AI Damage2001 Toyota Prerunner: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Toyota Prerunner filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 57% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 43% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 14% of all complaints
- Structure: 4 complaints (57% of all).
- Suspension: 3 complaints (43% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Steering: 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
The air bags failed to deploy and the contact was injured. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified, but not the manufacturer. The current mileage was 92,000 and failure mileage was 79,000. Updated 6/29/09 updated 06/30/09.
My daughter was making a right hand turn on a city street when the ball joint broke away, the left side tire snapped off. It was still stuck to the brake rotor and suspension. It ruined the brake also.
Work was denied due to frame rust. I did not received any notices beforehand until this one. I feel my vehicle is unsafe to drive. I have owned my tacoma since 2003.
Frame is rusted and unsafe to drive. Toyota issued a special policy for 15 year frame warranty and even bought back trucks for this issue but the warranty did not get extended because the truck was not undercoated in 2011 to extend this 15 year warranty.
Frame is heavily corroded , some rust perforation exists. Toyota has extended frame rust coverage for '95 to '00. I drive an '01.
Since getting it back from repairs it shimmys and shakes severly and does not fell safe.
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 12,539 of 36,659 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
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Toyota Prerunner?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, suspension, air bags. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (43%), airbags did not deploy (14%), vibration (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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 2026-11-06.