2002 Toyota 4 Runner: Reliability Data

45
Total Complaints
19,800mi
Median Mileage
Tires
Top Issue
12
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

15,586 25th Percentile
19,800 Median Mileage
46,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Tires
3
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
3
Engine
3
Suspension
3
Front
3
Air Bags
2
Vehicle Speed Control
2
Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
2
Fuel Injection System
2
Rearview Mirrors/Devices
1

Severity Assessment

12
Crashes
1
Fires
15
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"VEHICLE WOULD SMOKE WHEN STARTING. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK"
"WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE, SMOOTH, DRY, SUNNY ROAD, FRONT WHEEL ASSEBLY FOLDED UNDER THE CAR , CAUSING A COLLISION WITH A RETAINING WALL, AFTER WHICH THE TIRE BROKE AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH SLID TO A STOP.*AK"
"WE TAUGHT THAT WE BOUGHT THE SAFEST CAR. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WE NOTICED THAT THE CAR VIBRATES WHILE DRIIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THAT IT IS PULLING SIDE TO SIDE. WE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PROBLEM ON MAY 20, 2002, JUNE01 AND 08, 2002, JULY 01, 2002, AND LAST TIME ON AUGUST 13, 2002. UNFORTUNATE..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 3 complaints
Median: 55,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 17 TX: 5 NC: 5 GA: 4 NY: 2 FL: 2 SC: 1 IL: 1 NV: 1 NM: 1

Who Files Complaints?

62.2%
Original Owners
37.8%
Second+ Owners

Toyota 4 Runner — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
1994619
199514912
199611114
199716330
199813417
199913422
200011826
2001344
20031881
2004766
2005200

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28