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2001 Toyota 4RUNNER

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most 4RUNNER years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Toyota 4RUNNER are substantially higher than the model-year median of 58.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

134 reports with mileage · 20 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 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

22 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 20, 2025
Unknown Or Other

I bought my 4Runner in 2021 and am just now getting ready to sell it. Did a carfax report and it shows a possible odometer rollback that the previous owner did in 2020. When I bought the vehicle it was my understanding that the vehicle had only 160,000 miles on it but it apparently had 236,900 miles. Because of this I’ve had to …

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I bought my 4Runner in 2021 and am just now getting ready to sell it. Did a carfax report and it shows a possible odometer rollback that the previous owner did in 2020. When I bought the vehicle it was my understanding that the vehicle had only 160,000 miles on it but it apparently had 236,900 miles. Because of this I’ve had to make countless repairs as I was under the impression that the vehicle had much less wear. Was researching what to do in this scenario and learned that this was the best place to report the incident.

NHTSA ODI #11662207

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2022
Unknown Or Other

Rusted Frame Cracked by back driver side tire

NHTSA ODI #11488509

200,000 miles · Mar 30, 2021
SteeringStructureUnknown Or Other

FIRST THERE WERE 3 RECALLS 1. 135468 2. 135469 AND 3. 135469 DATING BACK TO 2005 THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF AND I HAVE A VERY BAD CORRUGATED METAL BUMPERS AND WHEN I DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND I HIT A BUMP OR SOMETHING IN THE ROAD IT FEELS LIKE MY CAR IS GOING TO TURN OVER. I HAD THE SHOCKS REPLACED AND IT HASN'T HELPED

NHTSA ODI #11405640

220,000 miles · Mar 22, 2021
Unknown Or Other

THE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT AND IS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE

NHTSA ODI #11404208

103,321 miles · Dec 31, 2019
StructureUnknown Or Other

I JUST PURCHASED A 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. ALL SEEMED FINE .BUT WHEN I WENT TO GET IT INSPECTED THEY WOULD NOT PASS STARTING IT HAD FRAME RUST THROUGH. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO SAID AND I ALSO READ ONLINE THAT THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA TRUCKS HAVE A FRAME RECALL BUT MINE DOES NOT. AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. OTH…

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I JUST PURCHASED A 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. ALL SEEMED FINE .BUT WHEN I WENT TO GET IT INSPECTED THEY WOULD NOT PASS STARTING IT HAD FRAME RUST THROUGH. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO SAID AND I ALSO READ ONLINE THAT THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA TRUCKS HAVE A FRAME RECALL BUT MINE DOES NOT. AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. OTHERS HAD THE FRAME REPLACED, REPAIRED OR BOUGHT BACK. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HELP ME.

NHTSA ODI #11292332

117,000 miles · Apr 10, 2019
Unknown Or Other

MY 2001 TACOMA HAD FRAME RUST ISSUES LAST YEAR. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE REPAIR TIME FRAME HAD EXPIRED. THEY WOULD HAVE GLADLY SOLD ME A NEW TRUCK. SORRY, NO CAN DO. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A WELD SHOP AND HAD THE FRAME PATCHED WITH NEW STEEL. PROBLEM FIXED. I JUST …

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MY 2001 TACOMA HAD FRAME RUST ISSUES LAST YEAR. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE REPAIR TIME FRAME HAD EXPIRED. THEY WOULD HAVE GLADLY SOLD ME A NEW TRUCK. SORRY, NO CAN DO. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A WELD SHOP AND HAD THE FRAME PATCHED WITH NEW STEEL. PROBLEM FIXED. I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE MECHANIC'S AFTER LEARNING THAT HE CAN'T INSPECT IT BECAUSE OF THE SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME! IT JUST RUSTED AROUND THE PATCHES. JUNK PRICE IS WAY LOW BUT WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE?

NHTSA ODI #11195464

194,500 miles · Jan 17, 2019
StructureSuspensionUnknown Or Other

TOOK MY VEHICLE FOR OIL CHANGE AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WAS BADLY RUSTED AND SHOULD TAKE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY. TOYOTA INDICATED THAT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS YEAR MODEL VEHICLE AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE. SO I HAVE A MECHANICALLY GOOD VEHICLE THAT I CAN NOT USE DUE TO RUSTED FRAME.

NHTSA ODI #11170591

117,000 miles · Dec 27, 2018
StructureUnknown Or Other

FRAME RUST ISSUES. MY FRAME HAS BEEN RUSTING AWAY FOR THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE OWNED IT, AND IT ISN'T GETTING ANY BETTER. THE PASSENGER INSIDE FRAME RAIL IS RUSTED FROM THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT TO THE CROSS MEMBER MOUNT MIDWAY DOWN THE FRAME. THE DRIVER INSIDE FRAME RAIL IS RUSTED AT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT AS WELL, AND …

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FRAME RUST ISSUES. MY FRAME HAS BEEN RUSTING AWAY FOR THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE OWNED IT, AND IT ISN'T GETTING ANY BETTER. THE PASSENGER INSIDE FRAME RAIL IS RUSTED FROM THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT TO THE CROSS MEMBER MOUNT MIDWAY DOWN THE FRAME. THE DRIVER INSIDE FRAME RAIL IS RUSTED AT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT AS WELL, AND SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF IT. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I NOTICED A SLIGHT PIT, AND DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. OVER THE NEXT YEAR THAT PIT GOT BIGGER UNTIL THERE WAS A LARGE OPENING THAT YOU COULD FIT TWO HANDS INSIDE OF.

NHTSA ODI #11163727

147,000 miles · Oct 21, 2018
StructureUnknown Or Other

"TAKATA RECALL" MY 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAME IS RUSTED OUT AND WON'T PASS STATE INSPECTION.

NHTSA ODI #11141704

Mileage unknown · Oct 1, 2018
Unknown Or Other

EXCESSIVE CORROSION TO FRAME AND RELATED CHASSIS COMPONENTS. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT IN 2001 AND SERVICED AT OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE ALL THESE YEARS AND NEVER MENTIONED FRAME RUST,UNTIL WE HAD IT SERVICED AT A LOCAL MUFFLER REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY INFORMED…

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EXCESSIVE CORROSION TO FRAME AND RELATED CHASSIS COMPONENTS. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT IN 2001 AND SERVICED AT OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE ALL THESE YEARS AND NEVER MENTIONED FRAME RUST,UNTIL WE HAD IT SERVICED AT A LOCAL MUFFLER REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THE TRUCK IS OFF WARRANTY AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR US, THIS IS WHY WE ARE CONTACTING NHTSA ,TO INFORM THE AGENCY OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE CASE CURRENTLY WITH THE TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND THE TUNDRA TUCKS MANUFACTURED BY TOYOTA

NHTSA ODI #11132716

Official recalls

1

05V225000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

May 17, 2005

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ISSUE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SURFACE OF THE BALL OF THE JOINT MAY HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED. THE BALL JOINT MAY EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND LOOSENESS, RESULTING IN INCREASED STEERING EFFORT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.