Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
We recently looked at this vehicle at Toyota of Ann Arbor car lot. After taking the vehicle to a private Professional Certified Car Inspector we were told that that the passenger side Frame had a catastrophic Crack that ran 7' from front to back and over the forward facing Rear Leaf Spring Shackle Support making the vehicle unsafe for any driving. They showed us the frame damage and showed us how wire mesh and foam spray had been used in an attempt to hide it. We were scared to drive it back to the dealer (we drove very slow). We informed them of the damage and they were very rude and asked us to leave. My only goal here is to insure that this vehicle is not put on the road were it could result in death or injury.
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
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.
Severe corrosion in the structural framing (the box beam on the right side) of the car resulted in the sudden loss of a portion of the bottom flange of the box beam. The portion of the bottom flange that fell off is about 3 in. Wide by 14 in. Long. That portion of the failed flange also included the connection of the struct rod supporting the right rear wheel. The lost of the struct rod support to the structural framing caused the vehicle to sway widely side to side and to roll left to right while I was trying to control the car. The car drifted to the side when I applied braking to the car. It was very fortunately that when this failure occurred, I was driving on a local road in less than 40 MPH, and there was no other cars in my immediate surrounding. Otherwise, a serious accident could have happened. …
"rusted frame" my 2000 4runner suffered structural damage when the frame broke away from the rear control link support brackets while driving. The rear of the vehile became unstable and hard to control. We could not drive vehicle and had to have it towed to a garage. We are trying to determine if the frame can be repaired not. I called a Toyota representative and they would not help because there was only a recall on pickup trucks of these years and not 4runners. This is a vehicle that was garage kept for a good portion of its life. I religiously wash my undercarriage throughout the winter months in pa. I have owned 11 toyotas in my driving life, I am 55. Several of my vehicles went over 300,000 miles and I have never had a frame rusting problem up untill this one. The body on this truck does not have a speck of rust anywhere but the frame is disintegrating. …
"rusted frame", my 2000 4runner suffered structural damage when the frame broke away from the rear control link support brackets while driving. The rear of the vehicle became unstable and hard to control. We could not drive vehicle and had to have it towed to a garage. We are trying to determine if the frame can be repaired not. I called a Toyota representative and they would not help because there was only a recall on pickup trucks of these years and not 4runners. This is a vehicle that was garage kept for a good portion of its life. I religiously wash my undercarriage throughout the winter months in pa. I have owned 11 toyotas in my driving life, I am 55. Several of my vehicles went over 300,000 miles and I have never had a frame rusting problem up until this one. The body on this truck does not have a speck of rust anywhere but the frame is disintegrating. …
"rusted frame", my 2000 4runner suffered structural damage when the frame broke away from the rear control link support brackets while driving. The rear of the vehicle became unstable and hard to control. We could not drive vehicle and had to have it towed to a garage. We are trying to determine if the frame can be repaired not. I called a Toyota representative and they would not help because there was only a recall on pickup trucks of these years and not 4runners. This is a vehicle that was garage kept for a good portion of its life. I religiously wash my undercarriage throughout the winter months in pa. I have owned 11 toyotas in my driving life, I am 55. Several of my vehicles went over 300,000 miles and I have never had a frame rusting problem up until this one. The body on this truck does not have a speck of rust anywhere but the frame is disintegrating. …
While driving home from work on 01/24/2015 I felt and heard a noise coming from the rear of my vehicle and the vehicle started to swerve and I almost lost control of the vehicle. I came to a stop and checked the vehicle but didn't notice anything wrong. I got back into the vehicle and drove at a slower speed, when I got home I pulled into my garage and checked the under side and noticed that the frame was cracked where the control arm mounts. I looked on line for recalls and although there are a lot of complaints and there are recalls for the 2000 Toyota tacoma which shares the same platform there are no recalls for frame rust on the Toyota 4runner. In addition to the crack on the frame there is considerable rust on the entire frame and I think I'm lucky to be un hurt and alive. Please help me and all the other Toyota 4runner owners. Thanks
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while driving at a low speed, a noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. In addition, the contact had to maneuver the steering wheel in excess in order to turn the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician stated that the rear trailing arm had corroded and fractured. The technician also stated that the vehicle could not be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000. Updated 7/9/15
Frame rust causing suspension arm to drop while driving. It dug into road surface which lifted entire rear into the air. Kind of a pole-vault effect. Very dangerous. Checking for frame rust is not something listed in toyotas maintenance schedule nor should it have to be by owners
Steering complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2000 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the steering of the 2000 Toyota 4Runner, 4% of the model year's 483 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Toyota 4Runner steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 179,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 12 injuries and 1 death to steering 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.