IllustrationDRIVETRAIN CONSTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND INTERVALS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.
1990 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Toyota 4RUNNER do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 58.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 4RUNNER years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 15 of 78 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports6 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
78 reportsWHILE MAKING A LANE CHANG ETO THE LEFT AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THERE WAS NO RSPONSE FROM VEHICLE. LOST CONTROL, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. *AK
TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE CYCLES ON AND OFF DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, RESULTING IN LOSS OF GAS MILEAGE. ALSO ABS BRAKES LOCK UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIDE.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH, SWITCHING LANES THE VEHICLE WOBBLED AND SPUN OUT OF CONTROL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER, INJURING THE DRIVER. *AK
CLUTCH MOUNTING BRACKETS HAVE TORN TO THE POINT THAT THE CLUTCH WILL NOT RELEASE.
DRIVER HIT THE BRAKES AND ABS BRAKES FAILED TOYOTA TRUCK, 4-RUNNER LOST CONTROL/ROLLED OVER, A BABY AND ADULT DRIVER FELL OUT OF THE CAR, RESULTING IN 2 INJURIES AND A FATALITY. *AK
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITONS AND NOTICED LCK OF RESISTANCE FROM THE HYDRAULIC CLUCTH AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK
OWNER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAD ROLLED OVER BUT HE WAS ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE WITHOUT PUSHING THE RELEASE BUTTON, HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS SAFETY. *AK
THE STRUCTURE OF THE BODY IS CRACKING, CAUSING THE BRAKE CLUTCH BRACKET TO FAIL, TOOK TO DEALER, SAID IT WAS A BAD DESIG, NEEDS A NEW BRACKET, CONSUMER TO PAY FOR THE WELD . *AK
BOLT THAT HOLDS THE HEAD ON THE ENGINE GASKETS IS BROKEN. *AK
Official recalls
105V389000 · Steering:linkages:rod:relay:connecting
Sep 6, 2005
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS REPEATEDLY TURNED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHERE HIGH STEERING EFFORT AND POWER ASSIST ARE REQUIRED, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN FULLY TURNING THE WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE STEERING RELAY ROD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE RELAY ROD MAY FRACTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING RELAY ROD. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
4DP02002 · Rear Seat Belt Routing
Opened Mar 26, 2002 · Closed Aug 26, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:rear/other
No summary supplied.
SQ99003 · Corroded Brake Lines
Opened Jan 27, 1999 · Closed Apr 22, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
TOYOTA IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL IN CANADA 98-253. CORRODED BRAKE LINES COULD FAIL RESULTING IN A PARTIAL BRAK SYSTEM LOSS AND INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES
EA92011 · Loss Of Brk Effectiveness
Opened Mar 24, 1992 · Closed Jan 21, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
PE91147 · Loss Of Brake Effectivenes
Opened Nov 6, 1991 · Closed Mar 24, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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