Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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 fuel gauge does not read correctly and will indicate full at times and empty at others leading to risk of running out of fuel. I finally reailzed this and so don't use the gauge anymore. Created risk of running out of gas on the highway if I hadn't seen it.
The vehicle reads empty when full and full when empty sometimes. Constantly changing never able to know if the tank is full and ran out of gas since it wasn't reading the correct amount car was not in motion when I ran out fortunately.
Fuel gauge began showing inaccurate readings. Usually showed at or near full regardless of actual fuel volume in tank. After a couple weeks it just stayed at the full mark. More recently, about the beginning of March, 2009, upon starting the vehicle the gauge would occasionally drop to the empty mark, and the low fuel indicator light would flash. It would remain this way until the vehicle was turned off. Upon turning the key back to the on position, or restarting the vehicle, the gauge would return to the full mark and remain there. Replacing the fuel sender as stated in TSB el010-00 has not corrected the problem. Immediately after replacing the fuel sender the gauge read about 3/4 full but the tank was nearly empty. …
I purchased a 1999 Toyota 4runner 2 years ago after driving it off the lot we noticed within a week that the fuel gauge was not working. They explained that had they knew it was broken, how wouldn't you, they would not have been able to sell it for that price. I paid for the fix and was reassured that this would solve the problem. Well, starting about 1 month ago I am now having the same problem. I contacted Toyota goodwill and they told me it was only covered under initial warranty. I have read several forums and columns on this issue and the problem does not occur within the first 36 k miles so alot of good that does. I am still waiting to see if management reviews my case, but I doubt anything will get done unless I continue to call back. I would think that Toyota would want to extend some goodwill considering this is not the first time it has happened to me. …
Sudden loss of power when driving 1999 Toyota 4runner sr5. Fuel gauge reads full and vehicle stalls due to no fuel in tank. I have been able to verify that this is a known issue to Toyota and that they have refused to correct the problem under warranty even though they have acknowledged that a problem with the part as delivered in this vehicle and they issued TSB:el010-00 titled "fuel gauge inaccuracy" to fix the problem only under warranty. This is not a warranty issue, but a safety issue as vehicle can run out of fuel and stall without warning at high rates of speed on congested highways. This issue has not been resolved. I have had to use the odometer to guess how much fuel is remaining the fuel tank at any given time. Factors such as highway conditions, weather, necessary use of 4wd can impact the number of miles achieved in a single tank of gas. …
The gas gauge would read full when it was actually empty, and visa versa. Then the skin of the dash board by the tachometer bubbled from the heat of the circuit board over heating. I called Toyota and was told there was no bulletin on this problem and they referred me to the dealership who also denied that a bulletin existed concerning the problem. I went to an auto repair business who researched the problem and found a bulletin from Toyota regarding my problem (ref: bulletin el010-00). I called Toyota back and then was told sorry but your outside the warranty time limit. There should have been notification made to the consumer by Toyota regarding this matter. My the circuit board overheat causing the bubbling and could have caused a fire had I chose just ignore the gauge problem. …
I was driving my 1999 Toyota 4runner which I had just purchased with 104,000 miles on it. I was driving in the fast lane on I-695 when the car started losing power and slowing down very fast. I barely crossed three lanes of traffic to get to the shoulder. The gas guage read just under 1/2 full, but according to a TSB, the guage and sender unit should have been replaced. I had no warning from the car to tell me my gas tank was full. Running out of gas on the highway is dangerous. I don't understand why this isn't a recall - why this isn't considered a defective product. The dealer wants to charge me to fix it, but I can't afford it. I was using my odometer to keep track, but the other day, I ran out again while driving in my neighborhood. I think with the A/C on, it must use more gas. I'm very upset.
Vehicle stalls and dies on highway almost causing wreck. Find out there is no fuel in tank even though fuel gauge reads 1/3. Toyota says TSB el010-00 addresses known defective 1999 and 2000 fuel gauges and also addresses some gauges inaccurately reading empty when 4 gallons remain, but my vehicle currently have 72545 miles and out of warranty so Toyota will not pay for fix. No engine, no steering, no brakes, lots of traffic. I am in the navy and will be driving from florida to san diego next month enroute to Japan in October. I called Toyota corporate and they said they know about it but since it's only a TSB and not a recall, they can't do anything to fix it unless I pay for it myself. These are known defects since the truck got out of the tahara plant in Japan for sale to the U.S.
Driving on I-79 in passing lane at 65 MPH, the engine quit, complete loss of power steering and brakes..rush hour. Most dangerous that has ever happened to me. Coasted to side of road, towed to garage, engine will not start, shows a little over 1/2 tank on fuel gage..ends up, was out of fuel ! Gauge gave false reading. The vehicle has only 54,000 miles on it. I did find a Toyota TSB el010-00 that addresses this exact problem, but I was never notified of it. My vehicle was bought from a Toyota dealer with my name as the new owner on record. This is the most dangerous thing to happen, no indication of low fuel level, no fuel low warning light,,gauge was showing a little over 1/2 tank. This needs to be addressed as a recall.
I have a 1999 Toyota 4-runner and the fuel gauge has stopped working. It began by showing a quantity of fuel when it really did not have any fuel. This caused me to run out of fuel and almost have a major accident. It now May read full, zero, 1/2 etc. You cannot depend on the accuracy. I contacted dealer who told me they knew it was a Toyota defect but that the vehicle was out of warranty and they would do nothing about it but tell me to bring it in and they would fix it for between $500 - $1000!!! Toyota has even issued a service bulletin TSB # el 010-00 to address the problem but not offer repairing the problem. This is a dangerous situation for those unaware and could result in death or serious injury.
Fuel System complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 1999 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 1999 Toyota 4Runner, 13% of the model year's 330 complaints. The component named most often is storage › fuel gauge system (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Toyota 4Runner fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system 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 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 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.