Most common 1996 Toyota 4Runner problems
Share of the 161 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota 4Runner complaints by model year
Best 4Runner years: 2013, 2017, 2024. Years to avoid: 2025, 2011, 2003, 2004. Compare all years →
1996 Toyota 4Runner recalls (2)
Suspension
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.
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…
Equipment › Other › Labels
The sticker required by part 575, "consumer information regulations" to alert the driver of "the particular handling and maneuvering characteristics of utility vehicles" was not affixed to the driver's side sun visor.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the sun visors on the affected vehicles with visors containing the correct labels.
What 1996 Toyota 4Runner owners say
Body & structure all 42 →
Traveling nb approaching green light and a car ran red light in intersection. The car on sb swerved on miss them, hit them anyway and hit me head on. Both on their air bags went off and mine did not. I am still in physical therapy for partial rotator cuff tear, sprained neck, back, shoulder, elbow and I still cannot use right arm from elbow down. I have not worked since the accident. I want to know why my air bags did not go off.
My 1996 Toyota 4runner suffers from excessive rust that caused me to be have a horrible loss of vehicle control due to the frame excessively cracking. The cracking was due to what an independent research company stating that the right-rear frame rail cracked and separated from the frame due to excessive rusting. The independent research company pointed to numerous known reporting's on the internet as a common occurrence of this vehicle. I made a personal call to Toyota customer care and was told that they logged my complaint but that they would not cover any claims herein to help in fixing the issue. My vehicle only had approximately 137,000 miles at the time of the incidence. The occurrence happened when I was traveling on an interstate at approximately 65 miles per hour. …
Suspension all 39 →
I have noticed that my vehicle doesn't seem to be balance and most of the time i am afraid the tires will fall off by the movement of the vehicle. And the metal parts that attachment part it looks very bad on the metal parts like it rusted so bad. I hope they will be able to figure out whats wrong and if i am the only one who is experiencing this issue.
On December 31, 2014 we were driving in hillsboro, oh and noticed a popping and cracking noise upon stopping and accelerating. On the way home, we noticed that the noise subsided. On January 1, 2015, went to drive the vehicle just outside our corporation limit and noticed that the vehicle was swaying back and forth like a boat out on the water, and thought it was just caused by excessive wind. On January 2, 2015 we were travelling on us 35 towards chillicothe, oh and hit a ripple in the road and the front end of the vehicle started swaying violently at about 45 MPH. We pulled the vehicle off the road and thought it was in the front end and couldn't see anything. We took off again and it did the same thing at about the same speed and pulled off the road and decided to take it to gusweiler Toyota in washington c.h. Oh approximately 3 miles away. …
Engine & cooling all 26 →
Shock absorber completely went threw the frame causing the 4 runner to go size to size while driving. Frame is rusting from inside out. Very very dangerous. The same exact frames on the tacomatacoma got a recall, they replaced them. Why wasnt this recalled on the 4runner? And the seatbelts just pop out of the buckle while your just driving. Something has to happen soon or somebody is gonna get very hurt ,or killed. 1 more thing. I had a wheel pop off also from the ball joint breaking luckily that was in my driveway, luckily I wasn't on the main road I could've killed somebody.
I am the owner of a 1996 Toyota 4runner. The 5vz-fe bi-metal engine suffered a catastrophic failure. According to the the authorized dealer (Toyota 101 of redwood city), the engine overheated which subsequently LED to the aluminum heads to crack around the vales. I am aware that Toyota had a national recall on the head gaskets for the 5vz-fe v6 engines for most model trucks (4runner & tacoma) manufactured in the 1990's.the recall was under the guise of a special service campaign ssc-x01. I believe that the defective head gaskets are the core reason for the catastrophic failure of my 4runner's engine. I contacted Toyota motor sales corp. In san ramon, ca & torrance, ca on numerous occasions complaining of the engine failure. I asked for assistance & good will warranty, but received unsatisfactory service. …
1996 Toyota 4Runner engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 22 / 20 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 20 / 18 |
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 20 / 17 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 18 / 16 |
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 18 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Toyota 4Runner a good car?
Based on 161 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 4Runner rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the 4Runner at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Toyota 4Runner?
The body & structure — 42 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the suspension (39) and engine & cooling (26).
How many recalls does the 1996 Toyota 4Runner have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1996 Toyota 4Runner, the most recent from January 18, 2002 (suspension). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota 4Runner?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2017 and 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2011, 2003 and 2004. See the full Toyota 4Runner years comparison.
At what mileage do 1996 Toyota 4Runner problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 175,000 miles; 5% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.