Toyota 4Runner
Registered from 1996 to 2027.
About this model
The Toyota 4Runner is an SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota and marketed globally since 1984, across six generations. In Japan, it was marketed as the Toyota Hilux Surf and was withdrawn from the market in 2009. The original 4Runner was a compact SUV and little more than a Toyota Hilux pickup truck with a fiberglass shell over the bed, but the model has since undergone significant independent development into a cross between a compact and a mid-size SUV. All 4Runners have been built in Japan at Toyota's plant in Tahara, Aichi, or at the Hino Motors plant in Hamura.
From the Wikipedia article Toyota 4Runner, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Air bags: more complaints than 97% of 2012 cars — 73% of its 96 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 17%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- AIR BAGS — 70 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
- SERVICE BRAKES — 4 owners reported this
Crash test
| Overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★☆☆ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 278 hp · 2454 kg · 2850 mm wheelbase · 10.7 L/100km (EPA) · 11.8 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2025 | 278 hp · 2454 kg · 2850 mm wheelbase · 10.7 L/100km (EPA) · 11.8 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2024 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.8 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 12.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2023 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.8 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 12.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2022 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.8 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 12.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2021 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.8 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 12.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2020 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.8 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 12.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2019 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 11.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2018 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 11.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2017 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 11.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2016 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 11.2 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2015 | 270 hp · 2155 kg · 2790 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 11.2 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
49% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
12V120000
IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, ANTILOCK BRAKING AND STABILITY CONTROL MAY BE LOST, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. DRIVERS SHOULD RECEIVE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS WARNING THEM OF A MALFUNCTION.
GULF STATES TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REMOTE ENGINE STARTER WITH A NEW ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT JUNE 4, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-444-1074.
13V014000
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
14V828000
Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-14B.
15V515000
Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall began on September 22, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for the recall is SET15D.
16V228000
An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will install an accurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 1, 2016. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Gulf States' number for this recall is 16R2.
16V236000
An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
16V577000
Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall began September 15, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16D.
16V937000
The improper inflation of the passenger air bag may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Toyota dealers have replaced the passenger side air bag modules, free of charge. Toyota notified the affected dealers on December 15, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G06, GLR.
17 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.
Frame corrosion
Defect petition, opened August 2018, closed March 2022.
Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration
Recall query, opened February 2010, closed March 2011.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Toyota filed 30 bulletins about the 2026 4Runner.
- Service brakes: 5
- Wheels: 1
- Other: 24
- Some 2024 – 2026 model year Land Cruiser, and 2025 – 2026 model year 4Runner and 4Runner Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving in… · August 2026
- 2026 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger… · July 2026
- During the manufacturing process, tires are mounted on the vehicle as matched sets to help reduce conditions such as pulling or drifting. If the wheels are replaced or refinished before vehicle… · July 2026
- A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load.… · July 2026
- Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to maintain vehicle condition. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extendedvehicle… · July 2026
- Some 2024 – 2026 model year Land Cruiser, and 2025 – 2026 model year 4Runner and 4Runner Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving in… · June 2026
- Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: • Careful inspection… · May 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 12, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0006-26. · March 2026
22 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.