2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Recalls, Complaints & Safety

Today while I was driving home from work, in a snow storm, suddenly a low braking power notification and ABS malfunction popped up on my console with loud beeping and my brakes completely stopped working. In order to avoid hitting the car in front of me I had to swerve to the shoulder and come to a stop.

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.

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.

Crash

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.

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)

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.

My brakes and rotors are requiring replacement after less than 10,000. I purchased my vehicle used with less than 15,000 miles. My brakes and rotors have been replaced three times in the last 45,000 miles. The dealership denies any malfunction or error with the breaking system. I have seen multiple complaints online from other 4Runner owners with the same issues. My vehicle has less than 60,000 miles and I commute 5 miles a day to work on surface streets. I do not take it off Roading. I do not tow. I drive 5 miles to work and 5 miles home. I have been driving for over 30 years and have never had to replace brakes and rotors every nine months. Right after we purchased the vehicle, we brought it in saying the brakes did not feel right. My husband thought they needed to be adjusted. We were told the brakes are hydraulic brakes and do not require adjustment. But the brakes have felt off since we first got them. Toyota service insist that they have inspected the vehicle fully and have found no issues.

As the vehicle was traveling on a highway at 35 mph the vehicle shut off electronically three times and powered itself back on after 15 seconds or so of continuous cruising on the highway. Unable to accelerate or control the vehicle while the electronic component shut off in the vehicle. Three days later, a series of warning lights and check engine lights turned on, which has occurred 6 other times, and has been brought to local Toyota dealer multiple times (over six times) and no fix has been conducted to repair the vehicle other than resetting the vehicles ECU. When all of the warning lights turn on, the vehicle loses 2nd gear and juts itself forward and becomes extremely difficult to control to the point where I have almost gotten into life threatening accidents over 4 times. Toyota has acknowledged that they do not know what is wrong with the vehicle and is unsure how to fix it. This is a safety concern that is not getting enough attention and needs to be rectified before someone or myself ends up killing ourselves

TRD PRO MODEL Clunk at low speeds. FOX shocks on TRD PRO make clunking sound at low speeds. Toyota replaced 3 shocks under warranty. The 3rd one they charged me labor but covered the shock. Car has highway miles and very little time spent off road as I live in NY. As of today clunking is back in full force. Seems to be an ongoing problem if you google clunking fox shocks Toyota TRD 4Runner.

While pulling this vehicle in to my garage about halfway in the brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle hit a bench on the opposite side of the entrance. After pumping the brakes after waiting about 10 minutes they seemed to work normally. I backed the vehicle out of the garage and saw NO fluid under the vehicle. The next morning the vehicle was towed the the dealer collision shop and then taken to the service department at the dealer. This problem; ,after almost 2 months was never solved....corporate offices checked the data recorder...no conclusions.....and implied this problem did not occur. The body is now being repaired yet no brake problem has been ever repaired. ( under warranty....31,967 miles ). I understand a similar problem occured in New Jersey although on the road and the driver had to be removed through the sunroof and the vehicle was totaled.

Crash

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota 4Runner. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E051000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.

I have a Toyota 4runner 2021. I'm actually presenting steering wheel shake and a feeling of unstable suspension issues in the front end during highway speeds more than 60 MPH. I when to the dealership and they align and balance the tires. But problem still happens. They said that not problem has been found when they verified the vehicle but they noticed the issue.

I purchased the vehicle from a Dealer. During a test drive I noticed a shake in the steering wheel that represented a wheel balance issue. The dealership acknowledged that, according to their techs that it was a wheel issue. A new set of tires was ordered mounted and balanced. I have been dealing with the issue of sometimes excessive steering wheel shake and a feeling of unstable suspension issues in the front end during highway speeds of 60-70 MPH. In researching this model of Toyota it appears this is a well documented problem that has not been addressed by Toyota.

was going to work on rt 80 east had cruise control on and was getting off exit 45 in new jersey to get bus into manhattan at approx 430 amwhile getting off highway stepped on brakes pedal went to floor tried pumping nothing happened nor did criuise control disengage or collision warning come on a total collapse of system had this car for approx 1 month purchased used at paramus mercedes benz took this vehicle to my mechanic for a full inpection everything was good vehicle had approx 22000 miles on it at purchase lost all control and crashed going off roadway and sliding down bridge abuttment car is a total loss rushed to hospital car was hauled off abutment by wrecker company police fire and ambulance showed up had to break sunroof to get me out no one could belive i survived this happened yesterday feb 3 2023 called toyota corporate and they issued me a claim number as well as my insurance comp looking on line this problem seemed to happen to quite a few people can you please address this issue before more people get injured or worse its only by the grace of god that i am writing this to you this vehicle is now in storage at powder mill collision thankyou

Crash 1 injured

was going to work on rt 80 east had cruise control on and was getting off exit 45 in new jersey to get bus into manhattan at approx 430 amwhile getting off highway stepped on brakes pedal went to floor tried pumping nothing happened nor did criuise control disengage or collision warning come on a total collapse of system had this car for approx 1 month purchased used at paramus mercedes benz took this vehicle to my mechanic for a full inpection everything was good vehicle had approx 22000 miles on it at purchase lost all control and crashed going off roadway and sliding down bridge abuttment car is a total loss rushed to hospital car was hauled off abutment by wrecker company police fire and ambulance showed up had to break sunroof to get me out no one could belive i survived this happened yesterday feb 3 2023 called toyota corporate and they issued me a claim number as well as my insurance comp looking on line this problem seemed to happen to quite a few people can you please address this issue before more people get injured or worse its only by the grace of god that i am writing this to you this vehicle is now in storage at powder mill collision thankyou

Crash 1 injured

was going to work on rt 80 east had cruise control on and was getting off exit 45 in new jersey to get bus into manhattan at approx 430 amwhile getting off highway stepped on brakes pedal went to floor tried pumping nothing happened nor did criuise control disengage or collision warning come on a total collapse of system had this car for approx 1 month purchased used at paramus mercedes benz took this vehicle to my mechanic for a full inpection everything was good vehicle had approx 22000 miles on it at purchase lost all control and crashed going off roadway and sliding down bridge abuttment car is a total loss rushed to hospital car was hauled off abutment by wrecker company police fire and ambulance showed up had to break sunroof to get me out no one could belive i survived this happened yesterday feb 3 2023 called toyota corporate and they issued me a claim number as well as my insurance comp looking on line this problem seemed to happen to quite a few people can you please address this issue before more people get injured or worse its only by the grace of god that i am writing this to you this vehicle is now in storage at powder mill collision thankyou

Crash 1 injured

At speeds above 45 miles and hour, the steering wheel begins to nibble / shake which creates an unsafe driving situation. Vehicle has had alignment performed, and new tires balanced which still has not resolved issue.

Yokohama 245/60r20 Geolander G96 that came with my brand new 2021 Toyota 4Runner Limited I purchased in December 2020. Over the last several weeks every 7 to 10 days I have needed to put air in all 4 tires. Then I was driving on a smooth paved street arriving at work my low pressure warning light came on. I got out and had a flat tire. I found the inner sidewall failed at only 28,000 miles. I didn’t hit anything on the road, or hit a curb etc. just normal driving on paved roads. Putting on the spare I took my 4Runner to the Toyota dealership a few miles away. The service technician at our local Toyota dealer today stated they, “are seeing this issue as a common problem with this particular tire on Toyota 4Runners in our Colorado Cold climate, is causing the rubber to become excessively brittle. Even with normal use, the smallest stones/sand used in our highway plows/sanding trucks cause catastrophic premature tire failure. They may be fine for use in California warm clients but not here in Colorado.” This explains why recently every 7 to 10 days I have needed to put additional air in all 4 tires. The rubber is prematurely becoming brittle/rot in cold weather thus not properly sealing the air. The technician recommended going with 4 new tires from a different manufacturer, stating the problem will continue with the other 3 Yokohama tires and likely a new Yokohama tire as well. He agreed the tire should be recalled as this is unacceptable especially for a tire with a M+S (mud and snow rating), only 28,000 miles on and properly taken care of. At $400+ per tire this is a huge expense and clearly a HUGE safety issue in cold climates. In cold weather having to refill tires with air every 7 to 10 days is a real hassle as well. Good thing I have my own air compressor at home. I only drive with the correct air pressure per my owners manual as stated on my drivers door. The Toyota dealer drew a white chalk square around the tire failure area.

Bought the vehicle brand new and have been dealing with a steering wheel/vehicle shake ever since. The vehicle feels out of control around 55-65mph(like death wobble) and the ride is rough at any speed over 50mph. This has been a serious issue on the highway with instances of crossing lanes because of lack of control over steering. No warning lights have ever come on. Been to the dealership many times complaining about the issue just to be told that the "problem can't be replicated". I have taken it to several tire shops as well to have the wheels/tires balanced but nothing seems to help. I even bought new wheels and tires just to see if this was the cause and still no solution. This is a serious problem that thousands of 4Runner owners are experiencing and Toyota needs to get to the bottom of this. This absolutely should not be happening on brand new/modern day vehicles. I believe this is a multivariate issue causing the shake - a mix between wheel/tire balance, steering column, and possibly the drive shaft/differential/CV components. The problem must be big if Toyota continues to deny the problem year after year after year.

Driving up to 60mph the steering wheel vibrates excessively. I have taken it to the dealer and got repairs to fix it but 2 days later it returned. I had wheels balanced and rotated with an alignment. I fear I will loose control of the suv soon.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the sunroof exploded, sending glass inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the sunroof to be replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,800.

When carrying cargo, the cutoff of the LED low beam headlamps is shifted upward blinding on coming traffic and dazzling other drivers. This requires the driver to manually adjust the angle of headlight projection under the hood of the vehicle, as there is not automatic system to do so, or even a manual system inside the vehicle. As a result, it’s likely few drivers will do this. Also, it is not possible to manually adjust the headlamps every time the weight in the vehicle shifts. LEDs are particularly bright and affect oncoming traffic. If they are not perfectly aligned at least 50% of the oncoming cars flash their lights at me, many leaving their brights on, probably assuming I am doing the same. Therefore, it’s not just that my vehicle is blinding them, but there is also an element of road rage that comes into play with both drivers becoming dazzled. As such, basic visibility safety at night, should require LED headlamps to all have a self-leveling feature to account for the headlight cutoff angle changing when carrying cargo.

Steering wheel shakes around 58-64 mph. Brought 4Runner in twice already with tires being road-forced balanced but nothing seems to work. I will be bringing it in again for the third time. This has happened with less than 100 miles, now with 2,700 mi.

I purchased a 2021 sr5 premium and on the 2nd day I noticed that after driving at 60-63 the car shakes and pulls to the right, I've took it back to the dealership, and the problem still there. They said that is normal but after reading on forums alot of people are experiencing the same problem. Will take it back to have check out again.

I was driving my new car with less than 500 miles on a highway with no other cars around and nothing overhead. It sounded like a gun went off then I could hear the glass falling sliding around on the sunroof shade. The glass was blown outward proving nothing fell and broke it. A Toyota dealers is replacing the sunroof but refuse to accept responsibility and let warranty pay. My 2 year old daughter was in the cover and I’m so thankful I had the sun roof shade closed because glass would have been sprayed over all of us.

*Steering shudder occurs when driving 55-70mph. *The shudder makes it feel as you have no control over vehicle, especially in wet/snow driving conditions. *dealer technicians have inspected multiple times with no fix. *issue began with in first 500 miles (brand new purchase).

On 3/30/21 it was discovered that my 2021 4runner with 5500 miles caught fire while parked in my enclosed garage. This event happened while my family and I were sleeping. The fire was discovered @5am at which time the fire department was contacted. The fire was contained to the garage. The vehicle was a total loss and was determined to be the source of the fire that destroyed all of the contents in my garage and significantly damaged the garage structure resulting in a rebuild. The fire department performed an initial investigation, a 3rd party fire investigator performed an investigation, and State Farm along with a representative from Toyota conducted an investigation. Per my claims adjuster, the investigation determined that the fire originated in the vehicle but the exact cause could not be determined due to the damage to the wiring harness and the proximity to the condenser. This incident could have easily lead to significant injury or death to my family. The vehicle had not experienced any issues, no warning lights had indicated an issue, and the only maintenance that had been performed to the vehicle was a tire rotation at 5000 miles at the Toyota dealership.

Fire

On 3/30/21 it was discovered that my 2021 4runner with 5500 miles caught fire while parked in my enclosed garage. This event happened while my family and I were sleeping. The fire was discovered @5am at which time the fire department was contacted. The fire was contained to the garage. The vehicle was a total loss and was determined to be the source of the fire that destroyed all of the contents in my garage and significantly damaged the garage structure resulting in a rebuild. The fire department performed an initial investigation, a 3rd party fire investigator performed an investigation, and State Farm along with a representative from Toyota conducted an investigation. Per my claims adjuster, the investigation determined that the fire originated in the vehicle but the exact cause could not be determined due to the damage to the wiring harness and the proximity to the condenser. This incident could have easily lead to significant injury or death to my family. The vehicle had not experienced any issues, no warning lights had indicated an issue, and the only maintenance that had been performed to the vehicle was a tire rotation at 5000 miles at the Toyota dealership.

Fire

On May 27, 2021 The brakes failed on my brand new 2021 Toyota TRD Off-Road Premium 4Runner. I attempted to brake at a stop light, the brake pedal went to the floor and the car did not stop. Luckily no accident occurred and I was able to drive it home (4 miles). No warning lights or messages appeared at all before, during or after the incident. This occurred between 3-4 pm in Custer, SD on Main Street during clear weather. The vehicle was hauled to Toyota dealer in Rapid City, SD the next morning, May 28th. They could not duplicate the issue, brakes appeared to work fine. They found no fluid leaks and no computer trouble codes. Dealer says they can't diagnose and fix it unless they can replicate the issue. I asked how brakes can completely fail and then work fine again - they don't know. After this brake failure I have found several other 4Runner owners who have experienced this same failure, under similar conditions and speeds. Other owners have also submitted incident reports to NHTSA.

Between 58-65mpg steering whee shakes. Vehicle has been back to dealer for rebalancing the tires twice and a front end alignment. The issue persists.

Steering wheel shimmy and shake from around 55-63mph. Intermittently happens but is very well documented across forums. This affects 4runners that are brand new, and there is no clear answer to a fix.

The steering wheel will shimmy between 50-61mph. Just under 60mph is when it's most apparent. Worse on a cold morning when beginning commute. Can vary from slight vibration felt in the hand to visibly shaking. Can also be felt on the vehicle floor and seats when at its worst.

I BOUGHT A 2021 4RUNNER LATE APRIL OF 2021. I REPORTED AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR A BALANCE CHECK. THIS DIDN'T SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHILE THEY WHERE IN THE PROCESS OF BALANCING THE TECH BROKE 2 CENTER CAPS. I WILL SETTING UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP RECHECK AND ALIGNMENT. I'VE READ REPORTS WHERE THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM BEFORE WITH A LOT OF 4 RUNNERS. I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AS WELL THERE. PLEASE HELP ME RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I REALLY LOVE THE VEHICLE BUT AT 60-65MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND THE 4RUNNER WANTS TO PULL TO THE RIGHT.

WHILE DRIVING IN A SNOWSTORM ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT ON 1/25/2021, TWO IMPORTANT SAFETY SYSTEMS FAILED DUE TO ICE AND SNOW BUILDUP ON THE VEHICLE. FAILURE 1: THE PRE COLLISION SYSTEM (PCS) WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING TEMPORARY FAILURE OF THE PCS SYSTEM (SEE PHOTO 1). THIS WAS DUE TO ICE AND SNOW BUILDUP ON THE FORWARD SENSOR, LOCATED ON THE FRONT GRILLE (SEE PHOTO 2). PROBLEM COULD ONLY BE RECTIFIED BY STOPPING AND PHYSICALLY REMOVING THE ICE BUILDUP, AS REFERENCED IN THE TOYOTA OWNER'S MANUAL, PAGE 252. I RECOMMEND THE SENSOR BE RELOCATED IN FRONT OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HIGH ON THE WINDSHIELD, WHERE WINDSHIELD DEFROST AND THE ANGLE OF THE GLASS WILL REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE BUILDUP. IN THE SHORT TERM, PERHAPS A PLASTIC AIR DEFLECTOR OR SHIELD CAN BE FABRICATED WHICH WILL KEEP ICE FROM INTERFERING WITH THE SENSOR. FAILURE 2: HEADLIGHT HIGH BEAM FAILURE. THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT COVER FACILITATES ICE BUILDUP OVER THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE (SEE PHOTO 3). SINCE THE HIGH BEAM BULB IS INBOARD AND AFT OF THE LOW BEAM BULB, IT CANNOT PENETRATE THE ICE BUILDUP AT ALL, AND MAKES THE HIGH BEAMS COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE: OUTSIDE AIR TEMP: 30 TO 32 DEGREES; NIGHT; HEAVY SNOW; ALTITUDE: 3,000 TO 6,563 FEET.