Toyota 4Runner Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Toyota 4Runner model year from 1990 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 7,673 federal complaints, 46 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 1997, 1999–2000, 2003–2006. These years top the 4Runner's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1990–1994, 2008–2009, 2011–2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the 4Runner's own worst year — full methodology.
Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Toyota 4Runner.
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Body & structure tops the Toyota 4Runner file with 1,819 complaints, concentrated in the 2000, 2003–2005 model years, most often reported around 139,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Few reports | 12 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 2025 | Too early to call | 64 | 1 | Brakes & stability | 7 |
| 2024 | Few reports | 11 | 1 | — | 2 |
| 2023 | Typical | 42 | 1 | Other | 7 |
| 2022 | Better year | 55 | 3 | Driver assistance | 8 |
| 2021 | Better year | 54 | 1 | Steering | 7 |
| 2020 | Better year | 43 | 1 | Other | 7 |
| 2019 | Better year | 87 | 4 | Fuel system | 11 |
| 2018 | Better year | 78 | 5 | Steering | 10 |
| 2017 | Better year | 48 | 5 | Other | 7 |
| 2016 | Better year | 105 | 8 | Electrical | 15 |
| 2015 | Better year | 116 | 9 | Other | 18 |
| 2014 | Better year | 91 | 7 | Electrical | 11 |
| 2013 | Better year | 48 | 6 | Airbags | 6 |
| 2012 | Better year | 112 | 8 | Airbags | 14 |
| 2011 | Better year | 182 | 10 | Airbags | 19 |
| 2010 | Typical | 175 | 12 | Airbags | 21 |
| 2009 | Better year | 33 | 6 | Transmission & drivetrain | 5 |
| 2008 | Better year | 134 | 5 | Transmission & drivetrain | 18 |
| 2007 | Typical | 204 | 5 | Body & structure | 23 |
| 2006 | Avoid | 520 | 5 | Body & structure | 66 |
| 2005 | Avoid | 573 | 5 | Body & structure | 63 |
| 2004 | Avoid | 923 | 2 | Body & structure | 100 |
| 2003 | Avoid | 906 | 3 | Body & structure | 94 |
| 2002 | Below average | 306 | 3 | Body & structure | 40 |
| 2001 | Typical | 240 | 3 | Body & structure | 28 |
| 2000 | Avoid | 638 | 2 | Body & structure | 79 |
| 1999 | Avoid | 446 | 2 | Body & structure | 59 |
| 1998 | Below average | 303 | 4 | Body & structure | 40 |
| 1997 | Avoid | 363 | 4 | Suspension | 59 |
| 1996 | Typical | 203 | 5 | Body & structure | 28 |
| 1995 | Typical | 201 | 4 | Engine | 25 |
| 1994 | Better year | 76 | 4 | Engine | 16 |
| 1993 | Better year | 58 | 3 | Engine | 9 |
| 1992 | Better year | 73 | 3 | Brakes & stability | 14 |
| 1991 | Better year | 55 | 2 | Engine | 6 |
| 1990 | Better year | 95 | 2 | Engine | 15 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 5,768 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Toyota 4Runner. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Toyota 4Runner TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Toyota 4Runner years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 1997, 1999–2000, 2003–2006 as the Toyota 4Runner years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Toyota 4Runner problem?
Body & structure tops the Toyota 4Runner file with 1,819 complaints, concentrated in the 2000, 2003–2005 model years, most often reported around 139,000 miles.
What are the best Toyota 4Runner years to buy used?
The quietest Toyota 4Runner years in federal records are 1990–1994, 2008–2009, 2011–2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Toyota 4Runner only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.