2003 Toyota 4RUNNER Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Toyota 4RUNNER, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 500 miles. The words owners use most often: “rotten egg” (21% of reports).
- 89engine and engine cooling complaints
- 500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rotten egg: mentioned in 19 of 89 complaints (21%)
- Sulfur smell: mentioned in 18 of 89 complaints (20%)
- Entering cabin: mentioned in 9 of 89 complaints (10%)
- Windows closed: mentioned in 6 of 89 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 89 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 7 an injury.
Toyota 4RUNNER engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 4RUNNER | 1 | 3% | 47,000 |
| 2015 4RUNNER | 1 | 1% | 199,000 |
| 2009 4RUNNER | 2 | 9% | 39,901 |
| 2008 4RUNNER | 2 | 2% | 23,711 |
| 2007 4RUNNER | 7 | 5% | 7,600 |
| 2006 4RUNNER | 11 | 3% | 24,000 |
| 2005 4RUNNER | 10 | 2% | 13,550 |
| 2004 4RUNNER | 25 | 4% | 1,826 |
| 2003 4RUNNER | 89 | 13% | 500 |
| 2002 4RUNNER | 12 | 5% | 76,000 |
| 2001 4RUNNER | 13 | 7% | 112,000 |
| 2000 4RUNNER | 13 | 3% | 125,000 |
| 1999 4RUNNER | 15 | 5% | 97,250 |
| 1998 4RUNNER | 16 | 6% | 58,250 |
| 1997 4RUNNER | 14 | 5% | 130,000 |
| 1996 4RUNNER | 25 | 16% | 113,413 |
| 1995 4RUNNER | 107 | 62% | 119,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Toyota 4RUNNER. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I bought my 2003 toyota 4runner less than a year ago from an auto group (toyota, honda, ect) and had them perform a safety inspection. Since it was used i knew there would be some issues, the only problem it had was the recommended service wasn't completed at 90k miles (timing belt, water pump…
While in process of replacing serpentine belt and idler pulleys on engine, i noticed (after removing lower engine shield under vehicle) significant rust damage to front frame segment under radiator support. The right side tow hook and corner of frame it was mounted to fell off in my hand when i…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota 4runner. The contact stated that when driving above 25 mph, the check engine light would illuminate on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Toyota 4RUNNERs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 89 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Toyota 4RUNNER (13% of the 696 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota 4RUNNER engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Toyota 4RUNNER?
The most frequent phrase is “rotten egg”, in 19 of 89 complaints, followed by “sulfur smell” (18).
Other 2003 Toyota 4RUNNER problems
- Structure problems (284)
- Suspension problems (114)
See all 2003 Toyota 4RUNNER problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all 4RUNNER years.