Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Toyota 4Runner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My fiance and I werw driving a borrowered 1997 Toyota 4runner. We were driving at 65 m and all I remember just gettin on the freeway.and blanking out.. When I woke up I sadly discoverd that my fiance lost control and veered to the right and hit a guardrail then a post sign and then rested on a tree..he passed away on impact. I suffered a t1 to t3 spine fracture.my left wrist fractured.a broken nose. As I woke up from my 3 week coma. I realised he passed away. Now the truck was borrwed, not lended or bought. The dealer gave us the keys to use while he fixed the car we rented .. No papers signed nor documents . Earlier that day I remember him calling me saying that the truck was making wiered noises. The accident happend on 2/4/14 a 6.15.pm
The first tire that the tread came off was while traveling on the freeway - July, 2002. No damage to the vehicle or myself. Tow truck driver came out and changed the tire. Went to discount tire to have the tire replaced, they replaced it at no cost. When I asked if the others were safe, they said yes, leaving the other desert dog tires on. August, 2003 - driving on the freeway again with my husband, we felt a vibration, pulled off to the side of the road and found that the tread had come off once again. Had that replaced at discount tire, where they didn't mention again that there was a recall on the remaining desert dog tire on the vehicle. October, 2003 - my husband was driving on the freeway, traveling about 75 MPH, felt a tire go down, this time causing the vehicle to pull right, then back to the left. …
Tl contact owns a 1997 Toyota 4runner. The contact purchased Goodyear wrangler at (lt255/85r16) tires. While driving 60 MPH, the contact heard a hissing sound and the vehicle pulled to the right. He pulled over and noticed that the passenger side rear tire was flat. The tire has not yet been examined. The current and failure mileages were 185,000.
The treads of my continental tires separated when I was traveling on the freeway. My car lost traction and spun uncontrollably when I was driving on freeway. My tires were purchased 5 years ago and have about 75,000 miles on them. The other 3 continental tires also show substantial wear that are beyond the typical wear and tear.
Front end of vehicle shakes excessively at speeds over 65. At 80 miles per hour vehicle is close to being uncontrollable because the entire front end of truck shakes violently. Reported to dealer during first month of ownership (penske Toyota, downey). Dealer tested vehicle and stated that all high vehicles shake at high speeds. Vehicle still shaking at high speeds. Took vehicle to longo Toyota for 15,000 mile checkup. Needed two new front tires and wheel alignment. Longo replaced tires free of charge because I had proof of my previous complaint and proof that penske did nothing to correct problem. Problem corrected for a few miles then started again. Returned to longo Toyota in el monte and reported problem again and was told tires needed air pressure changed. Problem continued and on next visit was told tires needed rotating that they are wearing unevenly. …
We have contacted Toyota and the dealership and they are unwilling to see any of these things as safety hazards. Especially door locks, tires, seatbelts. And we were never told the vehicle was serviced before we purchased it "brand new" in 1997. We found that out in error at the dealership (al hendrickson Toyota) when they accused us of not servicing our vehicle. The SUV was clearly a lemon all along. We took the vehicle to be serviced but the dealership conveniently has no records of us, even when provided with documented proof (receipts). There computer says "we did not come into service our vehicle." the 1997 4-runner is a safety hazard. (dot number: n/a tiresize: p265/70r16)
Consumer states vehicle experienced a tire blowout, no specific tire information given. One month after having the vehicle, a tire blew, with holes throughout it, as if someone had shot it, clearly it was a defective tire to begin with. When the dealership was notified they refused to replace the tires . The consumer was very dissatisfied with thompson dealership in how they have chosen to handle matters. Consumer is requesting immediate attention concerning matter. Briefly read other incidents occurred with in the purchasing of the vehicle. The brakes had to be replaced with only 35,000 miles on the vehicle, the sun visor fell off.
Right rear (passenger side) tire "let go" while driving down the interstate south of pueblo, co. The tire did not blow out. Tread separation was the outer side of the tread and sidewall. Tire failure was not caused by low air pressure as all had been checked that morning (34lbs). No nails or other punctures were observed by me or the dealer. This tire failed because it was faulty. The local Firestone rep assumes no responsibility for the product failure. All 4 tires were new and had about 30,000mi on them. (dot number: w272wl1499 tiresize: p265/70r18)
My Toyota vibrates as though it has a wheel balance problem when it's driven between 58 and 65 MPH. Multiple "rebalances" and 3 sets of new tires have not fixed it. I've read accounts of "driveline runout" causing this problem. Dealer has aligned the vehicle and I've had tires balanced many times to no avail. This problem has been going on since the vehicle was new.
While driving about 50-55 MPH and making a right turn, the rim on the left front wheel split in half. The tire remained intact. Driver almost lost control of vehicle when this happened. A noise was heard whenever making right turns about 3 months or more before this happened. The truck is being inspected by the dealership.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 1997 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 1997 Toyota 4Runner, 9% of the model year's 261 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Toyota 4Runner wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 1997 Toyota 4Runner, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Toyota 4Runner wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 180,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries and 2 deaths to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.