AI Damage1999 Toyota Prerunner: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Toyota Prerunner filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 29% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 14% of all complaints
- Air bags: 2 complaints (29% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 2 complaints (29% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 7 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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.
While traveling at 64 mph another driver crossed consumer's path, and consumer hit other driver head-on. Car was totalled. Upon impact, airbags did not deploy. Consumer felt this was unsafe.
The airbag fault light was on most of the time. I took it to aurora collision in seattle , wa. They couldnt figure out what was wrong so they replaced the entire airbag unit. Within 1 year the airbag fault light is always on again.
Purchased new engine and $8,000 had a new engine with a permanent check engine light illuminated. Dealer claims check light was a new problem and offered to fix for somewhere north of $1,500. Refused this fix. Oil was changed at regular intervals. Boo toyota.
My 1999 toyota tacoma prerunner with ladder rack and 3 ladders, sways dangerously, at highway speeds.it can be caused by concrete bridges and overpasses. It sways side to side. My toyota dealer says there is nothing wrong.
Bed of truck swayed when a load was in bed, dealer has changed rack & pinion steering/tie rod ends/springs and shocks, but that has not remedied the problem. Consumer was also informed that there was a problem with the tires which was actually causing the problems, the tires were then balanced and rotated, consumer…
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 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Prerunner has 5 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 7, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Toyota Prerunner?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, suspension, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (14%), rust, corrosion (14%), warning lights, check engine (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Toyota Prerunner?
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 1999 Toyota Prerunner 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 1999 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.