Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
OWNER NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES FROM DELIVERY. BRAKE PEDAL IS SOMETIMES HIGH AND STIFF WHILE OTHER TIMES IT FEELS SOFT AND MUSHY AND GOES FARTHER DOWN BEFORE IT SEEMS TO BE EFFECTIVE. FINALLY BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE ABS ACTIVATED.
OWNER HAS ABS BRAKES. WHILE APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR OF VEHICLE, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO STOP. OWNER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERS FOR PROBLEM . DEALERS CAN NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
BLOWN HEAD GASKET.
ANTI RATTLE SPRING BROKE, CAUSING NOISE.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH , WENT TO SLOW DOWN, APPLIED BRAKES ,VEHICLE KEPT ROLLING. HEARD LOUD NOISE COMING FRONT END, PUSH PEDAL TO FLOOR. DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 60 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION DIRECTLY HITTING A TREE IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE CONTINUES TO VIBRATES AFTER MULTIPLE TIRE AND WHEEL REPLACEMENTS.
REAR SUSPENSION DROPS WHEN REAR OF VEHICLE IS OCCUPIED..
WHILE DRIVING IN EMERGENCY STOPPING THE ABS SYSTEM FIRST DID NOT ENGAGE THEN FRONT WHEELS LOCKED UP. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE HAD A FRONTAL COLLISION, RESULTING IN 1 FATALITY, 3 OCCUPANTS INJURIED BECAUSE BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER' SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
THE SECTOR SHAFT BROKE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE CONTROL RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. TT
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 Toyota 4Runner → · Every 4Runner year → · How the figures are calculated →