Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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 contact's wife owns a 1999 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at a slow speed, the back end of the vehicle began to wobble. The contact stated that his daughter pulled the vehicle into a parking lot and had the vehicle towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was inspected and severe corrosion was discovered on the driver's side rear lower control arm mount. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed him that there are no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was given the same information as the dealer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.
Over the years of ownership, my vehicle has been overwhelmed with rust issues. All four axles are rusted to include the brake components. I didn't realize how bad the rusting was until I heard "popping" noise when making turns The rear suspension sway bar link was rusted so bad, it broke free. I had the rack and pinion replaced in August of 2020 because rust ate through the lines. The frame appears to have separations due to rust as well.
The frame above the RT rear tire has rusted completely through. It's where the rear end bolts to the frame, at a wedge welded to the frame with bolt holes in it. It's like it wants to flip over and darts left or right every time there's a dip or rough spot in the road. I chained it and put a tow strap around everything I could to keep the rear end from coming out & killing me or someone behind me
While driving in the right lane on a 3 lane highway at approx. 65mph, while feeling the vehicle jerk to the right, thrusting the vehicle onto the right shoulder. While trying to compensate to the left, the vehicle, immediately rolled 3-4 times across the 3 lanes of traffic, onto the left shoulder. The left rear axle and wheel was no where to be found.
As I was driving down a 4 lane highway, the steering wheel suddenly jerked out of my hands to the right. I was unable to turn the steering wheel back to the left to correct. The roads were wet from an earlier rain; there was no standing water, no pot holes, or other visible defects in the road. I was in the left lane, traveling about 60mph. The car spun out of control - doing 2 complete spins on the highway, then into the ditch on the right; hitting trees, flipping, hitting more trees, and finally coming to a halt straddling the ditch perpendicular to the highway. Since there was no visible defects in the road that would have caused the steering to act like that, I'd like to know if there is any mechanical problem which would have caused the steering wheel to jerk so hard to the right and keep me from being able to correct it. …
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
Perpetual rear brake failure due to leaking rear axle grease seals which throw grease onto rear brake shoes. Soaking them and rendering them useless and innefective. Causing unsafe braking. According to Toyota dealer, and sears auto service in dover, delaware., repairs similar to this are being performed on similar vintage Toyota four runner models on a weekly basis. The average repair cost is over $1000,. This appears to be a vehicle manufacturers defect not a standard maintenance issue and could result in injuries or death. I had no brake power in a number of emergency situations, in others my braking distance increased dramatically, in a few cases, I've had the repairs done but the problem has returned,.
I was traveling approximately 70 MPH on a straight highway. I felt a bump and then heard a grinding noise and saw sparks from my front left wheel well. I pulled to the shoulder and saw my front tire, wheel, and brake assembly were detached and lodged under my vehicle. On further inspection, the lower ball joint gave out and my wheel assembly detached. Very hazardous and would have LED to a collision if I had not been so late at night. This is a known problem with this ball joint and Toyota issued recall on 2001-2004 4runners for the issue. Needs to be expanded to older years. Joint assembly was redesigned for 2005-current models to correct the problem. See attached photos.
Suspension complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1999 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the suspension of the 1999 Toyota 4Runner, 20% of the model year's 330 complaints. The component named most often is front (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Toyota 4Runner suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 183,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to suspension 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.