Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 32 safety complaints
about the 2023 Toyota 4Runner with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering equipment.
The most complained-about system is the tires,
named in 4 complaints, 13% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 9,500 miles,
the median across the 6
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers February 2023 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
32 complaints on file
32
Complaints
6
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
5
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 12 · 38%
12 38%
TIRES 4 · 13%
4 13%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 · 9%
3 9%
AIR BAGS 2 · 6%
2 6%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 · 6%
2 6%
ENGINE 2 · 6%
2 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 · 6%
2 6%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 · 6%
2 6%
POWER TRAIN 2 · 6%
2 6%
SEAT BELTS 2 · 6%
2 6%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 6%
2 6%
STEERING 2 · 6%
2 6%
0815
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 32.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2023 at 11.
12 9 6 3
232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2023 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2023 Toyota 4RUNNER, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
SUV 2WD
SUV AWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
24.6%
24.6%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota 4Runner vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification label states the incorrect load carrying capacity, which can result in an overloaded vehicle. 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 overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC will mail a new modified label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 1, 2023. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET23A.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 13 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
SEAT BELTS
4 injured · fire · crash · towed · 10,000 miles
The contact owned a 2023 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while her father was driving under 30 MPH on a side road, the driver swerved to miss a deer. The vehicle drove off a hill, rolled over and landed on its top, and all the seat belts simultaneously unbuckled, causing all the passengers to hit their heads against the roof simultaneously. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal fuel odor. The contact stated that she was unable to exit the vehicle. The contact's brother assisted the contact in exiting the vehicle, and all passengers were able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle then caught on fire. The fire department arrived at the scene, but it was unknown whether the fire was …
NHTSA complaint 11715551, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
1 injured · crash · towed · 9,000 miles
The contact owned a 2023 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while the husband was driving approximately 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the pedal became stiff and did not slow down as intended. As a result, the contact collided with two vehicles. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained shoulder, back, and forearm injuries. Medical attention was needed. The contact stated that the two other vehicles involved needed medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a wrecking lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
NHTSA complaint 11551453. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
crash · towed
November 2023, my 13 year old daughter and I were involved in a car accident. A vehicle made a left hand turn in front of us and we collided (t-boned) the passenger side of the other vehicle. There were no warning lights, notifications of car crossing in in front of us, the assisted brake system did not activate, the air bags did not deploy, the on car assistance showed no accident reported. Other than the seat belts in the vehicle, no other safety features engaged. We have not been able to locate anyone who can confirm why no of the safety features did not work. Why did none of the safety features work and who can I contact. We no longer feel safe in this vehicle .
NHTSA complaint 11565631. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
crash · towed
We had made collision accident with a brand new 4runner as it appears in the uploaded pictures, the airbags didn’t deploy and never show any notification on the dashboard that there is a problem in the airbag system,after the accident a notification came to the screen that the airbag system malfunctioned and i have to visit dealer And now the insurance company wants to fix that car and give it bag to me however i don’t feel safe anymore to drive that car again.
NHTSA complaint 11626731. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
77,000 miles
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11762125, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11759490, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11716332, 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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed October 12, 2023.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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