FaultScore

Worst years for a Toyota 4 Runner

Owners have filed 1,234 complaints about the Toyota 4 Runner with NHTSA across model years 1994 to 2005. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

1997 Toyota 4 Runner

163 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly suspension.

Cleanest on record

2005 Toyota 4 Runner

20 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Toyota 4 Runner year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2005 A 20 0 0 1,250 Engine & Cooling
2004 C 76 6 0 969 Engine & Cooling
2003 D 188 1 0 700 Engine & Cooling
2002 D 45 12 1 19,800 Suspension
2001 C 34 4 0 48,000 Engine & Cooling
2000 D 118 26 0 47,150 Brakes
1999 D 134 22 4 72,505 Tires
1998 D 135 17 3 60,000 Tires
1997 D 163 30 0 86,000 Suspension
1996 D 111 14 0 113,413 Engine & Cooling
1995 C 149 12 0 104,000 Engine & Cooling
1994 C 61 9 1 110,334 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a Toyota 4 Runner

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 290 23.5%

Worst in 1995

Brakes 144 11.7%

Worst in 1997

Tires 139 11.3%

Worst in 1998

Suspension 100 8.1%

Worst in 1997

Worst in 2003

Airbags 50 4.1%

Worst in 1999

Worst in 1999

Worst in 1995

Worst in 2003

Steering 38 3.1%

Worst in 1998

Worst in 1997

Seats 36 2.9%

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2003

Seat Belts 27 2.2%

Worst in 1998

Exactly what failed on a Toyota 4 Runner

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Engine 108 24.6%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 61 13.9%
Gasoline 46 10.5%
Exhaust System 41 9.3%
Tread/Belt 39 8.9%
Frontal 34 7.7%
Catalytic Convertor 33 7.5%
Automatic Transmission 27 6.2%
Rotor 25 5.7%
Rear 25 5.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Toyota 4 Runner, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 40 Oct 2006

Toyota 4 Runner problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Toyota 4 Runner

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.