Toyota 4Runner 2003–2009

4th generation · N210 · 3,009 complaints, 2,123 with mileage

When failures happen

What fails, and when

By model year

Which systems, and when

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 115,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

Body structure accounts for 32.5% of complaints (979 reports, 651 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 131,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 95,000 and 165,000 miles.

A single system taking 32.5% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.

Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 12.9% of complaints (387 reports, 230 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 139,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 104,000 and 165,000 miles.

The suspension accounts for 12.8% of complaints (384 reports, 246 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 134,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 95,000 and 172,934 miles.

The brakes account for 5.4% of complaints (163 reports, 129 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 117,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 86,000 and 160,000 miles.

The transmission and driveline accounts for 5.1% of complaints (152 reports, 129 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 59,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 16,000 and 108,000 miles.

Throttle and speed control accounts for 4.5% of complaints (136 reports, 115 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 53,500 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 23,377 and 90,000 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2004 model year drew the most — 847 complaints — while 2009 drew the fewest at 33. The median year sits at 520.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 7 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

The campaigns cluster around seats (3), equipment (2), the airbag system (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Reported severity

Of the 3,009 complaints filed against this generation, 146 reported a crash; 19 reported a fire; 105 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 4.9% of the total.

These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.

What this means if you are buying one

For a buyer, a late-failure pattern shifts the question from whether to when. 58% of reported failures occur beyond 100,000 miles, so an example approaching that figure is approaching the range where other owners started reporting problems. The middle half of all failures falls between 66,000 and 155,000 miles.

On inspection, body structure and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Body structure in particular shows a median failure mileage of 131,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Documented problems

Recalls (7)

What owners reported

Other generations

• Toyota 4Runner 1996–2002
• Toyota 4Runner 2010–2024
• Toyota 4Runner 2025–2025