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1992 Toyota 4RUNNER

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1992 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

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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: 12 of 53 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 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports

What owners actually said

53 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ONCE CAR WAS STARTED WHITE STEAM CAME OUT OF TAIL PIPE DUE TO A BLOWN ENGINE GASKET. HEADGASKET REPAIRS WERE DONE IN 1997.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #893123

Mileage unknown · Mar 28, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE LEAKING, POSSIBLY DUE TO FAILURE OF ENGINE HEAD. *JB

NHTSA ODI #560572

Mileage unknown · Oct 25, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

TOYOTA ISSUED A SPECIAL RECALL ON HEAD GASKET WAS TO BE NO CHARGE. I HAD TO PAY. ENGINE BLEW BLUE SMOKE AGAIN NO OIL PRESSURE VEHICLE CAN'T ACCERTERATE WHEN NEEDED QUICKLY . TOLD THE DEALER I WOULD PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE AND DID. ENGINE BLOWS BLEW SMOKE AGAIN DEALER INSTALLED 5-6 ENGINES ALL RECALLED JUNK. THEY STILL REFUSE TO…

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TOYOTA ISSUED A SPECIAL RECALL ON HEAD GASKET WAS TO BE NO CHARGE. I HAD TO PAY. ENGINE BLEW BLUE SMOKE AGAIN NO OIL PRESSURE VEHICLE CAN'T ACCERTERATE WHEN NEEDED QUICKLY . TOLD THE DEALER I WOULD PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE AND DID. ENGINE BLOWS BLEW SMOKE AGAIN DEALER INSTALLED 5-6 ENGINES ALL RECALLED JUNK. THEY STILL REFUSE TO FIX THIS ENGINE TOYOTA CALLS THIS A SPECIAL CAMPAIGN V06 ON ALL V6 'S '1990-1996 YET I HAD TO PAY OVER 10,000. IN CASH . I HAVE BRIDGESTONE DEULER AND THEY ARE CRACKING AND THE SAME DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO TALK TO US THE TIRES ARE NEW. PLEASE HELP. *AK (TIRESIZE: 31 X 10.50)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 31 X 10.50 )

NHTSA ODI #735087

Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2000
Tires

TREAD SEPARATION - SUDDEN FAILURE - PEELED TREAD RIGHT OFF CARCASS (DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRESIZE: 31X10.5-15)

NHTSA ODI #734757

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 2000
Power Train

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN FRIST GEAR IT WILL POP OUT OF GEAR INTERMITTENTLY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #870142

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

CONSUMER PUSHED ON BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, EVENTUALLY DOWNSHIFTED AND USED EMERGENCY BRAKE. MECHANIC SAID BRAKE LINE HAD ROTTED THROUGH.*AK

NHTSA ODI #869675

Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 2000
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingEquipment

ALTERNATOR FAILED. YH

NHTSA ODI #550375

Mileage unknown · Dec 27, 1999
Electrical System

HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING. ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACE ON OCT. 13,1997 BECAUSE OF MY EXTRA CARE WARRENTY. AGAIN HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY ON DEC. 6,1999. I WAS TOLD BY STRAUSS AUTO WHO REPLACE BATTERY THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING ENOUGH. TOOK CAR BACK TO B&L TOYOTA AT 3333 BOSTON ROAD BX, NY AND THEY SA…

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HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING. ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACE ON OCT. 13,1997 BECAUSE OF MY EXTRA CARE WARRENTY. AGAIN HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY ON DEC. 6,1999. I WAS TOLD BY STRAUSS AUTO WHO REPLACE BATTERY THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING ENOUGH. TOOK CAR BACK TO B&L TOYOTA AT 3333 BOSTON ROAD BX, NY AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. BUT MY CAR IS STILL GIVEN ME PROBLEMS, THE VOLTMETER KEEP SHAKING ALL THE TIME BACK AND FORTH FROM HIGH TO AND JUST BEFORE THE DANGER PART OF THE VOLTMETER. ON OCT. 5,1998, HEADGASKETS WERE REPLACE BECAUSE OF A RECALL. BUT ON OCT. 19,1999 MY CAR WAS LEAKING OIL, SO I TOOK CAR TO GET SERVICE FOR BRAKES AND TO CHECK OIL LEAK, AIR CONDITION WHICH WAS HAD NOT BEING WORKING. B&L TOYOTA, DID THE BRAKES AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NOTING WRONG WITH THE AIR CONDITION AND THAT THE OIL LEAK WAS JUST A LOOSE BOLT. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND OIL LEAKING FROM MY CAR AGAIN AND THE AIR WAS NOT THROWING COOL AIR. I TOOL THE CAR BACK AND THEY FOUND THAT THE HEADGASKEST WERE DAMAGE AND THAT THE AIR CONDITION VALVE WAS NO GOOD AND KEPT THE CAR FROM OCT. 27,1999 TO NOV. 10,1999 TO REPLACE THE PARTS. IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE PARTS THEY CUT WIRES FROM AN EXTRA CUT OFF SWITCH THAT I HAVE IN THE CAR. THEY TRIED TO FIX THE SWITCH AND HAD BIG PROBLEMS TRYING TO GET MY CAR TO STAR. THEY FIX THE SWITCH DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL WAY IT WAS DONE BY SOMEONE ELSE. MY BRAKES ARE STILL MAKING THE SAME SOUND THAT THEY WERE MAKING FROM THE TIME THEY REPLACED THEM. IT COST ME $366.60 TO FIX MY FRONT BRAKES AND TO REPLACE STEERING STOPS THAT ONLY COST $3.26 EACH. THEY HAVE NOT CHECK TO SEE IF IS SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THEM THE BRAKES. ALL I KNOW IS THAT SINCE THEY REPLACED SOME PARTS AND DID THE BRAKES, PATCHED UP THE WIRES FROM THE EXTRA CUT OFF SWITCH MY CAR HAS NOT BEING WORKING FINE. NOW I HAVE ENCOUNTER ANOTHER PROBLEMS WERE DRIVING HOME ON CHRISTMAS, MY CHESH ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IS STILL ON. I SPOKE TO THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER DIANE.

NHTSA ODI #716483

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 TO 65 MPH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE ENGINE PISTON BLEW OUT, AND THE ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #848875

Mileage unknown · Mar 16, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

DEALER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT HEADER MALFUNCTION BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRATION AND CLAIMED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. NOW THE VEHICLE IS WELL OVER THE WARRANTY AND PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GET AN ESTIMATE TO GET THE EXHAUST HEADERS REPLACED, THEY QUOTED ME AT OVER $800.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #704508

Official recalls

1

05V389000 · 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

2

DP02002 · 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