The 1997 Toyota 4runner has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 273,743 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 200 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the suspension. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SUSPENSION02V0210002002-01-18273,743 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
THIS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy
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…
Complaints by component
SUSPENSION
57
4crashes2injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
41
3crashes
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
17
4crashes1injuries1deaths
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
16
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
10
STEERING
9
2crashes2injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
7
3crashes2injuries1deaths
POWER TRAIN
6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
6
2crashes2injuries
SUSPENSION:REAR
5
Total complaints200
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“Rear fram stabilizer brace rusted out and broke away from frame, so axle to frame stalizer does not stabilize rear axle”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“Frame rust makes vehicle dangerous while driving.”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Toyota 4runner as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.