no report yet
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
2001 Toyota 4RUNNERProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 185 owner complaints about the 2001 Toyota 4RUNNER, most often about the structure. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 19, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2001 Toyota 4RUNNER has problems
185 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
81Structure2 crash/fire/injury
32Power train
27Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
13Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
8Steering
8Service brakes, hydraulic
7Tires
6Air bags
6Electrical system
2612 other systems5 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 81 | 2 |
| Power train | 32 | 0 |
| Suspension | 27 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 13 | 1 |
| Steering | 8 | 2 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 8 | 0 |
| Tires | 7 | 1 |
| Air bags | 6 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 1 |
| 12 other systems | 26 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2001 Toyota 4RUNNER recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.
Mileage at failure
When do structure problems start?
130kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 74 structure complaints. 12% were reported before 100,000 miles.
1under 30k miles9under 100k miles65100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
9 owners mentioned a cost$2,200median
Middle half: $1,500 – $3,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2001 vs. every other 4RUNNER year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 4RUNNER median. How we score
'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2001 Toyota 4RUNNER safety ratings
2001 Toyota 4Runner 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 2 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What 4RUNNER owners report
Recent structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2001 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that he noticed a swaying while driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who stated that the sub frame was severely rusted between the sway bar and the differential. The certified mechanic referred the contact to…
FIRST THERE WERE 3 RECALLS 1. 135468 2. 135469 AND 3. 135469 DATING BACK TO 2005 THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF AND I HAVE A VERY BAD CORRUGATED METAL BUMPERS AND WHEN I DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND I HIT A BUMP OR SOMETHING IN THE ROAD IT FEELS LIKE MY CAR IS GOING TO TURN OVER. I HAD THE SHOCKS REPLACED…
THE FRAME OF MY 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER IS RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT YOU CAN BREAK SOME OF IT OFF IN OUR HAND. RECENTLY TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. THIS REQUIRED WELDING TO SOME SECTIONS IN ORDER TO KEEP DRIVING. THE…
Own a 2001 4RUNNER?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.