2020 Toyota 4runner problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (5) · Steering (3) · Wheels (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota 4runner model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Equipment:other:labels 2022-07-06 · campaign 22V480000 · 280 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2020-2022 4Runner vehicles equipped with 20-inch Black Gunner Wheels. The load carrying capacity modification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will mail replacement labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 4, 2022. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET22A.
Service bulletins (158)
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 2026-08-10 · T-SB-0002-25 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2019 – 2024 model year 4runner vehicles may exhibit an abnormal noise that may be described as cracking, clicking, or creaking from the driver and/or passenger front seat cushion track. this condition may occur when the front seat cushion track is at the rearmost position.
Electrical System 2026-01-30 · T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice january 30, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0001-26.
Electrical System 2026-01-28 · T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2018 – 2024 model year toyota vehicles equipped with a premium audio with dynamic navigation system require a special service tool (sst) usb flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Electrical System 2025-06-13 · T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign
the air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. the procedures outlined in this service bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
Electrical System 2025-04-02 · T-TT-0780-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover mmr data from the head unit. the following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by fts and/or fpe.
Showing the 6 most recent of 158 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-08-28 · Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:fan/Motor“the door actuator have been replaced a minimum of eight times. huge safety risk involved since we never know if the vehicle is going to lock. toyota continues to replace them but not addressing the underlying issue. not sure if this is all related but the blower motor has been replaced 3- 4 times and the battery has been replaced 4 times …”
2026-08-25 · Exterior Lighting“driver side headlight goes out approximately every 6 months. sometimes the light only has to be “wiggled” in its connection and the light comes back on. sometimes the light must be replaced. the light has also exploded when my spouse was attempting to replace the lightbulb. a friend has a 2014 toyota 4 runner and the drivers lightbulb has been repl…”
2026-03-30 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera · 108,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that after starting the vehicle and reversing, the rearview camera intermittently displayed a blank image. no warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact…”
2024-05-22 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera · 50,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 toyota 4runner. the contact stated that while reversing, he became aware that the rear-view camera failed to display an image. the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. no warning lights were illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. the …”
2024-05-08 · Steering · 88,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 toyota 4runner. the contact stated while driving 60 mph, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. no warning lights were illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the front timing cov…”
2024-04-03 · Suspension“i am writing to express my deep concern and frustration regarding the x-reas suspension system in the limited edition 4runner manufactured by toyota. specifically, i am addressing the alarming issue of suspension failure experienced in vehicles at just 45,000 miles, posing significant safety risks to drivers and passengers alike. the x-reas suspen…”
2023-11-02 · Exterior Lighting“similar to numerous newer ('12+) vehicles, the instrument cluster gauge needles light up even when the headlights are not on. therefore when driving the vehicle, the driver isn't aware that the headlights are not on at night (and there are no drl/daytime running lights to warn oncoming drivers), which means that the vehicle is driving at night with…”
2023-09-25 · Wheels“took the vehicle in 3/19/2021 @ 6076 mileage for a steering wheel shake, the dealer has tried numerous times to fix it by trying to balance the tire and rotate the tires, it only masks the problem and the steering wheel shake comes back. the shake can happen at any mph. i finally took it to another shop called discount tire and dynamic 4x4 alignme…”
2023-07-18 · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs · 53,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 toyota 4runner. the contact stated upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for a routine inspection, he was informed that the front coil spring was fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that 50% of the cost for the repair would be co…”
2023-07-18 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“system malfunction—the ‘brake’ alert flashed and chirped when there was no obstacle on the road. safety issue—i was about to hit the brakes but i realized in time there was no need. confirmed? no not at this time. possibly have it reviewed at next maintenance. no inspection yet. this has occurred infrequently in the past …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.