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Toyota 4Runner Problems by Year

Which Toyota 4Runner years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

Toyota 4Runner, 2012 to 2024 model years
Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0

Owners have filed 689 complaints with NHTSA about the Toyota 4Runner from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the air bags, the electrical system and the brakes and stability control. The years with the most complaints are 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Years to avoid

The most complaints compared with other 4Runner years.

Safer bets

Clearly fewer complaints than a typical 4Runner year. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate.

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Complaints by year

Tap a year to see its most reported problems, its recalls and what to check before you buy. Newer years have had less time on the road, so they always look better here. Red marks the worst years, orange years worse than most, and green the better ones.

Every year at a glance

YearVs. other yearsComplaintsRecallsMost reported
2012 4RunnerAmong the worst years968Air bags
2013 4RunnerOne of the better years366Air bags
2014 4RunnerAbout average777Electrical system
2015 4RunnerWorse than most years879Air bags
2016 4RunnerAbout average818Electrical system
2017 4RunnerOne of the better years365Brakes and stability control
2018 4RunnerAbout average605Steering
2019 4RunnerAbout average654Fuel system
2020 4RunnerOne of the better years331Brakes and stability control
2021 4RunnerOne of the better years361Steering
2022 4RunnerToo new to judge393Driver assist systems
2023 4RunnerToo new to judge331Driver assist systems
2024 4RunnerToo new to judge101Body, doors and structure

Toyota 4Runner questions

What are the worst Toyota 4Runner years?

Compared with its other years, the 4Runner years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2012. The most reported problem area across all years is the air bags.

What are the best Toyota 4Runner years?

The 4Runner years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2013, 2017 and 2020. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.

What are the most common Toyota 4Runner problems?

Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the air bags, the electrical system and the brakes and stability control most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.

How many recalls does the Toyota 4Runner have?

NHTSA lists 59 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 4Runner, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.