1999 Toyota 4 Runner problems & reliability
110 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 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 (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Toyota 4 Runner vehicles were involved in 80 fatal crashes with 58 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 | 27 | 25% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Other | 10 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 6% |
| Power Train | 6 | 5% |
| Seats | 5 | 5% |
| Suspension | 5 | 5% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 74,060 miles (middle 50% between 54,190 and 98,250 miles), based on 24 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving 20 mph had a frontal impact with a large tree in which the front end was crushed. Upon impact, driver's and passenger's airbags did not deploy, which did not protect the occupants in the crash. Please provide further information. *nm”
Air Bags · filed Sep 24, 2006
“Dt: the contact stated the vehicle stalls and the dealer has been unable to resolve. The contact is unsure if this is the engine and the transmission. The vehicle also has a continuous knocking sound, and a intermittent stalling problem. Also the vehicle has a vibration when it is accelerating over 50 miles per hour.”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 2, 2006
“The fog lights have gone out several times. I have new lamps replaced and they go out in a few weeks. This has been an issue since I purchased the car new in '99. *nm”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jul 19, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
23 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Toyota 4 Runner. The 10 most recent:
1999 toyota 4runner body electrical - combination meter - repair manual correction. 00400-rm663-u2. *tt
5127 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2005
'99 4runner engine (3rz-fe) repair manual correction. *tt '00 4runner. 00400-rm720-u1. *tt
4614 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2005
The accessory fog lights for 1999-2002 model year 4runner vehicles may become corroded and not function. The lights should be replaced as a pair. *nm
01004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 23, 2004
Spare tire carrier operation. Various modlels including the 2004 landcruiser and 4 runner. *tt
PG00503 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2003
Information regarding electronic control module wiring harness connector. *yd
TC01030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 5, 2001
Information regarding shoulder belt anchor tape set. *jb
BO01901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 10, 2001
Vehicles may experience unintended or accidental rear window activation. *jb
EL00501 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 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
Subject regarding owner renotification on non-completed special service campaigns. *tt
TC00013 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 26, 2000
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 1999 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 1999 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 74,060 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.