AI Damage1997 Toyota Pickup: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Toyota Pickup filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 40% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 40% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 20% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 20% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 20% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Visibility: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Frame is extremely rusted on 1997 toyota t100 pickup. Balance of the vehicle is in excellent condition and has been very well maintained. Rusted frame has caused many of the connected parts to also rust and making basic repairs virtually impossible to fix.
When vehicle goes over a bump it leaves the ground. Consumer feels there is a problem with the sharks. Please provide any further information.
Front windshield has had a crack in it for the last 6 months. Please provide any further information.
Signal lights do not work. Consumer has to cut off people on the road to exit. Pleae provide any further information.
After brakes were applied and pedal was released, master cylinder piston would not release, causing truck to continue braking, dealer replaced master cylinder even though vehicle was not under warranty at the time.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Pickup has 17 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
- Pickup 19813 sources
- Pickup 19843 sources
- Pickup 19859 sources
- Pickup 198618 sources
- Pickup 19878 sources
- Pickup 19887 sources
- Pickup 198921 sources
- Pickup 199025 sources
- Pickup 199129 sources
- Pickup 199256 sources
- Pickup 199359 sources
- Pickup 199491 sources
- Pickup 199535 sources
- Pickup 19966 sources
- Pickup 19985 sources
- Pickup 20004 sources
- Pickup 20017 sources
- Pickup 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Toyota Pickup?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Toyota Pickup?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Toyota Pickup from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.