Structure. Review the 309 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Suspension. Review the 108 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

23 crash reports3 fire reports14 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

57 reports

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50,850 miles · Mar 27, 2013

Service BrakesVehicle Speed ControlCrash

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I EXPERIENCED A TERRIFYING "ACCELERATION PROBLEM" THIS PAST WEEK AS I WAS PARKING MY CAR AT A LOCAL STORE. I'D ALREADY SLOWED DOWN TO ALMOST A HALT, BUT AS I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, IT SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD WITH SHOCKING SPEED. I INSTINCTIVELY THREW THE GEAR INTO PARK; IT STOPPED AS IT CRASHED INTO THE STEPS LEADING TO THE STORE ENTRANCE. THE CAUSE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A FLOOR MAT (I DON'T HAVE ANY) NOR "STICKING" GAS PEDAL (THE CAR HAD ALREADY COME ALMOST TO A HALT BEFORE IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED). THE BRAKES WERE USELESS AND FELT LIKE THEY WERE DISENGAGED; ACCELERATION MAY HAVE OCCURRED AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL (THIS IS STILL CLOUDY IN MY MIND). I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, IN 2004. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD ANY PROBLEM. I WONDERED WHAT I MIGHT HAVE DONE TO CAUSE THE PROBLEM AFTER SO MANY YEARS WITHOUT ANY. I REALIZED I'D NEVER USED THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE, UNTIL RECENTLY, ONLY IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS. I WAS NOT USING THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT THE SUDDEN FORWARD SURGE FELT EXACTLY LIKE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS ON CRUISE CONTROL AND DROPS BENEATH THE SPEED AT WHICH IT'S SET; IT SURGES FORWARD, ON "ITS OWN." I BELIEVE THERE'S A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP. MY CONCERN IS TWO-FOLD: FIXING A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM IN MY OWN TOYOTA, AND HELPING IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM SO IT CAN BE FIXED BY TOYOTA BEFORE ANOTHER TRAGEDY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10504751

Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2013

Power TrainService BrakesInjury

I OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TO PLACE MY BAG DOWN. THE CAR ROLLED OUT OF GEAR DOWN MY DRIVEWAY WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE FRONT SEAT. THEN I HAD TO JUMP INTO THE ROLLING CAR TO PUT IT BACK INTO PARK AND THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10503306

137,000 miles · Jan 31, 2013

Service Brakes

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ON 8/22/2011, PHIL BACHMAN TOYOTA IN JOHNSON CITY, TN REPLACED A LEAKING LEFT FRONT CALIPER ON MY TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE LEAK WAS SO BAD THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE SATURATED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. BRAKE FLUID COVERED MY TIRE AND WHEEL, AND THE WHEEL HAD SEVERAL KNICKS FROM SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED RELATED TO THE BRAKES AND THIS ISSUE. ON 3/16/12, THE VERY SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN WITH THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER; THE BRAKE PADS AGAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED BUT PHIL BACHMAN DID THIS WORK UNDER WARRANTY. ON 1/31/13, THE VERY SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED BUT THIS TIME IT WAS WITH THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER, AND IT WILL COST ME SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO HAVE THIS FIXED. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY 2003 AND 2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WHY WAS THERE NOT A RECALL BY TOYOTA FOR THIS PROBLEM? IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE--BY THE TIME I REALIZED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS EACH TIME, MY LIFE WAS AT RISK IN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10495984

40,000 miles · Oct 15, 2012

Service BrakesStructureWheelsCrash

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VEHICLE WAS BEING PARKED ALONGSIDE THE CURB WHEN IT SUDDENLY JUMPED THE CURB, THE SIDEWALK ONTO THE UPHILL GRASSY LANDSCAPE, HIT AND SEVERED A TREE, AND ALMOST CRASHED THE HOUSE INCHES AWAY, THEN BOUNCED BACK TO THE STREET- ALL IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS. THE TIRES SPUN VIOLENTLY AND LEFT A THICK RESIDUE OF RUBBER AND THICK SMOKE THROUGHOUT. THE BRAKE WAS HARD AND STUCK , AS I MANAGED TO PUT THE STICK TO NEUTRAL AND THEN TO PARK. I WAS TRULY SHOCKED AND SHAKEN THAT I COULD HAVE HURT OR KILLED MYSELF OR OTHERS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED- THE FIRST IN JULY 22, 2009 WHEN THE SAME ACCELERATION HAPPENED WHEN I WAS MOVING THE VEHICLE INTO THE GARAGE, SURGED IN ABOUT 2 SECS. CRASHING INTO THE STORAGE AND THE GARAGE WALLS. REFERENCE: TOYOTA CLAIM NO.[XXX] (2009) AND NO.[XXX] (2012). IN BOTH CASES TOYOTA DISOWNED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. WHILE TOYOTA ASSURES ME OF THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE, I CANNOT IN MY RIGHT MIND CONTINUE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE NOR PASS IT ON TO SOMEBODY ELSE EXCEPT TO RETURN IT TO TOYOTA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10480595

140,000 miles · Oct 13, 2012

Service Brakes

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WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND PRESSING THE BRAKES FOR A SUDDEN STOP, THE 4-RUNNER LURCHES TO THE LEFT, AND THEN, WHEN THE BRAKE IS RELEASED, BACK TO THE RIGHT. I WAS ON A TRIP AND WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET IN TO A TOYOTA DEALER ON SATURDAY. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME I HAD TWO FROZEN PISTONS IN THE BRAKE CALIPERS, AND THE REAR SLIDES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I HAD TO REPLACE THE CALIPERS, PADS AND ROTORS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS 2 YEARS AGO FOR FROZEN CALIPERS. THE WARRANTY FOR THAT REPAIR WAS 1 YEAR, SO I HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER $1200 TO MAKE THE CAR SAFE TO DRIVE ONCE AGAIN, AFTER HAVING SPENT $2000 2 YEARS AGO FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM IS WIDELY KNOWN AND TOYOTA SHOULD EITHER EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE PARTS, OR FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY AND ISSUE A RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE CAR LURCHES FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN OR WHEN TOWING A TRAILER, IS QUITE DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10479996

56,977 miles · Jul 5, 2012

Service Brakes

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THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE 04 4RUNNER. THE BRAKE CALIPERS RUST OUT, AND FREEZE, SIEZE, AND NEED TO BE REPLACED ANY TIME THE BRAKE PADS NEED TO REPLACED. THIS ALSO DAMAGES THE ROTORS. TODAY, I HAD TO OVERHAUL THE ENTIRE FRONT END BRAKING SYSTEM, INCLUDING PADS, ROTORS AND CALIPERS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND HAD ALL NEW PARTS INSTALLED 2 YEARS AGO, AND THE TOTAL MILES ON THE VEHICLE IS 56K. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, AS AN INTERNET SEARCH HAS TURNED UP MANY POSTS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10464370

56,000 miles · Jun 2, 2012

Power TrainService Brakes

DRIVE SHAFT IS CLANGING, BANGING, CAUSING SLAMMING WITH THE BRAKING ACTION SURGING FORWARD SEVERAL FEET BEFORE STOPPING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10460358

Official recalls

16V065000 · Air Bags:side/window

Feb 5, 2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.

11V113000 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

Feb 24, 2011

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 LEXUS LX570, 2003 THROUGH 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, AND 2006 THROUGH 2010 RAV4 VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy: THE REMEDY IS NOW AVAILABLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN EARLY APRIL 2011. THE REMEDY WILL INVOLVE MODIFICATION OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ANY TOYOTA ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MAT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.

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

DP18002 · Frame Corrosion

Opened Aug 17, 2018 · Closed Mar 18, 2022

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure:frame And Members

On August 7, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Gary Weinreich alleging premature frame corrosion failure in model year (MY) 2002 - 2006 Toyota 4Runner vehicles. The petitioner based his request upon a corrosion-related front suspension failure he experienced in his MY 2005 Toyota 4Runner, a class action lawsuit settlement involving other Toyota products, and other complaints of underbody corrosion in Toyota 4Runner vehicles that he found in NHTSA?s online complaint database. The petitioner submitted a complaint to NHTSA documenting his experience (NHTSA ID 11098055). On August 17, 2018, ODI opened DP18-002 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI?s evaluation included information provided by the petitioner regarding his vehicle, facts related to the class action lawsuit cited by the petitioner, and consumer complaint data received by NHTSA regarding underbody corrosion in third and fourth-generation Toyota 4Runner vehicles.The undercarriage of the petitioner?s vehicle exhibited severe corrosion damage indicative of seawater immersion. The vehicle?s service history shows that concerns with underbody corrosion were first noted by a Toyota dealer in a multi-point vehicle inspection performed on April 28, 2011. The invoice for that inspection noted ?severe and excessive amount of rust on the undercarriage and on the drive shaft transmission.? Two years later, on October 21, 2013, another multi-point inspection by a Toyota dealer observed further progression of underbody corrosion damage, noting: ?rust on shocks/struts and other components,? ?rust on exhaust system,? ?both splash shields severely rusted,? and ?undercarriage very rusty.? On July 17, 2017, approximately 10 months prior to experiencing the suspension failure incident, an independent repair facility performing routine oil change and brake maintenance informed the Petitioner of a concern with ?excessive frame corrosion? on his vehicle. The service history, severe general corrosion damage, failure age, and environment do not support the petitioner?s allegation of premature corrosion failure.ODI?s analysis of NHTSA complaint data identified fifteen incidents of front lower control arm failure in fourth-generation Toyota 4Runner sport utility vehicles. Two of the failures, including the petitioner?s vehicle, involve vehicles operated in ocean front communities with continuous exposure to aerosolized marine salts and potential exposure to seawater immersion. The remaining thirteen failures all involved vehicles owned or previously registered in states with the greatest use of deicing salts to treat road surfaces in winter months (?Salt states?). On average, the front lower control arm failures occurred after 13.1 years in service in highly corrosive environments. The failure ages and environments do not support the petitioner?s allegation of premature corrosion failure. NHTSA is authorized to issue an order requiring notification and remedy of a defect if the Agency?s investigation shows a defect in design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle that presents an unreasonable risk to safety. 49 U.S.C. ?? 30102(a)(9), 30118. Since the information before the Agency is not indicative of a vehicle-based defect, it is unlikely that any investigation opened because of granting this petition would result in an order concerning the notification and remedy of a safety-related defect. Therefore, upon full consideration of the information presented in the petition and the potential risks to safety, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action if warranted or the p

RQ10003 · Unintended And Uncontrolled Acceleration

Opened Feb 16, 2010 · Closed Mar 1, 2011

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:software; Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

On February 16, 2010, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened RQ10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior Toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, Toyota recalls 07E-082, 09V-388, 10V-017, and 10V-023.NHTSA also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.I. Pedal Interference from Floor mats, Carpet Covers and Plastic Pads in Carpets.During the RQ10-003 investigation, ODI reviewed a large volume of documents to assess whether additional vehicles should be recalled.Following the agency's analysis, NHTSA requested that Toyota recall additional vehicles.Toyota complied with the agency's request.The details of these recalls are set forth more fully in Toyota's reports to NHTSA pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573.These recalls are as follows:Recall 11V-112: (1) model year (MY) 2004-2006 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid; and, (2) MY 2004-2007 Lexus RX330,RX350, and RX400h (hybrid model). The total estimated population under this recall is 769,379 vehicles.This recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by a loose floor carpet cover (trim panel). Recall 11V-113: (1) MY 2003-2009 through 2009 Toyota 4Runner; (2) MY 2006-2010 Toyota RAV4; and, (3) MY 2008-2011 Lexus LX570.The total estimated population under this recall is 1,381,000 vehicles.This recall supplements recall 09V-388 and remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured floor mat.Recall 11V-115: (1) MY 2006-2007 Lexus GS300 (all wheel drive vehicles); and, (2) MY 2006-2007 Lexus GS350 (all wheel drive vehicles). The total estimated population under this recall is 19,647 vehicles.This recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by inadequate clearance between the pedal linkage and a plastic pad embedded in the vehicle's carpet.II. Potential Electronic Causes of Unintended Acceleration.After NHTSA opened RQ10-003, NHTSA launched a ten-month study of potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.NHTSA launched the study in the spring of 2010 in light of concerns aired in Congressional hearings.NHTSA enlisted engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with expertise in areas such as computer controlled electronic systems, electromagnetic interference and software integrity to assess whether electronic systems or electromagnetic interference played a role in incidents of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.That study has concluded.Two reports are associated with the study and are available on NHTSA's website.NASA's report is entitled Technical Support to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the Reported Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Unintended Acceleration (UA) Investigation, NESC Assessment No. TI-10-00618 (Jan. 18, 2011).NHTSA's report is entitled Technical Assessment of Toyota Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Systems (Feb. 2011).Both reports should be read in conjunction with each other. As stated in its report, NASA did not find an electronic cause of large throttle openings that can result in unintended acceleration incidents. NHTSA did not find a vehicle-based cause of unintended acceleration incidents other than the physical pedal interference causes that are being addressed by Toyota's recalls. This RQ is closed.

Additional source detail variants (6)

Electrical System:software

Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal