Toyota 4Runner 2010–2024

5th generation · N280 · 1,246 complaints, 541 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 28,700 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

The airbag system accounts for 28.1% of complaints (350 reports, 68 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 56,750 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 20,000 and 75,000 miles.

A single system taking 28.1% 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 10.8% of complaints (134 reports, 55 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 32,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,200 and 58,000 miles.

The electrical system accounts for 8.0% of complaints (100 reports, 64 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 36,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,000 and 61,000 miles.

The steering accounts for 6.4% of complaints (80 reports, 36 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 22,906 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 350 and 40,000 miles.

The brakes account for 6.2% of complaints (77 reports, 47 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 21,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,800 and 45,000 miles.

The suspension accounts for 5.4% of complaints (67 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 38,977 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 6,000 and 53,000 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2011 model year drew the most — 182 complaints — while 2023 drew the fewest at 42. The median year sits at 82.

That makes 2011 an outlier: roughly 2.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 33 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 equipment (16), the airbag system (6), seats (3). 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 1,246 complaints filed against this generation, 104 reported a crash; 16 reported a fire; 95 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 8.3% 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, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 31% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.

On inspection, the airbag system and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 32,000, 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 (33)

What owners reported

Other generations

• Toyota 4Runner 1996–2002
• Toyota 4Runner 2003–2009
• Toyota 4Runner 2025–2025