Toyota 4RUNNER Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 405 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Toyota 4RUNNER across 30 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (42). The words owners use most often: “rear differential” (15% of reports).
- 405power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 17mention a crash
- 12mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 35%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.
- Rear differential: mentioned in 62 of 405 complaints (15%)
- Rusted through: mentioned in 24 of 405 complaints (6%)
- Gear oil: mentioned in 22 of 405 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the Toyota 4RUNNER at $3,050, and half of them between $1,750 and $3,500.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2018), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 308 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 405 complaints, 17 mention a crash, 12 an injury.
Toyota 4RUNNER power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 4RUNNER | 3 | 43% | — |
| 2025 4RUNNER | 2 | 3% | 11,000 |
| 2023 4RUNNER | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2022 4RUNNER | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2021 4RUNNER | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2020 4RUNNER | 1 | 3% | 1,100 |
| 2019 4RUNNER | 4 | 6% | 454 |
| 2018 4RUNNER | 3 | 5% | 24,700 |
| 2017 4RUNNER | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2016 4RUNNER | 6 | 8% | 20,223 |
| 2015 4RUNNER | 4 | 5% | 47,500 |
| 2014 4RUNNER | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2013 4RUNNER | 1 | 3% | 96,837 |
| 2011 4RUNNER | 6 | 4% | 9,150 |
| 2010 4RUNNER | 5 | 3% | 17,975 |
| 2009 4RUNNER | 10 | 45% | 19,750 |
| 2008 4RUNNER | 27 | 28% | 23,678 |
| 2007 4RUNNER | 11 | 7% | 49,412 |
| 2006 4RUNNER | 30 | 8% | 32,000 |
| 2005 4RUNNER | 25 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2004 4RUNNER | 36 | 5% | 72,000 |
| 2003 4RUNNER | 39 | 6% | 14,268 |
| 2002 4RUNNER | 33 | 15% | 130,000 |
| 2001 4RUNNER | 32 | 17% | 121,000 |
| 2000 4RUNNER | 42 | 9% | 126,547 |
| 1999 4RUNNER | 23 | 7% | 168,000 |
| 1998 4RUNNER | 12 | 5% | 190,000 |
| 1997 4RUNNER | 25 | 10% | 131,600 |
| 1996 4RUNNER | 5 | 3% | 155,000 |
| 1995 4RUNNER | 14 | 8% | 104,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 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.
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle lost power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure initially occurred without warning; however, the VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) message was displayed with an audible beeping sound coming from…
**Vehicle:** 2026 Toyota 4Runner SR5- -700Miles I am reporting a persistent vibration issue that appears to come from the engine bay and is transmitted through the driver's side floorboard into the driver's left foot and leg. The vibration is most noticeable when the transmission is engaged and the…
I have a 2005 Toyota 4runner with frame rust that has caused everything under my 4runner to rust. Toyota knows these frames have problems with rust and corrosion and have done nothing, I am far from being the only one with this complaint or problem. It is up for inspection anytime. I have taken it…
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota 4Runner. The vehicle lost motive power while attempting to access the freeway on three occasions. The reduced power mode message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and initially they were unable to determine the failure. The vehicle was taken to…
DIAGNOSIS FOUND TRANS FLUID WICKING UP HARNESS TO ENGINE ECM CONTAMINATING HARNESS AND ECU GIVEN FALSE/ABNORMAL READINGS AT ECM. EXTENSIVE REPAIRS NECESSARY W/ INTERNAL TRANS WIRE REPLACEMENT, ENGINE HARNESS REPLACEMENT & ENGINE ECU REPLACEMENT. OTHER CLEANING MAY BE NECESSARY OR OTHER HARNESS…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota 4RUNNERs have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 405 owner complaints about power train for the Toyota 4RUNNER. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota 4RUNNER power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the Toyota 4RUNNER?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,050 (half paid between $1,750 and $3,500), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Toyota 4RUNNER?
The most frequent phrase is “rear differential”, in 62 of 405 complaints, followed by “rusted through” (24).
Other Toyota 4RUNNER problems
- Structure problems (1,789)
- Suspension problems (906)
- Air Bags problems (524)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (363)
- Steering problems (311)
- Service Brakes problems (286)
- Electrical System problems (248)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (238)
See all Toyota 4RUNNER problems.