2000 Toyota 4Runner Problems, Recalls & Reliability
638 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2000 Toyota 4Runner, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 79/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 145,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2000 Toyota 4Runner sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1994, 2008–2009, 2011–2022.
Avoid
Where 2000 sits among all 4Runner years
What owners report
“Frame rotted out on passenger side of car, track bar for rear mount rusted off frame.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 4Runner
“Frame rust to the point the passenger rear control arm is about to fall off bc of the amount of frame rust”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 4Runner
“Frame is rotting away on a vehicle with 158,646 miles. Toyota has been aware of this issue for years, yet no recall for the 4runner 's. What will it take , a death, because of a frame failure?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 4Runner
“The frame is rusted thru in many places that hold the rearend in the frame and along the side rails of this 4 Runner Toyota 2000, the suspionsion arm rusted and broke free from the frame.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 4Runner
“The vehicle has the brake system for a 15 inch rim, however vehicle came stocked with 16 inch rims which requires a larger 16 inch rotor, the consumer requests that the dealer provide the vehicle with the appropriate rotor because the vehicle has experienced poor braking and premature wear of the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 4Runner
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 436 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 145,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 120,000 and 179,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO…
Fix: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Technical service bulletins
82 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and brakes & stability — are on file for the 2000 Toyota 4Runner. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2000 4Runner TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2000 Toyota 4Runner reliable?
The 2000 Toyota 4Runner drew 638 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 79/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2000 Toyota 4Runner problems?
The top reported problems for the 2000 Toyota 4Runner are body & structure (264 complaints), suspension (103), and other (73).
At what mileage do 2000 Toyota 4Runner problems show up?
Owners most often report 2000 Toyota 4Runner problems around 145,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 120,000 and 179,000 miles.
Does the 2000 Toyota 4Runner have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2000 Toyota 4Runner. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.