IllustrationVEHICLE HAS 180K ON IT. ITS RUSTED OUT BEYOND REPAIR ON THE FRAME AT BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE COIL SHACKLES. THE TACOMA HAD A FRAME RECALL, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD TO. MY VEHICLE IS ONLY STARTING ITS LIFE. CAN GO 500K PLUS MILES. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
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
What owners actually said
379 reportsFRAME RUSTED AND TIRE CAME DETACHED FROM CAR WHILE DRIVING. FELT LIKE DRIVING ON ICE
THE FRAME WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MEETS IS RUSTING OUT AT AN ALARMING RATE. IT IS GOING TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS WILL BE RIPPED OFF FROM THE FRAME RAIL. THERE IS ALMOST NO RUST ON THE BODY OF THE TRUCK AND IT SPEND MOST OF ITS LIFE IN ARIZONA OUT OF THE SALT BELT. IN ONLY 5 YEAR…
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THE FRAME WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MEETS IS RUSTING OUT AT AN ALARMING RATE. IT IS GOING TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS WILL BE RIPPED OFF FROM THE FRAME RAIL. THERE IS ALMOST NO RUST ON THE BODY OF THE TRUCK AND IT SPEND MOST OF ITS LIFE IN ARIZONA OUT OF THE SALT BELT. IN ONLY 5 YEARS THE FRAME HAS STARTED TO DESEGREGATE AND IT HAS BEEN CLEANED REQULARLY. I'VE STARTED UNDERCOATING IT WITH PETROLEUM BASED PRODUCTS AND RUST CONVERTERS/ INHIBITORS AND IT IS STILL JUST METING AWAY. THE RUST HOLE HAS GROWN TO OVER 2 TIMES THE SIZE IT WAS 2 MONTHS AGO. I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE FRAMES ARE THIS BAD, I HAD GM VEHICLES OLDER AND LESS MAINTAINED DO BETTER THAN THIS.
WHILE IN MOTION WE NOTICED SIDE TO SIDE MOVEMENT IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHICH FELT UNSTABLE..THE RIGHT REAR SPRING ARM BROKE LOOSE FROM THE FRAME. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE OF COMPLETE FRAME ASSEMBLY HAD 1 1/2 IN WIDE GAP RUSTED AWAY THE COMPLETE LENGTH OF THE FRAME.
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN MY 2000 4RUNNER, IT STARTED TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH VIOLENTLY, IT WENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THANK GOD THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY, I HAD TIME TO GET IT BACK IN MY LANE. IF NOT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A CASUALTY. I GOT IT HOME AND CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND FOUND OUT THE FRAME WAS RUST…
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DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN MY 2000 4RUNNER, IT STARTED TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH VIOLENTLY, IT WENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THANK GOD THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY, I HAD TIME TO GET IT BACK IN MY LANE. IF NOT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A CASUALTY. I GOT IT HOME AND CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND FOUND OUT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED THROUGH. THE WHOLE FRAME WAS RUSTED, HOLES EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED. I JUST SPENT $2,000 ON NEW TIRES AND OTHER REPAIRS THREE MONTHS AGO. NOW THE 4RUNNER IS USELESS, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS NOT A SERIOUS SAFETY RECALL. WITH ALL THE 4RUNNERS ON THE ROAD THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE KILLED. YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO FAIL UNTIL IT THROWS YOU INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND KILLING EVERYONE IN YOU CAR AND OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE IN THE OTHER CARS THAT YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH. THIS HAS TO BE A SAFETY RECALL AND HAVE TOYOTA REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE FRAMES. THIS 2000 4RUNNER IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, NO RUST ON EXTERIOR AND RUNS GREAT. DOES NOT BURN OR USE ANY OIL. BAD DEFECTIVE RUSTY FRAME WHICH WAS A POOR DESIGN OR LACK OF PREP IN MANUFACTURING.
RUST IN ALL PARTS OF THE FRAME FRONT/REAR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED ON THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR SWING ARM FRACTURED AND THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER WAS ABOUT TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED ON THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR SWING ARM FRACTURED AND THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER WAS ABOUT TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.
THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE 'CATASTROPHIC' BY THE DEALER MECHANIC AS THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS NEARLY COMPLETELY ROTTED. IT HAS BEEN STORED MOSTLY IN A GARAGE OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS!!! OUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED DRIVING THIS CAR!
DRIVERS SIDE BRACKET HOLDING REAR WHEEL SNAPPED OFF WHILE STOPPED. UNABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE AS IS.
THE ENTIRE FRAME UNDER THE VEHICLE IS ROTTING AWAY THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WILL NOT PASS THE PA. STATE INSPECTION
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.