10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 1 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 173,062 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
The frame is rusting out and broke while driving. The frame is almost totally destroyed from rust. The rear started swinging violently but luckily got it stop without crashing. The entire frame is a joke. I can't believe it hasn't been recalled STILL. The body is in perfect shape but a frame that can snap at any moment....I thought Toyota put safety first?
- Crescent Springs, KY, USA
The frame has rusted out and the swaybar has broke loose from the frame.
- Elkhorn City, KY, USA
1998 Toyota 4 runner starting to sway side to side. The rear axle support frame is rusted thru the box tube. Called Toyota to report the issue and did not seem to be concerned that the issue is serious. No recommendations given.
- Washington, IL, USA
Excessive frame rust caused rear driver side control arm mount to rust right off the frame while my daughter was driving it. At the time her speed was slow as she was pulling into grocery store plaza.
- Newington, CT, USA
Rear passenger side sway bar attachment rusted through and snapped from frame. And on other side sway bar link snapped. In addition the frame near it is rotting away. Noticed it while driving it was swaying badly. In addition the driver side seat belt will unlatch occasionally while driving.
- Council Bluffs, IA, USA
I was on my way to the store with my wife and all of a sudden the truck started to sway wildly, good thing there was no oncoming traffic at the time since the truck swerved into the opposing lane, I pulled over and thought at first the lug nuts came lose but when I crawled under the truck I had found that the frame is rotted away, apparently Toyota has an issues with there frames and I was asked by people online if I got a recall notice which I did not, I had bought the truck used from a used car dealer so im not sure if it was in the system, in any event I would like to know what are my options on this, the rest of the truck is in great shape and runs fine, I should not have to ensue a financial lose if this was a known issue, thank you
- Toms River, NJ, USA
The Toyota 4 runner is unstable and has the body of the vehicle making noise. After inspection, the frame is completely rusted thru in several areas.
- Washington, IL, USA
While on a city street with a 45mph speed limit, when the accelerator was pressed the back end of the car started to fishtail to the side. The vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership where they discovered the frame of the vehicle had rusted and broke where the rear control arm to the driver side rear axle attached. The vehicle had been well maintained by the only owner and the body is in near excellent condition with no accidents.
- Warrenton, VA, USA
My 1998 Toyota 4runner frame is comprised and deemed unsafe and undrivable due to severe frame rust. I had to remove it from the road since the body rocks on the frame and is unsafe to drive.
- Woodstock, MD, USA
The right rear stabilizer bar connected to the frame failed. The frame connection rusted thru and separated. Lots of frame rust. I heard a loud clinking noise as I was driving and noticed considerable side sway while driving.
- Sparta, NJ, USA
Passenger frame rusted out bad where control arm attaches
- Sioux City, IA, USA
The contact owns a 1998 Toyota 4runner. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle shook violently without warning. It was diagnosed that the chassis and control arm were rotted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.
- Mashpee, MA, USA
Frame rusted out and rear axle support detached from frame while driving, causing vehicle to sway uncontrollably almost rolling over. Found that manufacturer has recall on trucks with similar frame for rust issue, but not this vehicle because there are not enough complaints or deaths.
- Burlington, KY, USA
I was in reverse and a jolt and pop occurred in the rear passenger seat where my son was seated. He felt it at his feet and all other passengers heard and felt a jolt. When I returned home I crawled under the vehicle and noticed rust and stress cracks on the inside of the rear passenger torsion bar.while applying pressure with my two fingers I pushed through the bottom of the frame rail. The vehicle is not road worthy. My braking problem occurs when I have to stop suddenly in snow or extreme wet road surfaces there is a metal grinding an no brakes. When this occurs in snow I was in 4wheel high. I had no brakes so I put the vehicle in 2 wheel and had brakes. In rain I pumped the brakes until I was able to get brakes. All driving brakes occurred at 35 mph in city driving with no one in front of me.
- Fort Thomas, KY, USA
I was driving on the interstate at 65 mph and I went over an overpass with a bump at the beginning of it, I heard a clunk then my car started swaying back and forth very badly, I managed to pull over on the emergency pull off, I thought a wheel had come loose, I found no loose wheel so I started looking underneath and wow!!!!!..the torsion bars had both rusted off the frame and both sway bars were broke off, the only thing holding the back axal on was the back of the torsion bars, ,,needles to say my favorite car is out for the count.
- Cambridge, OH, USA
Frame rusted through prematurely on my truck. Truck is unsafe to drive and a huge disappointment.
- Schaumburg, IL, USA
I was traveling on the highway, when all of a sudden my car started to move violently to the right. I almost went under a commercial truck as I could not control the movement of my truck.. I managed to exit the highway and stopped and checked underneath my truck for damage, but could see nothing. I drove slowly to my local mechanic and my car still kept moving to the right at 20mph. My mechanic looked at it and said the rear trailing arm had broke due to rust, and I was very luck to be alive. (it happened on a Saturday morning with little commuter traffic otherwise I might have been killed) he said it was a common problem with 4 runners 1998 and later years.I called Toyota but they said they were not obliged to issue a recall from NHTSA?? or whatever it is called. My mechanic did a welding job to repair the issue which cost me $750 to fix. I had no recourse due to Toyota reluctance to fix this dangerous issue. I encourage you to please force Toyota to issue a recall on this issue before innocent lives are lost. Please do not wait for a fatality before doing something about this. I feel I should be reimbursed for repairs I incurred but Toyota do not want to know!! I beg you to investigate immediately. My car is in perfect mechanical order except for rust and rotting underneath, because Toyota did not address this issue when manufacturing this model. I am still scared driving this car but am forced to do so and pray nothing happens going forward. (problem : rear control arm both sides broke due to rust in chassis)
- Bethel, CT, USA
The drivers side rear control arm broke free from frame due to rusted frame.
- Gloucester, MA, USA
I was informed of and shown excessive frame rotting/rusting through from a mechanic. The frame looked relatively normal roughly 6 months ago. I am aware that some of their other trucks have recalls due to the same issue, and I am seeing instances of this on the internet for this vehicle.
- Menomonee Falls, WI, USA
- Richmond, VA, USA