Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Toyota 4Runner submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 66 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 66, in the owner's own words
The frame above the RT rear tire has rusted completely through. It's where the rear end bolts to the frame, at a wedge welded to the frame with bolt holes in it. It's like it wants to flip over and darts left or right every time there's a dip or rough spot in the road. I chained it and put a tow strap around everything I could to keep the rear end from coming out & killing me or someone behind me
The contact's wife owns a 1999 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at a slow speed, the back end of the vehicle began to wobble. The contact stated that his daughter pulled the vehicle into a parking lot and had the vehicle towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was inspected and severe corrosion was discovered on the driver's side rear lower control arm mount. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed him that there are no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was given the same information as the dealer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.
Over the years of ownership, my vehicle has been overwhelmed with rust issues. All four axles are rusted to include the brake components. I didn't realize how bad the rusting was until I heard "popping" noise when making turns The rear suspension sway bar link was rusted so bad, it broke free. I had the rack and pinion replaced in August of 2020 because rust ate through the lines. The frame appears to have separations due to rust as well.
RIGHT REAR CHASSIS RUSTED OUT
MY VEHICLE IS VERY CLEAN AND WELL MAINTAINED AND HAD NO INDICATION OF TROUBLE OR HANDLING ISSUES. A REPAIR SHOP WAS TAKING IT BACK TO FIX AN EXHAUST PROBLEM WHEN HE NEARLY LOST CONTROL. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WHEN HE NOTIFIED ME IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, BUT FOUND OUT THAT ONE SECTION OF THE FRAME HAD TOTALLY RUSTED THROUGH WHERE THE AXLE LINK MOUNTS TO THE FRAME. IT COULD HAVE TORN THE AXLE OUT FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE WITH NO PREVIOUS WARNING. I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON 4 LANE INTERSTATE AT 70 JUST DAYS BEFORE WITH NO HANDLING ISSUES AT ALL. I PERSONALLY HAVE CHANGED THE OIL AND GREASED THE DRIVE TRAIN ALL BUT ONCE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND NOT NOTICED THIS SMALL AREA OF SEVERE RUST THROUGH. I HAVE ALSO SPENT OVER $3000 ON EXHAUST, TIRES, AND MAINTENANCE REPAIR OVER THE PAST YEAR BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTHY OF 5-10 MORE YEARS AND 100,000 MORE MILES. MY 2001 CAMRY IS DRIVEN BY MY SON NOW AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 390,000 MILES ON IT. I JUST SOLD MY 1994 JEEP CHEROKEE WITH OVER 300,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS 4RUNNER BODY IS IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION THAN THOSE AND THAT WAS WHY I EXPECTED THIS WOULD TOO. THIS IS DEFINITELY A WEAK SPOT HARD TO DETECT BECAUSE MYSELF AND 3 OTHER MECHANIC PLACES HAD NOT SEEN IT WHEN SERVICING IT BUT YET IT IS ALSO A VERY CRITICAL FUNCTION THAT CAN CAUSE COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AXLE IS TORN LOOSE AND OUT FROM THE VEHICLE. HEAD-ON COLLISIONS, ROLLOVERS, ETC ARE VERY LIKELY. THEREFORE, I BELIEVE THAT THIS WARNING MUST BE MADE KNOWN TO OTHER DRIVERS OF THESE 4RUNNERS AND A RECALL TO REPLACE THE FRAME AS NEEDED JUST LIKE TOYOTA HAS DONE FOR OTHER TRUCKS OF THEIRS, I.E. TUNDRA, SEQUOIA, TACOMA WITH FULL FRAME LIKE THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS FOR PROTECTION OF OUR PUBLIC.I HAVE PLENTY MORE PHOTOS OF THE VEHICLE THAT I CAN SHARE TO SUBSTANTIATE THE SOUNDNESS OF THE REST OF THE VEHICLE OR BAD SPOT RUSTING.
VEHICLE FRAME IS ROTTED
I HEARD RUBBING NOISES FROM MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL.I THOUGHT BRAKES BUT WHEN I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF MY VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE RUBBING WAS COMING FROM A RUSTED AND BROKEN OFF BRAKE SHIELD.I AM OLDER WITH BACK ISSUES SO GETTING UNDER THE CAR FOR A GOOD LOOK M IS TOUGH AT BEST.WHAT I COULD SEE USING A RIGID SEESNAKE BOROSCOPE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST .RUST ALL OVER KEY STRUCTURAL FRAME COMPONENTS FROM MOTOR MOUNTS TO STEERING LINKAGE THE CHASSIS IN SOME AREAS HAS COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED.LOOKING AT THE BODY YOU WOULD THINK THE CAR WAS IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE BUT NOT UNDERNEATH.TOYOTA DIDN'T HAVE 4RUNNERS AS PART OF THEIR RECALL BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE AS THE 4RUNNER USES THE SAME TRUCK CHASSIS AS THE TACOMAS .I NEED THIS TRUCK AND I NEED IT TO BE SAFE.THANKS FOR LISTENING
FRAME ROTTED OUT PREMATURELY
FRAME RUSTED FALLING APART. SO SOFT I CAN STICK MY FINGERS THROUGH IT.
REAR SUSPENSION MOUNT SEPARATED FROM FRAME AT WELD, VEHICLE WAS RUSTPROOFED WHEN NEW.
FRAME IS ALL RUSTED AND CORRODED.
THE MOUNT FOR THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM HAS RUSTED OFF. THIS IS CAUSING THE CAR TO VIOLENTLY ROCK BACK AND FOURTH AFTER HITTING A POT HOLE AND CONTINUE FOR A FEW SECONDS AFTER. IT IS VERY UNNERVING AND OBVIOUSLY A MATER SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON WEBSITES SUCH AS T4R.ORG. PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
REAR PART OF FRAME BADLY RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY BROKEN WHILE DRIVING TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP COST $1200 TO WELD FRAME TO MAKE DRIVABLE AGAIN
1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LTD 4X4 FRAME IS ROTTED /RUSTED OUT WILL NEED MAJOR REPAIRS OR NEW FRAME APPARENTLY THIS IS ALL 4RUNNERS AND TACOMAS BUILT FROM THE MID 90S TO MID 2000S BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAME ROT ON THE INSIDE AND BOTTOM OF THE FRAME SO MUCH SO THEY STARTED SELLING KITS TO FIX THIS ON EBAY WHAT A SHAME I NEVER THOUGH TOYOTA WOULD BE SUCH JUNK SAD THEY WONT FIX / RECALL THE 3RD GEN 4 RUNNER IN THERE CURRENT FRAME RECALL EVEN THO THEY HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE .SAFETY ISSUES ....
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RIGHT LANE ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 65MPH, WHILE FEELING THE VEHICLE JERK TO THE RIGHT, THRUSTING THE VEHICLE ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. WHILE TRYING TO COMPENSATE TO THE LEFT, THE VEHICLE, IMMEDIATELY ROLLED 3-4 TIMES ACROSS THE 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC, ONTO THE LEFT SHOULDER. THE LEFT REAR AXLE AND WHEEL WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.
FRAME ROT HAS LED TO ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, VEHICLE CHANGING LANES UNEXPECTEDLY, AND DEATH WOBBLE. TIRES AND SHOCKS REPLACED SEPTEMBER, NEEDED NEW TIRES AFTER 90 DAYS ALSO TIE RODS AND BUSHINGS. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
THE FRAME ON DRIVER SIDE REAR AXLE AREA HAS COMPLETED ROTTED FROM RUST, THE REAR SUSPENSION AND SWAY BAR BROKE AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. WE WERE ALMOST IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS THERE WAS LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE REAR END AND WE ENDED UP IN A DITCH WITH LOSS OF CONTROL.WE WERE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE AT THE TIME. WE COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ROLL OVER ACCIDENT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. VERY SCARY INCIDENT. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOUND A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPLAINTS. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEND PHOTOS OF THIS ISSUE IF YOU WANT TO CALL E-MAIL ME AT (XXXXXX). THE EXTERIOR BODY ENGINE AND INTERIOR OF THIS VEHICLE ARE IN GOOD CONDITION AND IT SEEMS THE FRAME SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THANK YOU FOR REGISTERING MY COMPLAINT. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
BAD FRAME ROT. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ANYMORE.
LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THE FRAME IS JUST ROTTEN THROUGH AND THROUGH IN THE BACK, I HAVE A TUNDRA, 2 SEQUOIA'S, A HIGHLANDER AND A RAV4. RANGING FROM 2001 TO 2015, AND THE FRAME ON THE 01 SEQUOIA LOOKS NEW, THIS IS A BAD FRAME AND GABE AT KEITH PIERSON TOYOTA IN JACKSONVILLE SAID THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FESS UP TO THIS ONE.
FRAME HAS EXTENSIVE RUST INSIDE AND OUT . SUSPENSION AND ROCKER PANELS ARE AFFECTED ALSO. I WAS WONDERING ABOUT A FRAME RECALL SINCE THEY HAVE DONE SO WITH OTHER TOYOTA FRAMES
THE BALL JOINT ON MY 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I STOPPED AT MCDONALD'S BEFORE MY LONG JOURNEY ONTO THE FREEWAY, WITH MY 9 MONTH OLD BABY IN THE CAR, AND THAT SAVED US FROM A VERY BAD CRASH THAT MAY HAVE TAKEN OUR LIVES HAD WE BEEN GOING 60-70 MPH. HOW DOES A BALL JOINT BREAK IN HALF???
AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE I CROSSED A BRIDGE APPROACH AND REAR END OF VEHICLE STARTED SWAYING ALL OVER THE ROAD. ABOUT CAUSED A ACCIDENT. THE REAR SWAY BAR ON PASSENGER SIDE SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME AND ABOUT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE FRAME SEEMS THIN FOR A UTILITY VEHICLE.
AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE I CROSSED A BRIDGE AND REAR END OF VEHICLE WAS GOING ALL OVER THE ROAD. THE PASSENGER SIDE SWAY ARM AND RIPPED AWAY FROM THE FRAME. THE FRAME TO ME SEEMS TO MADE OUT OF TOO THIN OF METAL. NEVER HAD A VEHICLE FRAME DO THAT EVER.
1- THE SEATBELT THREADS BECOME LOOSE AND BROKE. 2- AT 50 M/H THE CAR IS BOUNCING LEFT TO RIGHT.
I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, AND THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGE KEEP AND WELL MAINTAINED SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55MPH ON 10/18/16, WITHOUT WARNING - THE 4RUNNER BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE... I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE 4RUNNER AND COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE REASON I LOST CONTROL OF THE 4RUNNER IS BECAUSE OF A SERIOUS RUSTING ISSUE IN THE FRAME (THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE NHTSA, AND ALSO MANY OTHER WEBSITES). THE REASON THIS RUSTING ISSUE IS SO DANGEROUS IS WHERE THE RUSTING HAS OCCURRED. THE FRAME IS RUSTING RIGHT AT THE SECTION THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET IS ATTACHED TO THE LINK/BAR THAT HOLDS THE REAR AXLE IN PLACE. THE RUST ON MY 4RUNNER FRAME CAUSED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET ON THE DRIVERS SIDE TO COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS). I CHECK THE CONTROL ARM BRACKET ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, AND IT ALSO SHOWS THE SAME SEVERE RUSTING AT THE FRAME WHERE THE CONTROL ARM BRACKET IS ATTACHED. THERE ARE STILL MANY 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNERS ON THE ROAD, AND I FEEL THIS RUSTING SITUATION IS PUTTING MANY LIVES IN DANGER. THERE IS NO WARNING, YOU JUST LOSE CONTROL. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY 4RUNNER IS 17 YEARS OLD... BUT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. A FRAME SHOULD NOT RUST THIS BADLY, ESPECIALLY IN A CRITICAL SECTION. PLEASE HOLD TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE FOR A VEHICLE DEFECT THAT IS PUTTING LIVE IN DANGER. THANK YOU. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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