2004 Toyota 4Runner Problems, Recalls & Reliability
923 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Toyota 4Runner, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 137,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Toyota 4Runner sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1994, 2008–2009, 2011–2022.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all 4Runner years
What owners report
“The frame of my Toyota 4-Runner has developed holes making it dangerous to drive.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 4Runner
“Frame rust discovered by state inspection mechanic, vehicle fails for frame members rusted through. May not be repairable.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 4Runner
“The control arms rusted completely off the frame. The whole frame has rust holes!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 4Runner
“Brake calipers keep seizing & need to be replaced. 09/10/2018 07/24/2014 04/17/2013 04/13/2013 06/18/2012”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 4Runner
“Blown head gasket with 130,000 miles. Blown near the number 6 cylinder (like everyone else). Cost $3700 for repairs.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 4Runner
“Transmission failed due to rusted transmission lines. Leads up to finding out that frame is completely rusted out. Unable to fix it due to frame rust. Suspension are of frame rusted as well...barely holding on. Traveling from tn to pa when all this happened.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 4Runner
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 599 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 120,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 75,000 and 156,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags.…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 LEXUS LX570, 2003 THROUGH 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, AND 2006 THROUGH 2010 RAV4 VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR…
Fix: THE REMEDY IS NOW AVAILABLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN EARLY APRIL 2011. THE REMEDY WILL INVOLVE MODIFICATION OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ANY TOYOTA ALL-WEATHER FLOOR…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 11V112000.
Technical service bulletins
235 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2004 Toyota 4Runner. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 4Runner TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Toyota 4Runner reliable?
The 2004 Toyota 4Runner drew 923 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2004 Toyota 4Runner problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Toyota 4Runner are body & structure (310 complaints), other (145), and suspension (113).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota 4Runner problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Toyota 4Runner problems around 120,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 75,000 and 156,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Toyota 4Runner have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Toyota 4Runner. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.