BADLY RUSTED AND IS BEGINNING TO FAIL. I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY MY MECHANIC THAT I SHOULD CONSIDER REPLACING THE FRAME FOR SAFETY ISSUES. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED AND REPLACED THE SAME FRAME ON THE TOYOTA TACOMA BUT HAS YET TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE 4RUNNER.
I HAVE A 2000 4RUNNER THAT THE FRAME RUSTED OUT MAKING IT UNSAFE. TRUCKS OF THIS YEAR WERE RECALLED FOR SAME THING. SEEM A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. CAN WE GET SOME HELP? FRAME BROKE WHEN FORCED TO STOP HARD WHEN CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. NEVER DREAMED THE FRAME WAS THIS BAD.
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.