1997 Toyota 4RUNNER Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 4RUNNER years
- Far more complaints than other years 7th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 261 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER. That ranks 7th out of 32 4RUNNER model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (95 complaints, 36%), typically at around 170,000 miles. Complaints mention 35 crashes, 2 fires, 21 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 261owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 35complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 95 | 36% | 170,000 | “rear suspension” (17%) | — |
| Structure problems | 76 | 29% | 177,304 | “frame rusted” (20%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 28 | 11% | 127,534 | — | — |
| Power Train | 25 | 10% | 131,600 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 21 | 8% | 179,106 | — | — |
| Tires | 18 | 7% | 180,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 5% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 14 | 5% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 4% | 107,038 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 2% | 44,350 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | 210,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 186,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Toyota 4RUNNER recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension
Problem: On certain 2-wheel-drive (2wd) and 4-wheel-drive (4wd) 4runner sport utility vehicles, a combination of heavy loading (simultaneous loading to rear gross axle weight rating and gross vehicle weight rating) and severe steering maneuvers could cause the 2wd 4runner to lose directional stability.
Risk: This may result in a loss of control and could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace rear suspension parts. Although the 4wd 4runners do not exhibit the handling condition, toyota will recall these vehicles to avoid any public confusion as to which vehicles should receive the replacement parts. Owner notification began february 28, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have had this vehicle since 12/1997 and it had always been garaged. The body is in very good condition. I live in northern Wisconsin and road salt is prevalent during the harsh winters. At the first part od April I was driving on Hwy, 47 toward Minocqua and suddenly the steering felt vague. I…
Purchased a used 1997 4-runner with ca. 258000 miles early in 2020. Engine and whole body was good. However, 6 month later the car started to shake violently in the rear at highway speeds swinging like a boat, which i though was due to a broken shock, springs were newly installed in 2020. I noticed…
My fiance and i werw driving a borrowered 1997 toyota 4runner. We were driving at 65 m and all i remember just gettin on the freeway.and blanking out.. When i woke up i sadly discoverd that my fiance lost control and veered to the right and hit a guardrail then a post sign and then rested on a…
Tl* the contact was loaned a 1997 toyota 4runner. The contact mentioned the vehicle was loaned from a used dealer (mcfarland auto sales located at 231 frontage rd mc, mcfarland, ca 93250). The contact stated while her husband was driving 65 mph, the vehicle veered to the right independently causing…
Rear fram stabilizer brace rusted out and broke away from frame, so axle to frame stalizer does not stabilize rear axle
Other Toyota 4RUNNER years
← 1996 4RUNNER · 1998 4RUNNER →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 4RUNNER | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 4RUNNER | 60 | 1 |
| 2024 4RUNNER | 9 | 1 |
| 2023 4RUNNER | 32 | 1 |
| 2022 4RUNNER | 39 | 3 |
| 2021 4RUNNER | 36 | 1 |
| 2020 4RUNNER | 33 | 1 |
| 2019 4RUNNER | 65 | 4 |
| 2018 4RUNNER | 58 | 5 |
| 2017 4RUNNER | 36 | 5 |
| 2016 4RUNNER | 79 | 8 |
| 2015 4RUNNER | 86 | 9 |
| 2014 4RUNNER | 77 | 7 |
| 2013 4RUNNER | 36 | 6 |
| 2012 4RUNNER | 96 | 8 |
| 2011 4RUNNER | 163 | 10 |
| 2010 4RUNNER | 146 | 12 |
| 2009 4RUNNER | 22 | 6 |
| 2008 4RUNNER | 96 | 5 |
| 2007 4RUNNER | 154 | 5 |
| 2006 4RUNNER | 381 | 5 |
| 2005 4RUNNER | 425 | 5 |
| 2004 4RUNNER | 678 | 2 |
| 2003 4RUNNER | 695 | 3 |
| 2002 4RUNNER | 225 | 1 |
| 2001 4RUNNER | 185 | 1 |
| 2000 4RUNNER | 483 | 0 |
| 1999 4RUNNER | 330 | 0 |
| 1998 4RUNNER | 250 | 1 |
| 1997 | 261 | 1 |
| 1996 4RUNNER | 161 | 2 |
| 1995 4RUNNER | 172 | 1 |
See all Toyota 4RUNNER problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
Embed this 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER?
Owners most often report suspension, structure, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 95 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 4RUNNER model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.