1997 Toyota 4 Runner: Reliability Data
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Severity Assessment
Sample Complaint Reports
"THE SECTOR SHAFT BROKE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE CONTROL RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. TT"
"WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE HAD A FRONTAL COLLISION, RESULTING IN 1 FATALITY, 3 OCCUPANTS INJURIED BECAUSE BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER' SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK"
"WHILE DRIVING IN EMERGENCY STOPPING THE ABS SYSTEM FIRST DID NOT ENGAGE THEN FRONT WHEELS LOCKED UP. *AK"
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
Who Files Complaints?
Toyota 4 Runner — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28
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