Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
31
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2020 Toyota 4Runner have filed 31
safety complaints with NHTSA
between March 2020 and March 2026.
The most complained-about system is the air bags,
named in 5 of them
(16%). The typical failure was reported at 9,000 miles, the median
across the 15 complaints that gave an
odometer reading.
NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this
vehicle.
Recalls (1)
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
22V480000 · July 6, 2022
The defect
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2020-2022 4Runner vehicles equipped with 20-inch Black Gunner Wheels. The load carrying capacity modification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The risk
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
SET will mail replacement labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 4, 2022. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET22A.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 280 vehicles across all model years covered
What owners report
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add
up to more than 31.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 26%
AIR BAGS 5 16%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 16%
STEERING 4 13%
SUSPENSION 4 13%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 10%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 10%
STRUCTURE 2 6%
WHEELS 2 6%
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness 1 3%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 3%
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2020 at 10.
2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year
In owners' own words
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed · 4,000 miles
THE 4RUNNER STRUCK A VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT. THE 4RUNNER WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR AND STRUCK THE OTHER VEHICLE, A NISSAN ALTIMA SIDE ON WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO PROPEL THAT VEHICLE TWO LANES INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY ON THE 4RUNNER BUT DID DEPLOY ON THE ALTIMA. THE ROADS WERE DRIVE AND VISIBILITY WAS CLEAR. INJURIES TO THE 4RUNNER DRIVER INCLUDED: HEAD FROM CONTACT WITH GRAB BAR ABOVE DRIVERS DOOR, NECK, BACK, WRISTS, FINGERS AND ARMS. ALTIMA DRIVER HAD TO BE REMOVED BY PARAMEDICS AND RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL. INVESTIGATION OF THE VEHICLE COMPUTER SHOWED THE VEHICLE WAS UNKNOWINGLY SOLD TO ME WITH ERRORS IN THE MULTI-TERRAIN, ESC AND PRE-COLLISION …
NHTSA complaint 11318897, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed · 13,000 miles
The contact owned a 2020 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while the driver who was her father crashed into another vehicle, the air bags failed to deploy. In addition, the contact stated that the braking alert for getting too close to a vehicle failed to illuminate. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the driver sustained two injuries and the contact sustained two injuries. Medical attention was sought. The contact was unaware of the other passengers from the other vehicle sustained any injuries. The vehicle was damaged and towed to a tow lot. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
NHTSA complaint 11440934, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
crash · towed · 9,000 miles
I WAS IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY
NHTSA complaint 11378306. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
crash · 19,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, WHEN SHE SLID OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO HER RESIDENCE. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES OR SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,000.
NHTSA complaint 11396684. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
BACK OVER PREVENTION
108,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and reversing, the rearview camera intermittently displayed a blank image. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
NHTSA complaint 11728004. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
BACK OVER PREVENTION
50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while reversing, he became aware that the rear-view camera failed to display an image. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 50,000.
NHTSA complaint 11590241. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
88,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the front timing cover and found that the part was leaking fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.
NHTSA complaint 11587722. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SUSPENSION
I am writing to express my deep concern and frustration regarding the X-REAS suspension system in the Limited Edition 4Runner manufactured by Toyota. Specifically, I am addressing the alarming issue of suspension failure experienced in vehicles at just 45,000 miles, posing significant safety risks to drivers and passengers alike. The X-REAS suspension failure in the Limited Edition 4Runner is not merely an inconvenience; it is a serious safety hazard that puts lives at risk. The abrupt failure of the suspension system at relatively low mileage creates an unpredictable driving experience, jeopardizing the stability and control of the vehicle. This instability can lead to loss of control, …
NHTSA complaint 11580983, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Similar to NUMEROUS newer ('12+) vehicles, the instrument cluster gauge needles light up even when the headlights are not on. Therefore when driving the vehicle, the driver isn't aware that the headlights are NOT ON at night (and there are no DRL/daytime running lights to warn oncoming drivers), which means that the vehicle is driving at night WITHOUT any lights on. People are going to be killed this way; both the driver and innocent motorists driving near this vehicle. I nearly got in a head-on collision last night because the vehicle headlights weren't on after sundown (but I listed crash, fire, fatalities to get your attention, as I submitted this same issue about 8years ago for a …
NHTSA complaint 11553184, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
WHEELS
Took the vehicle in 3/19/2021 @ 6076 Mileage for a steering wheel shake, the dealer has tried numerous times to fix it by trying to balance the tire and rotate the tires, it only masks the problem and the steering wheel shake comes back. The shake can happen at any MPH. I finally took it to another shop called discount tire and dynamic 4x4 alignment. Discount tire said there was coupling in the stock tires Nitto Grappler, so I replaced the tires with Michelin Defenders this only masked the problem. On 9/25/2023 a local Toyota Technician and I took a ride together to see if he could duplicate the problem. At 67 and 68 we were able to duplicate the problem when the steering wheel shook the …
NHTSA complaint 11546416, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon
law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back.
What each state asks for
, read from the statutes.
Where these numbers come from
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file
, published August 20, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API
, most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file
, published 2026-08-19.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst