Toyota 4runner Reliability

6,431 NHTSA complaints (1984–2026). Complaint rate: 51.0 per 1,000 vehicles.

Severity Score
93.3
Complaints
6,431
Crash Rate
6.1%
Fire Rate
1.0%
Injuries
318
Fatalities
13

Toyota 4runner Generations

Manufacturer redesigns the car every few years (a “generation”). Each generation has different engineering and common issues. Click a generation to see year-by-year breakdown.

GenerationYearsComplaints
Gen 11984–198943
Gen 21990–1995348
Gen 31996–20021,759
Gen 42003–20093,003
2003718View→
2004846View→
2005550View→
2006518View→
2007204View→
2008134View→
200933View→
Gen 52010–20241,228
Gen 62025–present50

Which Years to Buy & Avoid

Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.

Bottom line: Avoid the 1997–2007 Toyota 4runner (215 crash-related complaints). The 2020–2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: STRUCTURE:BODY.

Avoid These Years

1997–2007
~409/yr complaints · 215 crashes
2010–2011
~178/yr complaints · 15 crashes

Average

1990–1993
~70/yr complaints
1996
~92/yr complaints
2008
~134/yr complaints
2012
~112/yr complaints

Better Years

2020–2023
~48/yr complaints
2017
~47/yr complaints
2013
~46/yr complaints
2009
~33/yr complaints

Too New

2024–2026
61 complaints so far

Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.

Looking at a specific Toyota 4runner?

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Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA complaint count per model year

Toyota 4runner — Complaints by Model YearPeak: 2004 (846)
0243486730973198419871990199319961999200220052008201120142017202020232026

Common Toyota 4runner Problems

Most reported component complaints to NHTSA

ComponentComplaintsCrash %
STRUCTURE:BODY1,3772.1%
SUSPENSION7583.7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER7093.7%
AIR BAGS44519.1%
SERVICE BRAKES2827.4%
STEERING2678.2%
POWER TRAIN2113.3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL20128.4%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1902.1%
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS1630.0%

Year-by-Year Breakdown

NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.

YearGenerationComplaintsCrashesFiresDetails
1984GOODGen 122—View→
1985GOODGen 121—View→
1986GOODGen 1132—View→
1987GOODGen 173—View→
1988GOODGen 1120—View→
1989GOODGen 170—View→
1990Gen 295126View→
1991Gen 2553—View→
1992Gen 27383View→
1993Gen 25863View→
1994GOODGen 21541View→
1995GOODGen 2523—View→
1996Gen 39271View→
1997AVOIDGen 3200252View→
1998AVOIDGen 316892View→
1999AVOIDGen 3312173View→
2000AVOIDGen 3520182View→
2001AVOIDGen 320683View→
2002AVOIDGen 3261152View→
2003AVOIDGen 471822—View→
2004AVOIDGen 4846336View→
2005AVOIDGen 4550253View→
2006AVOIDGen 4518343View→
2007AVOIDGen 420494View→
2008Gen 4134152View→
2009GOODGen 43381View→
2010AVOIDGen 5175112View→
2011AVOIDGen 518141View→
2012Gen 511271View→
2013GOODGen 5461—View→
2014Gen 59061View→
2015Gen 511615—View→
2016Gen 510182View→
2017GOODGen 54721View→
2018Gen 577111View→
2019Gen 58263View→
2020GOODGen 5438—View→
2021GOODGen 55252View→
2022GOODGen 55451View→
2023GOODGen 541101View→
2024TOO NEWGen 5112—View→
2025TOO NEWGen 6442—View→
2026TOO NEWGen 660—View→

See also: Toyota 4runneraccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.

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Toyota 4runner Years to Avoid (1984–2026) — Reliability, Problems & Best Years to Buy | VinItel