2004 Toyota 4runner problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body (192) · Suspension (74) · Service Brakes (31)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota 4runner model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
416 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Air Bags:side/Window 2016-02-05 · campaign 16V065000 · 320,409 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: 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.
Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal 2011-02-24 · campaign 11V113000 · 1,363,244 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (235)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Structure:body 2024-12-03 · T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. this type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surfa
Structure:body 2024-07-12 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Showing the 6 most recent of 235 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-14 · Unknown Or Other“i was informed by my mechanic that my vehicle has extensive rust and corrosion on the vehicle frame.i understand there was a recall on this issue by toyota but did not include this model year. this issue affects not only driver safety but also resale value.…”
2025-12-29 · Suspension · 💥 crash“what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? response: frame, suspension, airbags / yes it is available for inspection. how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? response: safety was put at risk due to frame & suspension failure due to severe rust. also due to failure of deplo…”
2025-08-31 · Unknown Or Other“the body frame on this vehicle is almost completely rushed out. i don’t know what to do. if i should have the frame replaced i know there’s been a couple recalls on similar toyota models.…”
2025-08-29 · Structure:frame And Members · 120,000 mi“the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that while the vehicle was in for service, the independent mechanic discovered rust on the front driver's side subframe. additionally, the subframe had developed holes due to rust. the cause of the failures was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. the manufacturer and l…”
2025-08-19 · Structure · 108,000 mi“the contact owns a 2004 toyota 4-runner. the contact stated that the frame was severely rusted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline for assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 108,000.…”
2025-08-09 · Structure:body“2004 toyota 4runner sr5 - frame rust: currently not drivable due to complete breakage from the rust. driving 2 hours home on the highway i almost lost control, pressing/releasing the brake and/or gas pulls the steering side to side and sways the truck (fish tail) due to damage from the frame rust/breaking. there is no control of the rear end. truck…”
2025-07-27 · Unknown Or Other“rusting frame, no specific incident date. used today’s date. …”
2025-06-27 · Structure:body“frame rust. huge problems on the 4th gen 4runners. can't believe there's not a recall on this issue. …”
2025-04-03 · Unknown Or Other“excessive frame and suspension corrosion that could lead to serious accidents if not repaired at a very high cost for myself …”
2025-02-26 · Structure:body“the undercarriage is full of rust that the repair shop will not test drive or fix due to the issue. no warnings. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.