Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
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).
I bought a Toyota year ago, my first ever car payment, counting on toyotas being reliable. Now I have 4runner in drive way with broken rear trailing arm & frame rott I wish dealer which should it to me or Toyota would step in. Wife & 15 month old baby traveling 35-40mph felt right rear drop like tire went side ways... Truck wobbled/rocked like boat in water. Likely needs new frame
While driving on the nys thruway in the vicinity of harriman, ny, the steering began to wander, and the vehicle felt unsafe to drive. I was able to drive a short distance to an auto repair shop, which inspected the 4runner and found extreme rust damage to the undercarriage frame such that it should not be driven again, and could only be scrapped. They observed that the right rear wheel was close to breaking off, which would have resulted in a serious accident where we could possibly have been killed. We were shocked that such a dangerous rust condition could develop in a Toyota 4runner that was only 12 years old, was built and intended for heavy duty use, and had been maintained in strict accordance with the owner's manual. This vehicle had never been driven off-road. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Toyota 4runner equipped with spector advanta SUV lt265/70/r16 tires. The contact stated that the vehicle would vibrate while driving at various speeds. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that there were blisters on the sidewalls of the front passenger tire, exposing the white material inside of the tread. In addition, the tread on the rear passenger tire was raised and the contact believed it was due to a broken piece of the tread belt. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The tires were installed on the vehicle at 140,000 miles and the failure mileage was 159,000.
I purchased 4 yokohama geolander h/t-s on a local repair shop on 02/2013. I took my vehicle in for my annual state safety inspection this year on 02/2015 I was told and it was brought to my attention that my tire are cracking between the inside and the outside treads. This tread separation cracking is an unsafe condition. The shop contacted tire company that supplied them the tire and they said they would only credit me 35% of the original tire price they would be replaced with another yokohama tire. These tires are 2 years old and have 30,000 miles on them. It seems I am being put in danger if I don't have them replaced and seems I am getting ripped off if I do have them replaced.
While driving today the steering became unstable, erratic, and the car lurched out of my lane into oncoming traffic. A new noise appeared to be coming from rear left tire. When I safely pulled over and inspected vehicle I noted the frame was severely rusted and that the forward welded mount for the lower suspension arm had fractured along the factory weld and was dangling down. This car has never been wrecked. It has been inspected and passed pa state inspections yearly since 2002.
When pulling my 2000 limited 4wd 4 runner back onto the highway over a 1inch piece of asphalt my entire wheel came off, causing my vehcle to flip. In addition, that 4runner and the replacement 2000 4wd 4runner's antiskid/anti lock brakes failed and locked when depressing the brakes while hitting a small bump in the road. The vehicle doesn't stop and has almost caused a number of accidents both with other vehicles and with people in the crosswalk.
2000 Toyota 4runner has major frame issues that could break at anytime and cause an accident! These frames rust out without the owners knowing. These are family vehicles that are driven for many years and Toyota has had issues with other frames on different models but same year vehicles. Toyota has had numerous complaints on these frames and has never recalled these models. For the safety of my family and others please look into this matter!
Model, size and dot # da72c44 while driving 35 MPH left front tire had a blowout, original equipment on a 2000, Toyota, 4 runner. The customer lost control of the vehicle when the tire blew up, and the driver side air bag failed to deploy.
Salvaged cars and cars that were involved in accidents are being passed off as clean preowned safe cars. The carfax states one thing but the mechanics are finding the lies and the attempted cover ups. Major world located at 43-40 northern blvd. Long island city ny. Showed me a beautiful carfax that did not tell the truth. I found out later after I paid a mobile mechanic 191.00 to check the car out. The manager admitted to the mechanic that the car was a salvage car and was in an accident. If I knew anything about an accident, I would have automatically passed this SUV (2000 Toyota 4-runner) up. I would not have hired a mechanic. I am on disability and live on a fixed income. I passed up my ambulette service at their suggestion to wait for the mechanics arrival. They promised to pay my cab fare home. They lied. Something needs to be done about this dealership. …
When I bought this vehicle, I did not want Firestone tires on the vehicle, but the dealer said the truck tires were fine. (I had had a firststone tire come apart on my 98 corolla on the highway which put my son in the ditch with some 250 dollars worth of damage to the car. ) the latest incident was the 4 runner Firestone at11 lost air rapidly on the highway with my son but he was able to slow down quickly before it flattened completely.. The tire dealer said it was a punture in the side wall but I do not believe it. This tire had less than 06000 miles on it. I am going to change out the this set of tires and spend 400 dollars for my son's safety. (I took the Firestone tires of the corolla at 3000 miles because of the incident). Its sad but their tires are inferior and anyone who drives on them are at risk.( dot number: tire size: 225x75x15 )
Wheel & Tire complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2000 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2000 Toyota 4Runner, 5% of the model year's 483 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Toyota 4Runner wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires 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 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 156,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to wheels & tires 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.