1997 Toyota 4RUNNER Structure Problems
Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 177,304 miles. The words owners use most often: “frame rusted” (20% of reports).
- 76structure complaints
- 177,304median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 48%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Frame rusted: mentioned in 15 of 76 complaints (20%)
- Rear driver side: mentioned in 5 of 76 complaints (7%)
- Control arm: mentioned in 5 of 76 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 66 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 76 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Toyota 4RUNNER structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 4RUNNER | 7 | 12% | — |
| 2024 4RUNNER | 3 | 33% | 2,038 |
| 2020 4RUNNER | 2 | 6% | 4,550 |
| 2019 4RUNNER | 3 | 5% | 25,250 |
| 2018 4RUNNER | 5 | 9% | 15,000 |
| 2017 4RUNNER | 2 | 6% | 28,000 |
| 2016 4RUNNER | 8 | 10% | 25,000 |
| 2015 4RUNNER | 8 | 9% | 41,916 |
| 2014 4RUNNER | 8 | 10% | 29,750 |
| 2013 4RUNNER | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2012 4RUNNER | 2 | 2% | 54,072 |
| 2011 4RUNNER | 9 | 6% | 29,998 |
| 2010 4RUNNER | 12 | 8% | 101,550 |
| 2009 4RUNNER | 3 | 14% | 114,000 |
| 2008 4RUNNER | 16 | 17% | 90,000 |
| 2007 4RUNNER | 40 | 26% | 85,000 |
| 2006 4RUNNER | 143 | 38% | 126,728 |
| 2005 4RUNNER | 185 | 44% | 128,000 |
| 2004 4RUNNER | 310 | 46% | 137,000 |
| 2003 4RUNNER | 284 | 41% | 138,500 |
| 2002 4RUNNER | 88 | 39% | 142,500 |
| 2001 4RUNNER | 81 | 44% | 129,000 |
| 2000 4RUNNER | 256 | 53% | 145,000 |
| 1999 4RUNNER | 112 | 34% | 176,500 |
| 1998 4RUNNER | 78 | 31% | 170,000 |
| 1997 4RUNNER | 76 | 29% | 177,304 |
| 1996 4RUNNER | 42 | 26% | 185,000 |
| 1995 4RUNNER | 4 | 2% | 110,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure for the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Very rusted out undercarriage. My other is only 3 years newer and has nothing like this on it. I was advised to sell it by a suspension shop that noted my broken, rusted out undercarriage, bad shock and the condition of the rear of the truck's frame in general. There is nothing wrong with the truck…
Frame rust makes vehicle dangerous while driving.
Hey i have a 1997 4 runner i have a problem of the frame getting rusted out. It is on the 4 link where it hooks to the axle it could have killed me my rear axle about came off and it almost got me into a reck. All i done is hit the brakes then hurt pop and rear end went crazy. I was on a busy city…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Toyota 4RUNNERs have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 76 owner complaints about structure for the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER (29% of the 261 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 177,304 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER?
The most frequent phrase is “frame rusted”, in 15 of 76 complaints, followed by “rear driver side” (5).
Other 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER problems
- Suspension problems (95)
See all 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER problems or structure problems across all 4RUNNER years.