Toyota Prerunner 1999 problems

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The Toyota Tacoma is a pickup truck manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota since 1995. The first-generation Tacoma (model years 1995 through 2004) was classified as a compact pickup. The second generation (model years 2005 through 2015) and third generation (in production since 2015) models are classified as mid-sized pickups. The Tacoma was Motor Trend's Truck of the Year for 2005.

As of 2015, the Tacoma was sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Bermuda, and the French overseas collectivity of New Caledonia. Most markets across the world receive the Toyota Hilux in lieu of the Tacoma.

The name "Tacoma" was derived from the Coast Salish peoples' name for Mount Rainier in the U.S. state of Washington.

Toyota Prerunner 1999

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Common Toyota Prerunner 1999 problems

Based on the complaints from owners of the Toyota PreRunner 1999, several common problems have been reported. Here is a detailed list of these issues:

  1. Lower Ball Joint Problem:
    • One of the most significant issues reported is related to the lower ball joints in 1999 Toyota PreRunner models. This problem can cause a clunking sound, affecting the truck's steering and suspension. If left unresolved, it can lead to the wheels falling off the vehicle. Toyota issued a recall for specific models due to premature ball joint wear caused by production issues. Owners of affected 1999 PreRunner models can have their ball joints replaced free of charge at authorized service providers.
  2. Automatic Transmission Shifting Issue:
    • Another common problem involves the automatic transmission not shifting correctly, especially at higher mileage. This issue can be attributed to the throttle position sensor being out of adjustment or a shift solenoid needing replacement. Over 250 owners have reported this problem, which typically occurs between 12,000 to 300,000 miles on 1999 Toyota PreRunner models.
  3. Amber Running/Parking Lights Damage:
    • Owners have reported instances where the amber front running lights in the headlight assembly of 1999 Toyota PreRunner models melted, cracked, or damaged their lenses. This issue typically arises between 6,120 to 142,520 miles on the odometer. To address this problem, owners need to replace the headlight assembly, with diagnostic costs averaging around $100.

These common problems with the Toyota PreRunner 1999 can impact the vehicle's performance, safety, and overall driving experience. Owners are advised to address these issues promptly to ensure the longevity and reliability of their vehicles.

Toyota Prerunner 1999 engine

What year was the Toyota Tacoma bad?

A: The years to avoid, specifically 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017, have reported significant issues such as body and paint problems, engine mishaps, faulty interior accessories, drivetrain and engine defects, and problematic transmissions.

What is the most common problem with the Toyota Tacoma?

Most Commonly Reported Toyota Tacoma Problems

Toyota Tacoma Transmission Problems: Over the years, some Tacoma drivers have reported experiencing a faulty automatic transmission once the car was over a certain high-mileage point.

Does Toyota trucks have transmission problems?

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is recalling about 280,000 pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. to fix a transmission problem that can let the vehicles creep forward while in neutral. The recall covers certain Toyota Tundra pickups and Lexus LX 600 SUVs from the 2022 through 2024 model years.

How long do Tacoma engines last?

With proper care and regular maintenance, it is not uncommon for a Toyota Tacoma engine to last well over 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) or more. Some Tacoma owners said their engines lasting even beyond 300,000 miles (480,000 kilometers) with no major issues.

What is the most common problem with a Toyota Tacoma?

Common Toyota Tacoma Issues

  • Not Shifting Correctly. One of the biggest problems of Tacomas is its tendency not to shift correctly. ...
  • Sticky Accelerators. ...
  • Clear Coat Peeling And Cracking. ...
  • Excessive Driving Vibration. ...
  • Issues With Lower Ball Joint. ...
  • Faulty Air Flow Meter. ...
  • Get a Curated List of the Best Used Cars Near You.

What year was the Toyota Tacoma bad?

A: The years to avoid, specifically 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017, have reported significant issues such as body and paint problems, engine mishaps, faulty interior accessories, drivetrain and engine defects, and problematic transmissions.

What years are the Toyota PreRunner?

Given the most obvious name possible, the Toyota Tacoma PreRunner was a special trim available on the truck from 1998 all the way to 2015, and took a very different approach to most other rugged trucks of its era.

Are early 2000s Tacomas reliable?

At the price point there are a lot of other types of vechiles available. The interior is cramped for a tall person. The engine is sluggish. However, this truck is extremely reliable.

Toyota Prerunner 1999 car problems categorized by type of issue

After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Toyota Prerunner problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:

  • Unknown or other problems
  • Air bags problems
  • Suspension problems
  • Engine and engine cooling problems
  • Tires problems

The graph below shows statistics for all Toyota Prerunner 1999 vehicle components and the number of complaints received.

Toyota Prerunner 1999 complaints

The NHTSA has received 7 complaints about various vehicle components related to the Toyota Prerunner 1999.

2017-06-03

UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2017-05-04
  • VIN: 5TEU62N49Z6
  • Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
  • Summary: PURCHASED SECOND SET OF TIRES FOR MY TRUCK FROM DEALERSHIP. MICHLIN LXT M/S2 TYPE. HAVE 81,000 MILES ON MY TOYOTA PRERUNNER PICKUP AT THIS TIME. HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED AT DEALERSHIP ON TIMELY BASES. LAST TIME IN FOR MAINTENANCE THE SERVICE REP POINTED OUT THAT THE TIRES HAD "DRY ROTTED". TREAD THICKNESS IS VERY ACCEPTABLE. PHOTOS ATTACHED.
2016-11-27

AIR BAGS PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2015-11-01
  • VIN: 4TANM92N4XZ
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: I PURCHASED TRUCK USED 2012. 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. I CALLED THEM TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY SAID A NEW COMPANY BOUGHT THE BUSINESS SAME PHONE NUMBER 206 522-0493 AND THEY DO NOT HAVE MY RECORDS. TOYOTA OF SEATTLE TOLD ME THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO KEEP CUSTOMERS RECORDS FOR 10 YEARS AND PASS THEM ON TO THE NEW OWNER. NEW BUSINESS OWNER SAYS HE DOES NOT HAVE THEM. TOYOTA OF SEATTLE SAYS THEY CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT AIRBAG I HAVE WITH OUT TAKING THE TRUCK APART. WHAT CAN I DO?
2016-03-11

UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2016-03-11
  • VIN: 4TASM92N8XZ
  • Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
  • Summary: FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS PA INSPECTION AND IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. RECEIVED "PROGRAM NOTICE" FROM TOYOTA AND TOOK TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION IN 2008 AND VEHICLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE NO RUST IN FRAME. NEVER RECEIVE ANY SUBSEQUENT NOTICE FROM TOYOTA REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF A RUST "SPRAY". VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 90K MILES.
2006-11-07

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2005-06-08
  • VIN: JT3HN87R3X0
  • Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
  • Summary: A ROD WAS THROWN THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM WHERE THEY REFUSED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. 80,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. 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. *NM
2004-07-14

SUSPENSION PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2003-08-23
  • VIN: 4TASM92N3XZ
  • Components: SUSPENSION
  • Summary: 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.*AK
2001-09-24

SUSPENSION,TIRES PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2001-07-14
  • VIN: 4TASN92N9XZ
  • Components: SUSPENSION,TIRES
  • Summary: 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. *AK 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 STATED THE PROBLEM WITH THE SWAYING WAS STILL THERE, CONSUMER REALIZED THAT WHEN WEIGHT IS ON BED OF THE VEHICLE, THAT IS WHEN THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO SWAY, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAS NO PLACE OF ALLEVIATING THE PROBLEM. *JB
2000-12-19

AIR BAGS PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2000-07-21
  • Number Of Injuries: 1
  • Crash: 1
  • VIN: 4TASN92N1XZ
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: 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. *AK
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Additional sources

More sources of information about Toyota Prerunner 1999 problems:

1999 Toyota Tacoma Problems and Complaints - 10 Issues
1999 Toyota Tacoma Problems and Complaints - 10 Issues
https://repairpal.com/1999-toyota-tacoma/problems

Problem with your 1999 Toyota Tacoma? Our list of 10 known complaints reported by owners can help you fix your 1999 Toyota Tacoma.

Common Tacoma problems I should be aware of? | Tacoma World
Common Tacoma problems I should be aware of? | Tacoma World
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/common-tacoma-problems-i-should-be-aware-of.16861/

Oct 19, 2008 ... Exhaust tends to have minor issues. Mostly gaskets and o2s going bad and cat converters get tired. Rear drum brakes have a problem with the pot ...

Q&A: 1999 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L 4WD Xtracab - Common Problems
Q&A: 1999 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L 4WD Xtracab - Common Problems
https://www.justanswer.com/toyota/5xa1a-toyota-tacoma-pre-runner-1999-toyota-tacoma-2-7l-4cyl.html

Dec 5, 2011 ... The engine requres more fuel to start when the engine is cold. You may smell fuel, but if there is not enough fuel pressure present to allow the ...

1st gen, common problems? | Tacoma World
1st gen, common problems? | Tacoma World
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1st-gen-common-problems.128456/

Dec 14, 2010 ... Now to my question, I haven't noticed any stickies here in the 1st gen section about common problems or tsb's. ... 07 4x4 sr5, 99 4x4 trd. Walker ...

Q&A: 97 Toyota Pickup Idle Problem | 1997 Tacoma Engine ...
Q&A: 97 Toyota Pickup Idle Problem | 1997 Tacoma Engine ...
https://www.justanswer.com/toyota/4wz45-toyota-tacoma-4x2-idle-problem-1997-toyota.html

Apr 25, 2011 ... I put a new engine in my 1999 tacoma 2.7 and now i need to ... ... This is one of those great 'known' Toyota problems that we Dealer Techs know ...

Other years of Toyota Prerunner

toyota prerunner 2001 photo
Prerunner 2001
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Prerunner 2002
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toyota prerunner 1997 photo
Prerunner 1997
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toyota prerunner 1998 photo
Prerunner 1998
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toyota prerunner 1999 photo
Prerunner 1999
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Toyota Prerunner 1999 photo