Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Toyota 4Runner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The component that is failing is the frame. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The safety of myself and others is at risk due to the frame falling apart due to the lack of integrity. The lack of integrity and strength is from oxidation or major rust. The vehicle has not been inspection by a 3rd party. The rust is a common issue in this year/model from other owners and has appeared to be a manufacturing error.
I purchased this vehicle from a neighbor who bought it new. He took impeccable care of his vehicles so I was very confident in the purchase. Less than 2 years after we bought it from him, one of the rear stabilizers tore loose from the frame rail. After going underneath to inspect the damage, there was a lot of holes and major corrosion that appeared to have started from the inside of the frame. I thought to myself that with this solid box style frame, why is there no means for any water or condensation that builds up inside the frame to get out. I was going to have it repaired until I inspected it further and whacked a few places with a hammer and sent it right through the frame! It was a shame because it ran excellent and I'm confident it would have went another 100,000 miles. Instead I was forced to sell it for a parts vehicle and lost over $3000 on the deal. …
Original owner, not located in the "rust belt" took 4runner to exhaust shop to have a new exhaust put on and once underneath the vehicle you could see that the frame has completely rusted through near where the trailing arm brackets are and on the inside/underneath of the frame. The rest of the frame is in great condition because the 4runner has been take care of and maintained. There will be about a 2 foot section of frame that will need to be cut out as well as new trailing arm brackets to be cut and welded in. This vehicle is no longer safe to drive and worth scrap value, when it should be worth about $5000. The interior is perfect, it runs great, and everything works as it should but the most important part of the vehicle, the frame is crumbling. I will never buy another Toyota. I have domestic vehicles that are 10 years older with more miles that look nothing like this. …
The frame on driver side rear axle area has completed rotted from rust, the rear suspension and sway bar broke away from the vehicle. We were almost in a very serious accident as there was loss of control of the rear end and we ended up in a ditch with loss of control.we were driving in a straight line at the time. We could have had a serious roll over accident resulting in serious injury or death. Very scary incident. I did some online research and found a number of other complaints. I would be happy to send photos of this issue if you want to call e-mail me at ([redacted]). The exterior body engine and interior of this vehicle are in good condition and it seems the frame should last the life of the vehicle. Thank you for registering my complaint. …
I heard rubbing noises from my left front wheel.I thought brakes but when I inspected the underside of my vehicle I noticed that the rubbing was coming from a rusted and broken off brake shield.I am older with back issues so getting under the car for a good look m is tough at best.what I could see using a rigid seesnake boroscope was extensive rust .rust all over key structural frame components from motor mounts to steering linkage the chassis in some areas has completely disappeared.looking at the body you would think the car was in really good shape but not underneath.Toyota didn't have 4runners as part of their recall but they should have as the 4runner uses the same truck chassis as the tacomas .I need this truck and I need it to be safe.thanks for listening
Frame rusted on inside surface and at both rear lower control arm mounts. Drivers side rear lower control arm mount separated from the frame and allowed axle to move and tire to contact inner fender. The passenger side rear lower control arm mount was also severely rusted. The entire center section of both inner frame rails had new plate steel welded in place to repair the original rusted steel. Reinforcements were welded on the inner and outer frame for both rear lower control arm mounts. The vehicle is now safe to drive, but these repairs should not have been necessary on a 14 year old (at the time of incident) vehicle.
Was driving vehicle at highway speeds and lost control temporarily because a rear trailing arm mount became detached from frame and broke both shocks. Upon inspection rear section of frame severely rusted causing mount to detach. Front section of frame does not have same level of rust. A manufactures defect almost cost me and my children serious injury or even death. Vehicle has been meticously maintained with all service records. I've been in automotive industry for my entire life and I've never seen anything like it. If they recalled the frames for the tacoma and tundras, why weren't 4runners included?
I was driving my 4 runner and it started to like it was 'floating' and 'swaying' front to back. I wasn't far from home so I parked her. The next day I was taking my son to school and it felt like the front right side of the car dipped down. We were maybe 20 yds from the house so I parked it. My husband drove it to see what was wrong and he ran off the road and almost rolled the truck. I called our mechanic and he called a roll back to pick it up. The owner drove it and he ran off the road and almost crashed. He looked at it and saw the frame has rusted in half.
Frame on 1999 Toyota 4runner was inspected by mechanic at local Toyota dealership. Informed us that frame was rusted through, with hole being big enough to put your hand through. Advised us not to drive the vehicle as it was unsafe and could cause an accident. Vehicle is now parked and worth nothing to us. Please take the time to move forward with an investigation regarding this issue before people are seriously injured or killed in accidents resulting from this problem that they May not even know they have.
My complaint is with severe rust damage to the frame of the car. There are other models with the same issue as mine and they have been recalled. Mine needs to be taken care of as well. There is no way that the entire frame should rust. I would expect over time to some small patches of rust but not the entire frame. There is so much rust that I could never fix it completely myself. Toyota should be held responsible for their poor plating process in the late 90's to early 00's.
Body complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1999 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 112 complaints about the body & structure of the 1999 Toyota 4Runner, 34% of the model year's 330 complaints. The component named most often is body (73 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Toyota 4Runner body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1999 Toyota 4Runner. 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 1999 Toyota 4Runner body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 178,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure 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.