Motor Almanac

Toyota / 4Runner / 2001

2001 Toyota 4runner

Family: 4Runner · filed with NHTSA as 4 RUNNER, 4RUNNER

Summary

  • Of the 171 complaints that name a component, 47% concern Body & Structure (81).
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • No federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
185
Recalls
3
Investigations
0
NCAP overall
Not rated
Combined MPG
16–17
Annual fuel cost
$3,650–$3,900
Median mileage at complaint
122,000 mi (n = 146)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
10 / 1 / 12 / 0

What owners report

Body & Structure

81 complaints · 47% of complaints that name a component · median 130,000 mi (n = 74)

Owner report 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 the dealer. The contac…
Owner report 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 WELDING WILL ONLY KEEP ME …

Powertrain

32 complaints · 19% of complaints that name a component · median 122,000 mi (n = 30)

Owner report VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY GRAVEL DRIVEWAY. MY HOME CONTRACTOR SMELLED AN ODOR & DISCOVERED THAT MY REAR WAS LEAKING GEAR OIL. MY HUSBAND, WHO IS SOMEWHAT HANDY WITH CARS, ENDED UP SANDING OFF LOTS OF RUST ON THE PUMPKIN, THEN CLEANED IT & USED JB WELD TO SEAL WHERE HE THOUGHT THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM. (WHERE THE PARKING…
Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THERE WAS AN OIL STAIN ON THE GROUND. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMAT…

Suspension

27 complaints · 16% of complaints that name a component · median 135,000 mi (n = 22)

Owner report The contact owns a 2001 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, there was a thumping and clicking sound coming from the front of the vehicle before the front passenger’s side of the vehicle unintendedly lowered. The vehicle was stopped and inspected, and the ball joint was touching t…
Owner report WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH OUR TOYOTA 4RUNNER SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHAKE AND SWAY VIOLENTLY AND WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED BUT DID NOT SEE ANYTHING APPARENT. WE HAD THE CAR CHECKED AT OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE FRAME IS CORRODED COMPLETELY THRU AND THE…

8% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (1996–2002)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 59.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
199616144not compared
199726144not compared
199825057
199933059
200048362
200118518not compared
200222519not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

06E049000 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Filed 2006-05-24 · 27,176 vehicles

Defect: 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 FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: 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.

06E026000 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Filed 2006-03-23 · 61,944 vehicles

Defect: 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 SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: 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.

05V225000 · SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

Filed 2005-05-17 · 768,379 vehicles

Defect: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ISSUE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SURFACE OF THE BALL OF THE JOINT MAY HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED. THE BALL JOINT MAY EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND LOOSENESS, RESULTING IN INCREASED STEERING EFFORT.

Risk: THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Federal investigations

None on file.

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
4Runner 2WD3.4L 6cylAutomatic 4-spdRear-Wheel Drive161917$3650
4Runner 4WD3.4L 6cylAutomatic 4-spd4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive151816$3900

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2001 Toyota 4Runner 4-DR.Not RatedNot RatedNot Rated★★☆☆☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 107 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYThe condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-12-05STRUCTURE:BODYToyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure …
2024-12-03STRUCTURE:BODYVehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the …
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYThe condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this 4Runner, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota 4Runner model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.