Toyota 4RUNNER Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Toyota 4RUNNER across 18 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (31). The words owners use most often: “front brake” (10% of reports).
- 236service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 30mention a crash
- 11mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%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.
- Front brake: mentioned in 23 of 236 complaints (10%)
- Brakes applied: mentioned in 15 of 236 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the Toyota 4RUNNER at $1,100, and half of them between $780 and $1,700.
Based on 14 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2013), 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 service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 130 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 236 complaints, 30 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 11 an injury.
Toyota 4RUNNER service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 4RUNNER | 2 | 3% | 775 |
| 2012 4RUNNER | 1 | 1% | 97,500 |
| 2011 4RUNNER | 2 | 1% | 9,300 |
| 2010 4RUNNER | 5 | 3% | 1,500 |
| 2008 4RUNNER | 5 | 5% | 31,000 |
| 2007 4RUNNER | 9 | 6% | 25,580 |
| 2006 4RUNNER | 14 | 4% | 33,135 |
| 2005 4RUNNER | 16 | 4% | 53,000 |
| 2004 4RUNNER | 23 | 3% | 66,000 |
| 2003 4RUNNER | 28 | 4% | 55,861 |
| 2002 4RUNNER | 11 | 5% | 55,850 |
| 2001 4RUNNER | 8 | 4% | 70,000 |
| 2000 4RUNNER | 31 | 6% | 35,000 |
| 1999 4RUNNER | 19 | 6% | 54,500 |
| 1998 4RUNNER | 12 | 5% | 130,000 |
| 1997 4RUNNER | 28 | 11% | 127,534 |
| 1996 4RUNNER | 16 | 10% | 84,500 |
| 1995 4RUNNER | 6 | 3% | 86,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic 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 2025 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal squealing coming from the rear brakes. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the driverâs and passengerâs…
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the contact heard a scratching sound coming from the brakes. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result…
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the ABS and the brake warning lights illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal humming sound coming from the dash. The contact stated while approaching another vehicle, he depressed the brake pedal, but the…
Approximately 7:45 am on 9/18/19, my son while coming home from work, had an accident. I was not with him at the time. When he showed up at home after the incident, he explained how he was unable to stop the vehicle before it collided with the vehicle in front. He articulated that when he applied…
I took my 4 runner to joseph toyota to the have the rotors checked and the i was told they found rust on my main frame and would not service the car. They said i needed to buy a new car because mine was not safe. This is the only car i have and i have taken good care of it. I was shocked that…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota 4RUNNERs have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 236 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic 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 service brakes, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Toyota 4RUNNER?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,100 (half paid between $780 and $1,700), from 14 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Toyota 4RUNNER?
The most frequent phrase is “front brake”, in 23 of 236 complaints, followed by “brakes applied” (15).
Other Toyota 4RUNNER problems
- Structure problems (1,789)
- Suspension problems (906)
- Air Bags problems (524)
- Power Train problems (405)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (363)
- Steering problems (311)
- Service Brakes problems (286)
- Electrical System problems (248)
See all Toyota 4RUNNER problems.