2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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4/5

★★★★

Safety Rating

51

Owner Complaints

5 Crashes 2 Fires

1

Recall

ACTIVE RECALL

11

Service Bulletins

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

The 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has received a total of 51 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS. 11 technical service bulletins have been issued by Toyota Motor Corporation for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Steering (11 complaints), Suspension (10 complaints), and Service Brakes (5 complaints).

Recalls for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, potentially affecting up to 280 vehicles.

Recall 22V480000 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

| 280 vehicles affected

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."

Consequence: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

View full details →

Owner Complaints for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

51 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Most Recent Complaints

#11712755 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | | N/A miles
My backup camera does not work consistently. It will sometimes come on and show objects behind me; other times it is a black screen. I have read where Toyota models from 2022 to newer, but not including the 4 Runner, are having major issues with the back up camera and are under recall. I believe this recall should include the Toyota 4 Runner, as mine seems to be having issues which affect my safety and others. I called the nearest Toyota dealership to verify if my car was under recall and they said no. I have not taken the vehicle to be inspected by the dealership. This issue started about 6 -8 months ago. No lights or warning messages appear on the dashboard. I thought maybe my camera was dirty, but wash the car and it still is inconsistently working. It fails more than it works.
#11707218 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | | N/A miles Crash
Rear backup camera has been failing or intermittently working, it is available for insp[ection upon request. This has created a situation upon reversing in driveway where I expect it to be on and dont see a vehicle or trailer behind me. I have hit a parked car because I was expecting it to work as I check rearview mirrors. This is now a habit and I did not realize it wasn't working at the time until i collided with the vehicle. The dealership will not confirm it or inspect it unless payment is rendered. No one has inspected it except for Virginia. Which I am unsure that is even something they inspect. They may have just inspected other things that allow for use on highway. No lamps or other warnings when it began in april 2023. I have not tried to get it fixed as this is a new vehicle and I wasn't willing to pay the dealer to diagnose and most likely decline my warranty coverage.
#11704362 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | | N/A miles
Vehicle was diagnosed from a mechanic with no fuel pressure due to not starting. Vehicle has approximately 135,000 miles and had no warnings or indications of problem. It appears when VIN was ran on gov. recall that Honda had issues with fuel pump. Vehicle will be inspected by Toyota dealer.
#11702645 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | N/A miles
Several door lock actuators have prematurely failed. The first to do so was front passenger door in summer 2024; front driver door lock failed a few months after. Most recently, approximately 4 months ago, the lock actuator for liftgate failed. This poses safety hazard in easily exiting vehicle and/or entering it if in dangerous situation. I have been communicating with local Toyota dealership for months about repairing these defective items, They have acknowledged awareness of an issue with the actuators, but have offered no help. I have read there is a class action lawsuit pending about this issue. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
#11674658 | AIR BAGS | | N/A miles
Saturday morning July 12th after starting my vehicle, a warning was presented “SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION”. I immediately took it to the dealership where they ran diagnostics. The service advisor admitted he nor his mechanic had ever seen anything like that before. They were unable to detect the issue that day. We planned to return the vehicle Thursday July 17. I dropped it off at 10am and never heard from the dealership again that day. Friday, July 18th I contacted the service advisor around 10 am to get an update in which he said they were looking into it. Friday afternoon, I received a call from the service advisor letting me know that the front passenger Occupant ECU had malfunctioned, costing approximately $1000. After researching this, I learned that Toyota has issued many recalls on this issue with other models. I called Toyota headquarters to see how they would rectify this but ended the conversation with no solution other than it is the consumer’s liability. This is a safety issue that should fall back on the manufacturer, especially given the history of recalls issued on this specific defect.

View all Steering complaints →

Safety Rating for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

The 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Test Category Rating
Overall Rating ★★★★ (4/5)
Frontal Crash ★★★★ (4/5)
Side Crash ★★★★★ (5/5)
Rollover ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

Toyota Motor Corporation has issued 11 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

TSB002620 — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TSB: All 2020 ? 2023 model year 4Runner, 2018 ? 2022 model year Sequoia, 2018 ? 2023 model year Tacoma, and 2018 ? 2021 model year Tundra vehicles are equipped with Pre-collision System (PCS) and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) as part of the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) package. The...

TSB008521Rev2 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

OBSOLETE NOTICE May 25, 2022: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-22

T-SB-0085-21 Rev — AIR BAGS

TSB: Some 2020 ? 2021 model year 4Runner vehicles may exhibit a squeal/squeak noise from the front brakes with light to moderate braking. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition.

T-SB-0085-21 Rev — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TSB: Some 2020 ? 2021 model year 4Runner vehicles may exhibit a squeal/squeak noise from the front brakes with light to moderate braking. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition.

T-SB-0085-21 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TSB: Some 2020 ? 2021 model year 4Runner vehicles may exhibit a squeal/squeak noise from the front brakes with light to moderate braking. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition.

T-SB-0035-21 — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

TSB: 2022 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger side and rear seat floor mats. During Pre-Delivery Service (PDS), follow the appropriate Installation Procedure to attach...

T-SB-0077-20 — EQUIPMENT

TSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: ?Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. ?Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). ?Interior cleanliness. ?Proper function...

T-SB-0077-20 — STRUCTURE

TSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: ?Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. ?Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). ?Interior cleanliness. ?Proper function...

T-SB-0077-20 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: ?Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. ?Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). ?Interior cleanliness. ?Proper function...

T-SB-0028-20 Rev — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

TSB: All 2021 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger side and rear seat floor mats. During Pre-Delivery Service (PDS), follow the appropriate Installation Procedure to...

Showing 10 of 11 technical service bulletins.

NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

Other Model Years of the TOYOTA 4RUNNER

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Other TOYOTA Models

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