Table 1 shows one common wheel related problems of the 1999 Toyota 4Runner.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems |
Frame rot has led to abnormal tire wear, vehicle changing lanes unexpectedly, and death wobble. Tires and shocks replaced September, needed new tires after 90 days also tie rods and bushings. Vehicle is unsafe to drive.
While driving in the right lane on a 3 lane highway at approx. 65mph, while feeling the vehicle jerk to the right, thrusting the vehicle onto the right shoulder. While trying to compensate to the left, the vehicle, immediately rolled 3-4 times across the 3 lanes of traffic, onto the left shoulder. The left rear axle and wheel was no where to be found.
Like everyone else the frame is just rotten through and through in the back, I have a tundra, 2 sequoia's, a highlander and a rav4. Ranging from 2001 to 2015, and the frame on the 01 sequoia looks new, this is a bad frame and gabe at keith pierson Toyota in jacksonville said there is nothing I can do about it. Toyota needs to fess up to this one.
I do not know if the stopping problem is the brakes, tires, both, or something else. At one point I got new tires and the stopping problem still occurred. My family has been in 3 accidents with other cars and many more incidents by the car itself. When braking in rain/snow/ice and even slight damp roads the car skids forward. We have to keep extra distance in front of now compared to other cars we drive. Also during acceleration on rwd from a stoplight even during dry conditions sometimes the rear tires spin out/burn out/ have no traction.
While daughter was driving on highway. The left front lower ball joint failed causing the wheel assembly to come off the car frame. Speed was the posted 55 mph. No other traffic, thank goodness. Was able to pull off the road for assistance. This is a stupid design. A major component if it fails should not cause this type of catastrophic failure. It dangerous and Toyota should warn the consumer of this stupid design.
Perpetual rear brake failure due to leaking rear axle grease seals which throw grease onto rear brake shoes. Soaking them and rendering them useless and innefective. Causing unsafe braking. According to Toyota dealer, and sears auto service in dover, delaware. , repairs similar to this are being performed on similar vintage Toyota four runner models on a weekly basis. The average repair cost is over $1000,. This appears to be a vehicle manufacturers defect not a standard maintenance issue and could result in injuries or death. I had no brake power in a number of emergency situations, in others my braking distance increased dramatically, in a few cases, I've had the repairs done but the problem has returned,.
The contact owns a 1999 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph,the front end of the vehicle and the front passenger side wheel detached from the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a ditch and was towed to an independent mechanic but a diagnostic test was not performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000 and the current mileage was 137,000.