at 192,000 miles
Saint Louis, MO
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
AXEL SUPPORTS RUSTED OFF THE FRAME MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE
NHTSA complaint #11163122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1996 Toyota 4RUNNER other reported problems
10 of the 92 complaints about the 1996 Toyota 4RUNNER are about the other systems — 11% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 202,500 miles.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Exactly what failed
Unknown OR Other
10
100.0%
Other & Unspecified across every Toyota 4RUNNER year
What owners said
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
at 200,000 miles
Battle Creek, MI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FRAME IS RUSTING VARY BADLY, IN TWO YEARS THE FRAME THAT IS THE DRIVE TRAIN WILL BE ALL GONE RUST! AND AUTO WILL NOT BE DRIVABLE THEN
NHTSA complaint #11161127 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 205,000 miles
Battle Creek, MI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, THE FRAME IS RUSTTING OUT TOTALLY. THE TOTAL FRAME IS RUST OR GONE. THIS 4RUNNER WAS ZEBARTED WHEN NEW. I HAVE BOUGHT THIS 4RUNNER NEW FROM SUNSHINE TOYOTA BATTLE CREEK,MI
NHTSA complaint #11150439 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 260,000 miles
Mason, OH
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF MY 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I HAVE ALL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS. NEW TOYOTA PARTS HAVE BEEN USED IN ALL REPAIRS PERFORMED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. WHILE DRIVING MY 4RUNNER THIS SPRING, I NOTICED IT STARTING TO SWAY ON THE HIGHWAY. A REAR SWAY BAR BROKE OFF. I CAN FEEL THE VEHICLE SWAY WHEN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING. NOT ONCE DID MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT MENTION THAT MY FRAME WAS DETERIORATING FROM RUST. IT HAS BEEN ON THE LIFT A HUNDRED TIMES FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS, SOME EXTENSIVE, AND NOT ONE MENTION OF A RUSTING FRAME. NOW, IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO REPAIR DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE RUST. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MAINTAINING MY 4RUNNER OVER THE YEARS. I FEEL TOYOTA HAS KNOWINGLY DECEIVED ALL 4RUNNER OWNERS OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. ALL CURRENT OWNERS OF EARLY MODEL 4RUNNERS SHOULD BE ALERTED OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE AS LOSS OF CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY IS IMMINENT.
NHTSA complaint #11114127 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Simi Valley, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SUN VISOR HOWEVER THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO FULFILL THE RECALL DUE TO THE PART NOT BEING AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #11011102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chincoteague, VA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TAKATA RECALL I HAVE A BAD RUST PROBLEM ON THE CHASSIS FRAME UNDERNEATH
NHTSA complaint #11000272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 282,546 miles
Lock Haven, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FRAME IS SO ROTTED IT WON'T PASS INSPECTION. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA. THEY REPLACED FRAMES ON THE TACOMA AND A FEW OTHERS, WHY NOT THE 4 RUNNER.
NHTSA complaint #10908527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 240,000 miles
Attica, IN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FRAME RUST ISSUE. REAR SHOCK AND SPRING MOUNT ON FRAME HAS BROKEN DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST.
NHTSA complaint #10888078 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 129,034 miles
Calumet, MI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
KNOWN DOCUMENTED ISSUES WITH TOYOTA 4RUNNER FRAME ROT. THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE THE CONTROL ARM SUPPORT BRACKETS ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF RUST THROUGH WITH HOLES APPEARING IN THE BRACKETS. THIS IS DOCUMENTED WITH PHOTOS! THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW BY MY FATHER IN 96, ALWAYS GARAGE KEPT ,IN 2006 I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM HIM AND ALSO IS KEPT IN A DRY GARAGE NOT SITTING OUT OVER MOIST SOIL. THE 4RUNNER HAS NEVER BEEN IN A ACCIDENT. I AM A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO PERFORMS SAFETY INSPECTIONS AS I WORK FOR ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY. IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION WHEN I WAS HEARING AND READING STORIES OF THESE 3RD GENERATION 4RUNNERS HAVE STABILITY PROBLEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RUSTED OUT FRAME SUPPORT BRACKETS THAT HOLD THE CONTROL ARMS IN PLACE FOR THE REAR AXLE. THIS IS A MAIN FRAME COMPONENT , IF THE SUPPORT BRACKET BREAK FREE IT ALLOWS THE AXLE TO WANDER AROUND AS IT'S NOT BEING HELD IN PLACE, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING STABILITY, IT IS A ROAD HAZARD THAT IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO KILL PEOPLE . I HAVE A 95 BLAZER THAT WAS PURCHASED SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE 4RUNNER AND I STILL HAVE IT! THE BODY ON THE BLAZER IS LITERALLY RUSTED EVERYWHERE HOWEVER,THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME IS STILL SOLID BUT THE FRAME IS RUSTED BADLY ! CONVERSELY, THE BODY ON THE 4RUNNER IS EXCELLENT ESPECIALLY FOR THE YEAR, HAVING A RUSTED OUT BODY IS A APPEARANCE ISSUE NOT A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE AS IN THE 3RD GENERATION TOYOTA 4RUNNER THAT RESIDE IN THE UPPER MIDWEST. TOYOTA HAS A A BUY BACK PROGRAM WITH TUNDRA PICKUPS THAT HAVE FRAMES THAT ARE SAFETY HAZARDS. I FEEL THESE 4RUNNERS ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN THE TUNDRAS, TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE THE FRAMES EITHER REPLACED OR BUY THE VEHICLE BACK! I TOOK GREAT CARE OF THIS 4RUNNER IT LOOKS GREAT ,HOWEVER I CAN NOT SELL IT DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CONTROL ARM BREAKING FREE FROM THE FRAME CAUSED BY INSIDE FRAME ROT.
NHTSA complaint #10836354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 165,000 miles
West Branch, MI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I RECENTLY BOUGHT MY 1996 4RUNNER AT THE BEGINNING OF 2015. THERE WAS SOME RUST ON THE FRAME BUT NO NOTICEABLE DAMAGE FROM THE OUTSIDE. NOW, SIX MONTHS LATER I HAD IT LOOKED AT BECAUSE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BECAME INCREASINGLY LOUD. THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE FRAME WHILE LOOKING AT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND HE FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAD ROTTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. HE RECOMMENDED I DO NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE AS IT IS UNSAFE. HE SAID HE WOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO REPAIR DAMAGE SUCH AS MY 4RUNNER HAS. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 166,000 MILES ON IT. THERE IS NO REASON THE FRAME SHOULD BE AS DAMAGED AS IT IS OR TO HAVE IT RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
NHTSA complaint #10735007 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.