CAR WAS APPROACHING HOT AND SO CHANGED OUT COOLANT JUST TO BE SURE. THEN CAR WAS STILL SHOWING HOT. THEN CAR STARTED SMOKING AND NOW LEAKS COOLANT OUT OF THE OIL PAN. LOSES A LOT OF COOLANT EVERY TIME I FILL IT UP. *TR
1995 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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
37 reports with mileage · 10 unknown
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 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
30 reports3 DAYS AGO I NOTICED WATER LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE. TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING AND HE CONFIRMED IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. 1995 WELL MAINTAINED TOYOTA 4 RUNNER WITH 133,000 WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. SO MUCH FOR RELIABILITY. IT IS GOING TO COST $1600-$2500 TO FIX. *TR
BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *TR
BLOWN HEAD GASKET 1995 TOYOTA 4RUNNER --TWICE---. *TR
1995 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER HEAD GASKET BLOWN OUT. *TR
LOSS OF SPEED/POWER, ENDED UP WITH BLOWN HEAD GASKET, HAD IT REPAIRED, HAPPENED AGAIN WITHIN 3 MONTHS. WAS TOLD IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE, YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING!!!!! *TR
BLOWING WHITE SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST AND WAS LOSING POWER, LOSING COOLANT, THEN A FEW DAYS LATER, BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE HEAD GASKET FAILED. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 168,000.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, NOTICED LOSS OF POWER, ROUGH IDLING AND POOR PICKUP(STUMBLES). THEN RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING HOME AFTER WORK AT 3AM, TEMP. GAUGE RAPIDLY ELEVATED AND ENGINE OVERHEATED. SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF EXHAUST AND HOOD. LEFT ME STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AT 3AM, TOWED HOME. NOW I FIND OUT BLOWN HEAD GASKET. TR…
Read full complaint
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, NOTICED LOSS OF POWER, ROUGH IDLING AND POOR PICKUP(STUMBLES). THEN RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING HOME AFTER WORK AT 3AM, TEMP. GAUGE RAPIDLY ELEVATED AND ENGINE OVERHEATED. SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF EXHAUST AND HOOD. LEFT ME STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AT 3AM, TOWED HOME. NOW I FIND OUT BLOWN HEAD GASKET. TRUCK HAS ONLY 80,000 MILES, WELL MAINTAINED, AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION(WAS ANYWAY). NEVER HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM BEFORE. WILL TAKE TO MAUI TOYOTA ON MONDAY. NOT SURE HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST ME! *TR
1995 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HEAD GASKET FAILURE.*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
1SQ99003 · 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
Illustration