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 2000 Toyota 4Runner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while at a local mechanic he was informed that the sub frame was completely rusted. The vehicle was diagnosed but not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The frame rusted and is available for inspection. My daughter was driving our 2000 Toyota 4Runner SR5 which I purchased new in 2000 when she noticed the truck started to wobble when she hit small bumps. I drove it to the garage the next day which is 2 miles from my house. It was doing the same for me. My mechanic went to put it up on the lift, he noticed that the frame rusted out. There was nothing he can do at this point. There are many complaints of the same issues with the 2000 Toyota 4Runners with the frames rusting out. If she was driving on the highway, this could have been a lot worse and possibly someone seriously injured or death. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the frame rusting out. The only one to inspect it was my mechanic.
The frame is rusted almost in half a mechanic said it's not safe to drive it will kill someone. The car lot that is selling me the car said he can fix it but it's being held together by welds and c foam. He wants me to still pay for it. I've complained about not being able to drive over 45 without swaying badly and they keep doing stuff to it saying it's fixed and it's not. It's to dangerous to drive. I have a video of underneath but it won't let me upload it
Frame on passenger side (front,left) is rotted. While I was driving on the highway I almost got in an accident because the frame gave out. Now I'm out of car and I don't want to pay but I'm going to have to thousands of dollars to get the frame fixed. That's money I don't have as I am a recent college student trying to pay of his loans.
Driving in mild winter condition (light wet slush) on a maintained highway my 4runner began to fish tale. When an attempt was made to correct the fish tale no control input from the drive would correct the sliding motion. This caused the vehicle to slide toward the shoulder of the road. On the shoulder of the road the vehicle began to slow to almost a stop, however, the rear end was far enough off the shoulder that it began to be pulled by gravity down hill. While it slid down hill the rear wheel hit a rock causing the axle to snap near the contact point of the wheel. This caused the vehicle to roll one and a half times endangering four lives. The air bags failed to deploy however none were injured. The car was destroyed and not able to be driven.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4runner. While driving 35 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear of anoher vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was not sure if a police report was filed. The contact sustained two slipped discs in the lower back, a bruised liver, a fractured vertebrae, and three missing teeth. Medical attention was received. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection and the contact was informed that the frame was rusted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed to have the vehicle towed to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was 98,000.
Traveling straight down the highway at 65 MPH. I hear a loud pop and my SUV veers hard to the right crossing the low speed lane and breakdown lane. Fortunately, there were no other vehicles next to me. SUV missed the guard rail, but climbed an embankment and came to rest on the drivers side of the vehicle. Resulting in me forcefully twisting the steering wheel, hitting my head on the windshield and braking the side glass with my head. Afterwards, looking at the vehicle, it was apparent what had caused the accident. Severe rust on the frame, caused the shock mount, and rear control arm to totally separate from the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated while that while the vehicle being diagnosed by a mechanic for a unrelated issue, the mechanic informed that there was rust coming from the rear end of the frame. Additionally, the contact stated there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the exhaust pipe, the Cadillac converter and the passenger side frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Takata recall. I was driving approx. 55 miles per hour on highway 138. I hit black ice and drove straight into a tree on the side of the road. The air bags did not deploy. I sustained injuries to my face and head, from smashing into the steering wheel.
I was driving my 4runner and notice the back brakes were making noise. I also noticed a knocking noise that sounded like something was broke. While driving my car to the shop I felt like the backend was swaying. I drop my car off expecting to have some brake work done, possibly even a sway bar or something replaced. The mechanic called me the next day and informed me that they cannot even look at my car because if they put it on the rack, it will break in half. My frame was completely cracked in half. Now this is the type of thing that does not happen overnight. There was obviously an issue with the frame for a while. The mechanic suggests I call Toyota to see if there is a recall. I call Toyota and there is no recall associated with the 2000 4runner. I did however find out that there was a recall on a 2000 Toyota tacoma frame for the issue of rust and frames cracking. …
Body complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2000 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 256 complaints about the body & structure of the 2000 Toyota 4Runner, 53% of the model year's 483 complaints. The component named most often is body (177 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Toyota 4Runner body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2000 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 2000 Toyota 4Runner body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 145,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries 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.