TOYOTA 4RUNNER · model year

1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

92 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1996TOYOTA4RUNNER carries 92 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 4RUNNER is structure:body with 24 filings, followed by suspension (21) and unknown or other (10). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1996 4RUNNER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

92
Complaints
7
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

92 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:BODY24
SUSPENSION21
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS7
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
TIRES2
POWER TRAIN2
AIR BAGS2
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT1
SUSPENSION:REAR1
STEERING:COLUMN1
VISIBILITY1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
STRUCTURE1

Recent Complaints

20211010WHEELS

I have noticed that my vehicle doesn’t seem to be balance and most of the time i am afraid the tires will fall off by the movement of the vehicle. And the metal parts that attachment part it looks very bad on the metal parts like it rusted so bad. I hope they will be able to figure out whats wrong and if i am the only one who is experiencing this issue.

20211010SUSPENSION

I have noticed that my vehicle doesn’t seem to be balance and most of the time i am afraid the tires will fall off by the movement of the vehicle. And the metal parts that attachment part it looks very bad on the metal parts like it rusted so bad. I hope they will be able to figure out whats wrong and if i am the only one who is experiencing this issue.

20210331VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE SUN ROOF DETACHED AND FLEW OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE WOULD RECEIVE A CALLBACK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 256,000.

Mileage: 256,000

20190611SUSPENSION

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SLIPPING A LOT CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED JUST RECENTLY IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND I WAS TOLD TO CHECK IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE BUT THERE WASN'T BUT AFTER RESEARCHING MY 4RUNNER I'VE READ THERE WAS SOME RECALLS ON THE CAR ABOUT THE REAR SUSPENSION.

Mileage: 171,253

20190109SUSPENSION

THE REAR AXLE/SUSPENSION IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. JUST TOOK IT TO MY AUTO SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY WILL NOT PUT IT UP FOR AN OIL CHANGE BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID IT WILL COLLAPSE.

20190105SUSPENSION

THE AXEL SUPPORT RUSTED OFF CAUSING IT TO SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME. THIS RESULTS IN A DANGEROUS CONDITION

Mileage: 192,000

20181222UNKNOWN OR OTHER

AXEL SUPPORTS RUSTED OFF THE FRAME MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE

Mileage: 192,000

20181213STRUCTURE:BODY

FRAME IS RUSTING VARY BADLY, IN TWO YEARS THE FRAME THAT IS THE DRIVE TRAIN WILL BE ALL GONE RUST! AND AUTO WILL NOT BE DRIVABLE THEN

Mileage: 200,000

20181213UNKNOWN OR OTHER

FRAME IS RUSTING VARY BADLY, IN TWO YEARS THE FRAME THAT IS THE DRIVE TRAIN WILL BE ALL GONE RUST! AND AUTO WILL NOT BE DRIVABLE THEN

Mileage: 200,000

20181109UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, THE FRAME IS RUSTTING OUT TOTALLY. THE TOTAL FRAME IS RUST OR GONE. THIS 4RUNNER WAS ZEBARTED WHEN NEW. I HAVE BOUGHT THIS 4RUNNER NEW FROM SUNSHINE TOYOTA BATTLE CREEK,MI

Mileage: 205,000

20181016STRUCTURE:BODY

EXCESSIVE FRAME CORROSION. VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

20181015CrashAIR BAGS

TAKATA RECALL. ANTILOCK BRAKES SLIPPED AND DIDNT STOP. THE AIR BAGS OPEN UNTIL AFTER THE TRUCK WAS TOWED AND PARKED BACK AT MY HOUSE WHEN NO ONE WAS IN IT.

Mileage: 150,000

20181015CrashSERVICE BRAKES

TAKATA RECALL. ANTILOCK BRAKES SLIPPED AND DIDNT STOP. THE AIR BAGS OPEN UNTIL AFTER THE TRUCK WAS TOWED AND PARKED BACK AT MY HOUSE WHEN NO ONE WAS IN IT.

Mileage: 150,000

20181015CrashSUSPENSION

TAKATA RECALL. ANTILOCK BRAKES SLIPPED AND DIDNT STOP. THE AIR BAGS OPEN UNTIL AFTER THE TRUCK WAS TOWED AND PARKED BACK AT MY HOUSE WHEN NO ONE WAS IN IT.

Mileage: 150,000

20180824STRUCTURE:BODY

MY 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SUFFERS FROM EXCESSIVE RUST THAT CAUSED ME TO BE HAVE A HORRIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL DUE TO THE FRAME EXCESSIVELY CRACKING. THE CRACKING WAS DUE TO WHAT AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH COMPANY STATING THAT THE RIGHT-REAR FRAME RAIL CRACKED AND SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUSTING. THE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH COMPANY POINTED TO NUMEROUS KNOWN REPORTING'S ON THE INTERNET AS A COMMON OCCURRENCE OF THIS VEHICLE. I MADE A PERSONAL CALL TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY LOGGED MY COMPLAINT BUT THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY CLAIMS HEREIN TO HELP IN FIXING THE ISSUE. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 137,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENCE. THE OCCURRENCE HAPPENED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES PER HOUR. I CROSSED AN AREA THAT HAD STANDING WATER (NOT DEEP BY ANY MEANS MIND YOU) AND THE REAR END COMPLETELY SHIFTED OUT TO THE RIGHT OF ME AND CAUSED ME TO SPIN. THIS WATER WENT ACROSS ALL THREE LANES AND NO

Mileage: 137,000

20180727UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF MY 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I HAVE ALL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS. NEW TOYOTA PARTS HAVE BEEN USED IN ALL REPAIRS PERFORMED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. WHILE DRIVING MY 4RUNNER THIS SPRING, I NOTICED IT STARTING TO SWAY ON THE HIGHWAY. A REAR SWAY BAR BROKE OFF. I CAN FEEL THE VEHICLE SWAY WHEN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING. NOT ONCE DID MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT MENTION THAT MY FRAME WAS DETERIORATING FROM RUST. IT HAS BEEN ON THE LIFT A HUNDRED TIMES FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS, SOME EXTENSIVE, AND NOT ONE MENTION OF A RUSTING FRAME. NOW, IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO REPAIR DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE RUST. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MAINTAINING MY 4RUNNER OVER THE YEARS. I FEEL TOYOTA HAS KNOWINGLY DECEIVED ALL 4RUNNER OWNERS OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. ALL CURRENT OWNERS OF EARLY MODEL 4RUNNERS SHOULD BE ALERTED OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE AS LOSS OF CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY IS IMMINENT.

Mileage: 260,000

20180726STRUCTURE:BODY

FRAME RUST, A FAIR AMOUNT OF RUST IS CAUSING CONCERN AND MAKES ME QUESTION HOW TRUSTWORTHY VEHICLE IS. THE DATE LISTED ISNT THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT ITS ROUGHLY AROUND THE TIME THE EXTENT OF THE RUST HAD BEEN NOTICED.

Mileage: 302,182

20180726SUSPENSION

FRAME RUST, A FAIR AMOUNT OF RUST IS CAUSING CONCERN AND MAKES ME QUESTION HOW TRUSTWORTHY VEHICLE IS. THE DATE LISTED ISNT THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT ITS ROUGHLY AROUND THE TIME THE EXTENT OF THE RUST HAD BEEN NOTICED.

Mileage: 302,182

20180331SUSPENSION

FRAME IS RUSTING FROM INSIDE OUT. HOLES IN FRAME BIG ENOUGH TO PUSH YOUR WHOLE ARM THROUGH. AREAS OF FRAME CONNECTED TO SUSPENSION PREMATURELY RUSTING OUT. THIS REST OF THIS VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, BODY PANELS INCLUDED. WELDER TOLD ME ENTIRE FRAME IS RUSTING AWAY AND REPAIR TO THE FRAME IS VERY DIFFICULT ANF EXPENSIVE EVEN IF POSSIBLE. VEHICLE HAS UNDER 185,000 MILES AND RUNS GREAT. I HEAR CREAKING DEVELOPING AND AM AFRAID CAR MAY SPLIT IN HALF. WHY IS TOYOTA NOT STEPPING UP AFTER ADMITTING TO BADLY MANUFACTURED FRAMES.

Mileage: 175,000

20180331STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

FRAME IS RUSTING FROM INSIDE OUT. HOLES IN FRAME BIG ENOUGH TO PUSH YOUR WHOLE ARM THROUGH. AREAS OF FRAME CONNECTED TO SUSPENSION PREMATURELY RUSTING OUT. THIS REST OF THIS VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, BODY PANELS INCLUDED. WELDER TOLD ME ENTIRE FRAME IS RUSTING AWAY AND REPAIR TO THE FRAME IS VERY DIFFICULT ANF EXPENSIVE EVEN IF POSSIBLE. VEHICLE HAS UNDER 185,000 MILES AND RUNS GREAT. I HEAR CREAKING DEVELOPING AND AM AFRAID CAR MAY SPLIT IN HALF. WHY IS TOYOTA NOT STEPPING UP AFTER ADMITTING TO BADLY MANUFACTURED FRAMES.

Mileage: 175,000

Compare 1996TOYOTA4RUNNER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER have?
The 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has 92 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER?
The most-complained component for the 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER is STRUCTURE:BODY with 24 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.