2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
40
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
6
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
The 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has received a total of 40 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. 6 technical service bulletins have been issued by Toyota Motor Corporation for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Unknown Or Other (12 complaints), Exterior Lighting (3 complaints), and Tires (3 complaints).
Recalls for the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, potentially affecting up to 13 vehicles.
Recall 23V680000 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
| 13 vehicles affected
Defect: 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."
Consequence: An overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
40 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention Rearview System Braking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
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 the crash avoidance and headlight sensor. I have yet to report the damage to my insurance. As of yet there are no warning lights showing.
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 the crash avoidance and headlight sensor. I have yet to report the damage to my insurance. As of yet there are no warning lights showing.
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 extinguished by the fire department. The origin of the fire was unknown. A police report was filed. It was unknown whether the air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a total loss. The contact sustained neck and back pain, bruises and headaches. The contact stated that the headaches could be due to an impact on the brain cyst in the back of the contact's head. The contact's son sustained neck pain, back pain and bruises. The contact's brother and father sustained unknown injuries. All the passengers went to the hospital the following day and were still receiving medical assistance. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
the rear manual tailgate has opened 3 times while the vehicle was at highway speeds and the doors would be locked. the latest incident happened on 1-30-26, at highway speed (70mph) the tailgate opened completely without warning. the indicator on the dash did light up and an alarm did sound. I had been on the road approximately 10 miles without incident before that. this was the third time this happened, although the first two the door did not completely open, only became unlatched but stayed shut. all three times were mornings that were extremely cold. (below -1 F) each time i made sure there was no ice or snow or other object in the way of securely closing the tailgate. even if there were, the door would not be closed from the onset and the dash warning should have indicated the door was not completely latched.
Started driving on the freeway when we heard something on the roof of the car and when I opened the moonroof cover from inside the car I could see that the entire moonroof had shattered. All the glass was flying off the car and onto the freeway.
Safety Rating for the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
The 2023 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 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
Toyota Motor Corporation has issued 6 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
T-TT-0788-25 Rev1 — SERVICE BRAKES
Customers state Parking Brake efficiency concerns. The conditions can include the following: • The Parking Brake Pedal feels loose or requires full depression for proper engagement. • When not fully depressed, effectiveness on steep surfaces may be reduced, allowing the vehicle to roll with transmission in Neutral. • When not...
T-SB-0075-23 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TSB: Some 2021 ? 2024 model year 4Runner vehicles may exhibit a cyclic growl/groan noise from the front of the vehicle while driving in 2WD at around 30 ? 50 mph (48 ? 80 kph). The noise subsides when the vehicle is put into 4WD. This condition may be more...
T-SB-0066-22 — 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-0066-22 — 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-0066-22 — 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-0036-22 — EQUIPMENT
TSB: Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to keep vehicles factory fresh and ready for delivery. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extended vehicle storage conditions. Long-term storage can affect a vehicle?s systems and components. Any problems that are found should be...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the TOYOTA 4RUNNER
- 2018 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 74 complaints
- 2019 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 81 complaints
- 2020 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 41 complaints
- 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 51 complaints
- 2022 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 52 complaints
- 2023 TOYOTA 4RUNNER (current)
- 2024 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 11 complaints
- 2025 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 39 complaints
- 2026 TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 2 complaints
Other TOYOTA Models
- TOYOTA CAMRY — 23,209 total complaints
- TOYOTA PRIUS — 15,411 total complaints
- TOYOTA COROLLA — 14,342 total complaints
- TOYOTA RAV4 — 11,737 total complaints
- TOYOTA SIENNA — 10,769 total complaints
- TOYOTA TACOMA — 10,512 total complaints
- TOYOTA TUNDRA — 8,997 total complaints
- TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 6,663 total complaints