2003 Toyota 4 Runner: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 188 complaints
188
Total Complaints
600mi
Median Mileage
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
Top Issue
1
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

25 25th Percentile
600 Median Mileage
9,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
34
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
20
SEATS
10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
7
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
5
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
4
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
4
TIRES
4

Severity Assessment

1
Crashes
0
Fires
19
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE NO WARNING THEY CAN SMELL STRONG WIRE FUMES THROUGH OUT THE VEHICLE. SUN-ROOF ELECTRONIC JACKET BURNED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS"
"THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL CENTER CAP CAME OFF, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER.*TS CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE THE SECOND WHEEL CAP. *JB"
"THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS ABLE TO GO FROM NEUTRAL TO REVERSE. PH WHILE DRIVING FROM 0-45 MPH, THE SHIFTER WAS IN THE FOURTH GEAR, AND HAD SHIFTED TO DRIVE. THE CONSUMER ACCIDENT'S PUSHED THE SHIFTER TO PARK WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT MOST VEHICLE'S HAVE A SHIFT LOCK BETWE..."

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

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