2023 Toyota 4RUNNER problems

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that the driver's side door failed to lock using the key fob or the buttons on the door. The doors had to be manually locked and unlocked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed to be a known issue, and the locks were replaced. Shortly after the vehicle was repaired, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the failure was confirmed; however, the warranty coverage only provided a repair for the driver's side door. The failure had occurred on the passenger door and the rear driver’s side door, and the repairs were not covered under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000. The VIN was not provided.

NHTSA complaint #11762125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES

Purchased size 265/70R17 tires (Michelin Defender LTX M/S2) exhibiting severe highway vibration immediately post-installation. The vibration persisted continuously for two years across every rotation, posing serious handling and steering risks. For two years, local shop staff gaslit the customer, claiming an "out-of-round" tire or casing defect was impossible to avoid warranty obligations. During a visit in front of store management, staff repeated the claim in front of management. The customer then presented real-time technical data from Google on the spot, forcing staff to admit casing defects happen. Despite this, management cleared the driver to leave, assuring the vehicle was safe to operate with an infant inside. To obtain objective proof, an authorized TOYOTA dealership inspected the vehicle. The dealer verified steering, suspension, and alignment were completely sound and documented the root cause in writing: "Found front left tire has casing deformation." When escalated to corporate executives—including Robert Moyer and top management—an internal email chain revealed local shop management and corporate leadership actively placing profit over safety, contradicting logs and technical facts to deny warranty coverage. Confronted with dealer documentation and caught in their deceptive paper trail, the company fully refunded all tire replacement and balancing costs. Internal casing deformation is a critical safety hazard; belt/casing failure at highway speeds creates extreme risk of sudden tread separation or blowout. Dealership diagnostic documentation and the deceitful Executive email chain are available upon request. I also have video of shaking while on the freeway with my infant child in the car moments after Costco management assured me we were safe.

NHTSA complaint #11759490 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

New, strange noise started in Dec'25 (41K miles; 2yrs 9 months). No warning lights. Diagnosed as failed brake accumulator (first at an independent shop, later at the dealer). Apparently the accumulator is part of the full master cylinder assembly which must be replaced. Toyota has quoted $3,200 to complete this repair and is telling me it must be out of pocket.

NHTSA complaint #11739260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

I was driving the vehicle and suddenly the steering wheel started to getting hard to turn it and the dash board doesn’t show any failure I went right away to dealership close by they inspected the vehicle they states there is a power steering failure but the car never showed any failure on dashboard or safety system

NHTSA complaint #11721837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Windshield cracked approximately 2” from the bottom all the way across while using the defroster to clear ice from it. I was still parked at the time. I am unsure how long it will stay water tight or become worse. One concern is the crash avoidance and the automatic high beam sensor are both attached to the windshield and don’t want them to fail. I also don’t want the entire piece of glass to shatter and land in my lap while driving. The dealer refused honoring the repair under warranty. They only use one particular repair shop (which I suspect they own) and even quoted me a price for replacing the ruined glass. In addition to paying for that I would need to pay the dealer to recalibrate the crash avoidance and headlight sensor. I have yet to report the damage to my insurance. As of yet there are no warning lights showing.

NHTSA complaint #11716332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Windshield cracked approximately 2” from the bottom all the way across while using the defroster to clear ice from it. I was still parked at the time. I am unsure how long it will stay water tight or become worse. One concern is the crash avoidance and the automatic high beam sensor are both attached to the windshield and don’t want them to fail. I also don’t want the entire piece of glass to shatter and land in my lap while driving. The dealer refused honoring the repair under warranty. They only use one particular repair shop (which I suspect they own) and even quoted me a price for replacing the ruined glass. In addition to paying for that I would need to pay the dealer to recalibrate the crash avoidance and headlight sensor. I have yet to report the damage to my insurance. As of yet there are no warning lights showing.

NHTSA complaint #11716332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

the rear manual tailgate has opened 3 times while the vehicle was at highway speeds and the doors would be locked. the latest incident happened on 1-30-26, at highway speed (70mph) the tailgate opened completely without warning. the indicator on the dash did light up and an alarm did sound. I had been on the road approximately 10 miles without incident before that. this was the third time this happened, although the first two the door did not completely open, only became unlatched but stayed shut. all three times were mornings that were extremely cold. (below -1 F) each time i made sure there was no ice or snow or other object in the way of securely closing the tailgate. even if there were, the door would not be closed from the onset and the dash warning should have indicated the door was not completely latched.

NHTSA complaint #11714444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Started driving on the freeway when we heard something on the roof of the car and when I opened the moonroof cover from inside the car I could see that the entire moonroof had shattered. All the glass was flying off the car and onto the freeway.

NHTSA complaint #11682974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK

After adjusting the vehicle lock sound level in the settings, it completely disabled my key fobs and the panic function on the key fob. Had to take to dealer to fix. Dealer had never seen the issue before. Been reported online many many times. Dealers and Toyota refuse to acknowledge a known issue.

NHTSA complaint #11680482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES

Component: Tire – Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 P265/70R17 Vehicle: 2023 Toyota 4Runner (approx. 25,000 miles) After a standard tire rotation, I began experiencing severe steering wheel vibration (flutter) at highway speeds (55–65+ mph) and during braking. The issue started immediately after rotation and has not gone away, even after returning the tires to their original positions. The dealer replaced rotors and pads, but the vibration remained. There are no warning lights, and no visible tire damage. This condition has been reproduced by the dealer. Upon researching, I found that Toyota issued Tech Tip T-TT-0602-20 for this exact issue — citing steering vibration caused by Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 tires on 4Runner models. I also found similar complaints from other owners on forums and the NHTSA database. The issue appears to be related to internal tire defects (e.g., belt separation or out-of-round tires) which are not externally visible. This problem affects safety due to potential loss of steering stability at high speeds, and could worsen over time. Tires have not been replaced yet, but I plan to pursue road force balancing and a manufacturer warranty inspection. I'm glad that I was able to find this problem early before it cause tire explosion. Tire Size: P265/70R17 Tire Brand/Model: Dunlop Grandtrek AT20

NHTSA complaint #11668391 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle begins to shake when speed reaches 60 to 70 MPH (issue has been happening since the vehicle left the lot). Shaking can be felt in the steering wheel, gas/brake pedals and front seats. Vehicle has been taken to a Toyota dealership three different times and after three realignments and tire rebalancing, the issue still persists. Several 4Runner owner forums are experiencing the same issue in this make, model and year; and suspect the issue might be stemming from a malfunctioning or broken needle bearing.

NHTSA complaint #11666953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Vehicle begins to shake when speed reaches 60 to 70 MPH (issue has been happening since the vehicle left the lot). Shaking can be felt in the steering wheel, gas/brake pedals and front seats. Vehicle has been taken to a Toyota dealership three different times and after three realignments and tire rebalancing, the issue still persists. Several 4Runner owner forums are experiencing the same issue in this make, model and year; and suspect the issue might be stemming from a malfunctioning or broken needle bearing.

NHTSA complaint #11666953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The Front differential need to be replaced. The dealership where we purchased the vehicle replaced the differential. When we got the vehicle back we still had the same problem. The car was making a groaning sound while turning to the right above 35 mph. And the whole car would shake and my wife said it felt like the car was going to fall apart. The vehicle also needed new sway bar bushings my guess is that is because the shaking caused by the bad differential. A car shaking that bad and the axle loose inside the differential seems like a huge safety issue. Also I found a tsb online for this exact issue. I found that our vehicles vin was part of the tsb. I sent that information to the technician that has been working with us and he was unaware of the tsb. And was upset that he replaced the front differential and was not made aware of the tsb from Toyota. For some reason he couldn’t see it I believe he said it was because the dealership is in the process of changing there computer systems. But from my understanding the tsb is just to put a damper in the differential so you can no longer hear the noise coming from the differential. This in my opinion is not fixing the problem with the differential the axle will still be loose inside the differential causing the vehicle to shake and probably wear out suspension components and tires. We also had 3 different sets of tires installed on our vehicle because of the issue with the differential. When we would take the car to the dealership they said that everything looked good and would tell us that if the car was shaking we should take it back to les Schwab and have them balance the wheels and it never seemed to fix the problem. In my opinion this poses safety issues if the axle fails while driving. Especially in our situation because we live in the mountains where we have many roads that don’t have guardrails and because a lot of the roads were we live are in canyons that fallow rivers and creeks.

NHTSA complaint #11630469 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota 4Runner equipped with Falken Tires, Tire Line: WildPeak, Tire Size: 275/70/R17, DOT: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel and driver's seat began to vibrate violently, prompting the contact to dramatically reduce the speed of the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the four tires. The independent mechanic found an abnormally heavy spot on all four tires, preventing the tires from being properly balanced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened; however, the manufacturer provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 23,000.

NHTSA complaint #11608776 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

We purchased our vehicle new September 2023 from a Toyota dealership. Engine oil dipstick Toyota part 15301-50140 was installed in vehicle and was verified by 50140 stamped on dipstick. I wanted an extra oil dipstick so ordered a replacement through Toyota. The original dipstick part 15301-50140 is no longer available and has been superseded by Toyota part 15301-0P060. I ordered the new dipstick part number and received it from Toyota. It is verified by 0P060 stamped on the dipstick. The safety concern is the two dipsticks are not the same length and each one requires a different quantity of engine oil to reach the Full mark. The new dipstick -0P060 is 1/2 inch shorter than the old, no longer available dipstick -50140. Most importantly the Low and Full marks are also both 1/2 inch higher up or closer to dipstick handle on the new dipstick than the old one. It takes approximately 0.9 quart more of engine oil to reach Full on the new dipstick than on the old one. One of these dipsticks is correct for my vehicle and one is not. The original dipstick is no longer available and the new dipstick is not the same as the original. The difference of 0.9 quart more or less of oil in the engine is significant and important. Too much or too little oil can damage an engine or contribute to a shorter engine life. Both of these dipsticks cannot be correct for our vehicle. I have talked to the Service Managers at two Toyota Dealerships and they do not have an answer for why these dipsticks are different. I have spoken to Parts Department people at two additional Toyota Dealerships, called Toyota Motor North America and no one has any idea why these dipsticks are different or which one I should be using. I also wrote a letter to Toyota Motor NA Headquarters over two months ago and have received no response to date. I have both dipsticks available for inspection. Toyota needs to let owners know if they should replace their old dipsticks or not on these vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11603553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

We purchased our vehicle new September 2023 from a Toyota dealership. Engine oil dipstick Toyota part 15301-50140 was installed in vehicle and was verified by 50140 stamped on dipstick. I wanted an extra oil dipstick so ordered a replacement through Toyota. The original dipstick part 15301-50140 is no longer available and has been superseded by Toyota part 15301-0P060. I ordered the new dipstick part number and received it from Toyota. It is verified by 0P060 stamped on the dipstick. The safety concern is the two dipsticks are not the same length and each one requires a different quantity of engine oil to reach the Full mark. The new dipstick -0P060 is 1/2 inch shorter than the old, no longer available dipstick -50140. Most importantly the Low and Full marks are also both 1/2 inch higher up or closer to dipstick handle on the new dipstick than the old one. It takes approximately 0.9 quart more of engine oil to reach Full on the new dipstick than on the old one. One of these dipsticks is correct for my vehicle and one is not. The original dipstick is no longer available and the new dipstick is not the same as the original. The difference of 0.9 quart more or less of oil in the engine is significant and important. Too much or too little oil can damage an engine or contribute to a shorter engine life. Both of these dipsticks cannot be correct for our vehicle. I have talked to the Service Managers at two Toyota Dealerships and they do not have an answer for why these dipsticks are different. I have spoken to Parts Department people at two additional Toyota Dealerships, called Toyota Motor North America and no one has any idea why these dipsticks are different or which one I should be using. I also wrote a letter to Toyota Motor NA Headquarters over two months ago and have received no response to date. I have both dipsticks available for inspection. Toyota needs to let owners know if they should replace their old dipsticks or not on these vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11603553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was driving down the highway when suddenly I heard a loud noise that resembled a gunshot, and shattered glass started flying all around the front of my vehicle. It turned out my sunroof had unexpectedly exploded. It was like the car was under pressure and it was relieved through the sunroof. I had my air conditioner on and my windows up. My sunroof cover was open and broke glass managed to be scattered everywhere. This resulted in glass fragments coming into contact with my face and arms, leading to a painful burning feeling on my skin. Luckily, a Toyota dealership was 2 miles away. I immediately drove to the dealership so my vehicle could be repaired. The replacement part was not available for my vehicle so I had to stay in a hotel until my vehicle could be repaired. This incident caused me a great deal of anxiety and I don’t know if I can trust this will not happened again.

NHTSA complaint #11589400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

I was driving down the highway when suddenly I heard a loud noise that resembled a gunshot, and shattered glass started flying all around the front of my vehicle. It turned out my sunroof had unexpectedly exploded. It was like the car was under pressure and it was relieved through the sunroof. I had my air conditioner on and my windows up. My sunroof cover was open and broke glass managed to be scattered everywhere. This resulted in glass fragments coming into contact with my face and arms, leading to a painful burning feeling on my skin. Luckily, a Toyota dealership was 2 miles away. I immediately drove to the dealership so my vehicle could be repaired. The replacement part was not available for my vehicle so I had to stay in a hotel until my vehicle could be repaired. This incident caused me a great deal of anxiety and I don’t know if I can trust this will not happened again.

NHTSA complaint #11589400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

I was driving down the highway when suddenly I heard a loud noise that resembled a gunshot, and shattered glass started flying all around the front of my vehicle. It turned out my sunroof had unexpectedly exploded. It was like the car was under pressure and it was relieved through the sunroof. I had my air conditioner on and my windows up. My sunroof cover was open and broke glass managed to be scattered everywhere. This resulted in glass fragments coming into contact with my face and arms, leading to a painful burning feeling on my skin. Luckily, a Toyota dealership was 2 miles away. I immediately drove to the dealership so my vehicle could be repaired. The replacement part was not available for my vehicle so I had to stay in a hotel until my vehicle could be repaired. This incident caused me a great deal of anxiety and I don’t know if I can trust this will not happened again.

NHTSA complaint #11589400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.