1998 Toyota 4RUNNER Structure Problems
Owners have filed 78 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 1998 Toyota 4RUNNER, 31% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 170,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “frame rusted” (26% of reports).
- 78structure complaints
- 170,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 33%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 20 of 78 complaints (26%)
- Rear control: mentioned in 7 of 78 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 57 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 78 complaints, 1 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 1998 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.
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…
Critical frame rust causing trailing arms to detach under normal use.
The driver's side rear control arm mounting bracket that is welded to the frame has rusted and completely fractured off of the frame. The failure occurred while i began to accelerate from a stop light on a city street at normal speeds. I felt and heard a loud pop, then had severe rear end…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Toyota 4RUNNERs have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 78 owner complaints about structure for the 1998 Toyota 4RUNNER (31% of the 250 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 1998 Toyota 4RUNNER structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 170,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 1998 Toyota 4RUNNER?
The most frequent phrase is “frame rusted”, in 20 of 78 complaints, followed by “rear control” (7).
Other 1998 Toyota 4RUNNER problems
- Suspension problems (60)
See all 1998 Toyota 4RUNNER problems or structure problems across all 4RUNNER years.