1998 Toyota 4 Runner problems & reliability
120 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Toyota 4 Runner. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
10 complaints report injuries (20 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Toyota 4 Runner vehicles were involved in 64 fatal crashes with 45 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 29 | 24% |
| Suspension | 17 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 6% |
| Power Train | 7 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 6% |
| Steering | 6 | 5% |
| Structure | 6 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Within year rotors had to be replaced, under warranty. Was told by service manager at dealership was due to braking excessively during rain on long downhill run. Suggested to gear down which I now do. Situation did not repeat except that I now intermittently experience similar "pulsating" while braking. Was told by…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 5, 2006
“Re: campaign number 02v021000 component: suspension I was told by jay at toyota (800 3314331 ext 5)that this recall does not apply to my 1998 toyota 4runner sr5. Please research & report. I was given this campaign number by efi auto service. Mechanic stated that his wife took her 1998 4 runner sr5 into the dealer &…”
Suspension · filed Jun 7, 2006
“1998 toyota 4runner left front passenger side ball joint failed causing the front passenger side wheel to become disengaged, breaking the tie rods and the front half axle. ***no answer required***.*mr *jb the manufacturer was contacted but they refused to provide any assistance because the vehicle was out of warranty…”
Suspension · filed Aug 10, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
21 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Toyota 4 Runner. The 10 most recent:
Owner renotification of non-completed special service campaigns and limited service campaigns. *tt
04013 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2004
Special service campaign (ssc) - 20a renotification rear suspension modification for owners whose vehicles have not yet had ssc 20a repairs completed. *tt
03019 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 29, 2003
Spare tire carrier operation. Various modlels including the 2004 landcruiser and 4 runner. *tt
PG00503 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2003
Special service campaign 20a regarding renotification of rear suspension modification. *tt
02051 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2002
Information regarding rear suspension modification. *yh
TC02003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 2002
Subject regarding special service campaign to modify the rear suspension. *tt
02006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 18, 2002
Information regarding shoulder belt anchor tape set. *jb
BO01901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 10, 2001
Front brake vibration. *tt
390 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2000
Subject regarding new front brake pad kits to reduce the possibility of front brake vibration. *tt
BR00700 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2000
This service bulletin provides the location of the grease fittings for the propeller shaft joints. *tt
DL00199 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 27, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Toyota 4 Runner in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Toyota 4 Runner?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.