One problem related to axle assembly has been reported for the 1997 Toyota 4Runner. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
My wife was traveling north on I-395, exiting off at d street when the right rear axle broke and the wheel came off the vehicle. The 4-runner bounced off the median guard rail, flipped over on its right side then righted itself then came to a stop. My wife sustained tissue damage, but no broken bones. This vehicle had never been taken off road in any capacity.