Total Complaints
3 filings
TOYOTA PRERUNNER · model year
1997 TOYOTA PRERUNNER
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997TOYOTAPRERUNNER carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. 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 1997 PRERUNNER is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components with 1 filings, followed by power train:axle assembly:axle shaft:seal (1) and tires (1). 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 51 investigation files overlapping the 1997 PRERUNNER, and 1 remain open. 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.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070625TIRES
THE WRANGLER AT/D2 I PURCHASED YESTERDAY AT SAMS CLUB MAY HAVE A FACTORY DEFECT. I BOUGHT A PAIR OF LT265/75/R16. IT ALREADY HAD THIS SIZE OF TIRES WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED 7 YEARS AGO. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE STORE SAID HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO INSTALL THEM BECAUSE MY SUV SHOULD HAVE 265/70/16 TIRES. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I PURCHASED A PAIR OF 265/75/R16 AT DISCOUNT TIRES A YEAR AGO WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. SO, I PURCHASED THIS PAIR OF TIRES AT SAMS, ANYWAY, AND HAD THEM INSTALLED THIS MORNING AT A LOCAL TIRE SHOP. THE TIRES WERE MOUNTED AND BALANCED AND I DROVE OUT OF THE SHOP AND HEADED TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY FOR ONLY 2 MILES, AT 60MPH, WHEN A HEARD A HISSING NOISE AND THE SUV PULLED TO ONE SIDE. I MANAGED TO PULLED OUT OF THE FREEWAY AND ONE OF MY NEW TIRES WAS FLAT. I INSPECTED THE TIRE AND THERE WERE NO NAILS, SCREWS OR HOLES ON THE THREAD. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A LITLE DEFECT ON THE THREAD PATTERN AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HOLE, OR A
Mileage: 18,502
20061221POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL
REAR AXLE SEALS ON VEHICLE NEED REPLACING. HAS LEAD TO DAMAGE OF REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS THAT WILL IN TURN NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL OR SOME BULLETIN TO OWNERS AS THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS EQUIPMENT FAILURE? CAR HAS 75K MILES AND VERY WELL MAINTAINED, NO OFF ROAD USE. *NM
Mileage: 75,000
20040712SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO REAR BRAKES. THERE WAS A SEAL FAILURE IN REAR AXLE BRAKES. REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT CURRENTLY REAR BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. *AK
Mileage: 103,477
Compare 1997TOYOTAPRERUNNER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 TOYOTA PRERUNNER have?▼
The 1997 TOYOTA PRERUNNER has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 TOYOTA PRERUNNER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 TOYOTA PRERUNNER is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL and TIRES.
Is the 1997 TOYOTA PRERUNNER 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.