1997 Toyota 4RUNNER Tires Problems
- Complaints
- 18about this part
- Share
- 7%of 261 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 180,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 18 complaints about the tires of the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER, 7% of the 261 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 180,000 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The treads of my continental tires separated when I was traveling on the freeway. My car lost traction and spun uncontrollably when I was driving on freeway. My tires were purchased 5 years ago and have about 75,000 miles on them. The other 3 continental tires also show substantial wear that are beyond the typical wear and tear.”
NHTSA complaint #10282930, filed 2009-09, 180,000 miles“My fiance and I werw driving a borrowered 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER. We were driving at 65 m and all I remember just gettin on the freeway.and blanking out.. When I woke up I sadly discoverd that my fiance lost control and veered to the right and hit a guardrail then a post sign and then rested on a tree..he passed away on impact. I suffered a t1 to t3 spine fracture.my left wrist fractured.a broken nose. As I woke up from my 3 week coma. I realised he passed away. Now the truck was borrwed, not lended or bought. The dealer gave us the keys to use while he fixed the car we rented .. …”
NHTSA complaint #11316783, filed 2020-03“The first tire that the tread came off was while traveling on the freeway - july, 2002. No damage to the vehicle or myself. Tow truck driver came out and changed the tire. Went to discount tire to have the tire replaced, they replaced it at no cost. When I asked if the others were safe, they said yes, leaving the other desert dog tires on. August, 2003 - driving on the freeway again with my husband, we felt a vibration, pulled off to the side of the road and found that the tread had come off once again. …”
NHTSA complaint #10041635, filed 2003-10“The contact owns a 1997 Toyota 4runner. The contact purchased goodyear wrangler at (lt255/85r16) tires. While driving 60 MPH, the contact heard a hissing sound and the vehicle pulled to the right. He pulled over and noticed that the passenger side rear tire was flat. The tire has not yet been examined. The current and failure mileages were 185,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10194171, filed 2007-06, 185,000 miles“2/4 original tires have failed several times to maintain air pressure under normal driving conditions. Of those two tires, 1 has been replaced after showing signs of seperation, and the other is needing more air 2-3x/wk, and is showing signs of seperation( DOT number: w2hh tire size: p225/75r15 )”
NHTSA complaint #730672, filed 2000-09Related service bulletins
- 10207946Jan 12, 2022POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept…
Tires: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 2% |
| 2023 | 4 | 12% |
| 2021 | 1 | 3% |
| 2019 | 1 | 2% |
| 2018 | 1 | 2% |
| 2014 | 1 | 1% |
| 2013 | 1 | 3% |
| 2010 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 3 | 3% |
| 2007 | 3 | 2% |
| 2006 | 13 | 3% |
| 2005 | 12 | 3% |
| 2004 | 12 | 2% |
| 2003 | 7 | 1% |
| 2002 | 8 | 4% |
| 2001 | 7 | 4% |
| 2000 | 16 | 3% |
| 1999 | 28 | 8% |
| 1998 | 30 | 12% |
| 1997 | 18 | 7% |
| 1996 | 14 | 9% |
| 1995 | 11 | 6% |
| 1994 | 4 | 6% |
| 1993 | 3 | 6% |
| 1992 | 3 | 6% |
| 1991 | 4 | 9% |
| 1990 | 2 | 3% |
| 1989 | 1 | 17% |
| 1988 | 2 | 22% |
| 1987 | 1 | 20% |
| 1986 | 2 | 25% |
Other parts of the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER
95 complaintsBody and structure
76 complaintsBrakes
29 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
25 complaintsOther or unknown
21 complaintsEngine cooling
14 complaintsSteering
14 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsEquipment
7 complaintsElectrical system
6 complaintsSeat belts
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Toyota 4RUNNER
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology