Total Complaints
11 filings
TOYOTA PRERUNNER · model year
2001 TOYOTA PRERUNNER
11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001TOYOTAPRERUNNER carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2001 PRERUNNER is structure:body with 3 filings, followed by suspension (2) and suspension:front (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 2001 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.
11
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 3 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20160218POWER TRAIN
MY DAUGHTER WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE BALL JOINT BROKE AWAY, THE LEFT SIDE TIRE SNAPPED OFF. IT WAS STILL STUCK TO THE BRAKE ROTOR AND SUSPENSION. IT RUINED THE BRAKE ALSO. THE TOW TRUCK EVEN HAD PROBLEMS PICKING IT UP.2ND THE REAR END SEAL HAS BROKE AWAY AND LEAKED ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE BRAKE. THE TIRES NOW LOCK UP WHEN TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD.
Mileage: 159,765
20160218STEERING
MY DAUGHTER WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE BALL JOINT BROKE AWAY, THE LEFT SIDE TIRE SNAPPED OFF. IT WAS STILL STUCK TO THE BRAKE ROTOR AND SUSPENSION. IT RUINED THE BRAKE ALSO. THE TOW TRUCK EVEN HAD PROBLEMS PICKING IT UP.2ND THE REAR END SEAL HAS BROKE AWAY AND LEAKED ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE BRAKE. THE TIRES NOW LOCK UP WHEN TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD.
Mileage: 159,765
20160218SUSPENSION
MY DAUGHTER WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE BALL JOINT BROKE AWAY, THE LEFT SIDE TIRE SNAPPED OFF. IT WAS STILL STUCK TO THE BRAKE ROTOR AND SUSPENSION. IT RUINED THE BRAKE ALSO. THE TOW TRUCK EVEN HAD PROBLEMS PICKING IT UP.2ND THE REAR END SEAL HAS BROKE AWAY AND LEAKED ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE BRAKE. THE TIRES NOW LOCK UP WHEN TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD.
Mileage: 159,765
20150629STRUCTURE:BODY
TOOK MY TACOMA IN TODAY FOR SPARE TIRE RECALL. WORK WAS DENIED DUE TO FRAME RUST. I DID NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICES BEFOREHAND UNTIL THIS ONE. I FEEL MY VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE OWNED MY TACOMA SINCE 2003.
Mileage: 205,281
20150629SUSPENSION
TOOK MY TACOMA IN TODAY FOR SPARE TIRE RECALL. WORK WAS DENIED DUE TO FRAME RUST. I DID NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICES BEFOREHAND UNTIL THIS ONE. I FEEL MY VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE OWNED MY TACOMA SINCE 2003.
Mileage: 205,281
20150629UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TOOK MY TACOMA IN TODAY FOR SPARE TIRE RECALL. WORK WAS DENIED DUE TO FRAME RUST. I DID NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICES BEFOREHAND UNTIL THIS ONE. I FEEL MY VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE OWNED MY TACOMA SINCE 2003.
Mileage: 205,281
20140821STRUCTURE:BODY
FRAME IS RUSTED AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. TOYOTA ISSUED A SPECIAL POLICY FOR 15 YEAR FRAME WARRANTY AND EVEN BOUGHT BACK TRUCKS FOR THIS ISSUE BUT THE WARRANTY DID NOT GET EXTENDED BECAUSE THE TRUCK WAS NOT UNDERCOATED IN 2011 TO EXTEND THIS 15 YEAR WARRANTY. TOYOTA OWNERS BEWARE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANYTHING IN WRITING TO SUPPORT THIS. THEY DO NOT WANT ME TO USE AGAINST THEM. UNSAFE AND THEY ARE NOT WANTING TO HELP. *TR
Mileage: 161,365
20131230STRUCTURE:BODY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRERUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME HAD DETERIORATED, MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
Mileage: 140,000
20090610CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRERUNNER. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 10 MPH, A VEHICLE TRAVELING 80 MPH CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NOT THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. UPDATED 6/29/09 *CN UPDATED 06/30/09.*JB
Mileage: 79,000
20080824STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
FRAME IS HEAVILY CORRODED , SOME RUST PERFORATION EXISTS. TOYOTA HAS EXTENDED FRAME RUST COVERAGE FOR '95 TO '00. I DRIVE AN '01.*TR
Mileage: 1
20050621SUSPENSION:FRONT
DRIVER'S SIDE BALL JOINT FELL OFF RESULTING IN THE ENTIRE WHEEL COMING OFF. THERE WAS NO FORWARNING OF THIS GOING TO OCCUR. TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER THEY REPLACED THE LOWER & UPPER BALLJOINTS AND THE LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT. ALSO, THEY REPLACED A TIRE AND REPLACED A BRAKE HOSE. THEY SAID TO BRING IT BACK IN JULY AND THEY WOULD REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS AGAIN?! THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER DRIVEN WORSE THAN IT DOES NOW. SINCE GETTING IT BACK FROM REPAIRS IT SHIMMYS AND SHAKES SEVERLY AND DOES NOT FELL SAFE.
Compare 2001TOYOTAPRERUNNER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2001 TOYOTA PRERUNNER have?▼
The 2001 TOYOTA PRERUNNER has 11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 TOYOTA PRERUNNER?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 TOYOTA PRERUNNER is STRUCTURE:BODY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and SUSPENSION:FRONT.
Is the 2001 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.