2003 Toyota 4 Runner problems & reliability
168 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Toyota 4 Runner. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (19 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Toyota 4 Runner vehicles were involved in 41 fatal crashes with 21 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 75 | 45% |
| Power Train | 18 | 11% |
| Seats | 17 | 10% |
| Visibility | 13 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 5% |
| Structure | 6 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 3% |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% |
| Tires | 5 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 6,000 miles (middle 50% between 1,000 and 15,535 miles), based on 49 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Brake pedal goes al the way to the floor when sitting at a stop . The 4 runner has 3 masters and one complete power brake unit installed by toyota and I still have the problem, toyota stated it is normal. *jb”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Aug 9, 2006
“I purchased a new 2003 4 runner from toms river toyota. All service of the vehicle performed there. Over a year ago we complained low a low brake pedal. Dealer said nothing was defective. Recently dealer recommended rear brake service. Problem still not resolved. On last service visit the dealer advised me that toyota…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Jul 23, 2006
“All four of my door locks have stopped working with the automatic system. Each required a new lock actuator to be installed on each door. The failures occurred at 26,598 (7/16/04) - front driver, 50,327 (6/10/05) - rear right, 67,878 (12/30/05) - front right, 81,435 (05/2006) - rear driver. If a user does not notice…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Jun 29, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
70 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Toyota 4 Runner. The 10 most recent:
No start in sub-freezing ambient air temperatures. *tt
04305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 2006
Diagnostics - supplemental restraint system. Repair manual correction. 00400-rm100-1u1 '03 toyota 4runner. 00400-rm105-9u1 '04 4runner. *tt
5211 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2005
The blower motor speed does not match the hvac display indication. *tt
00405 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 2005
Steering flutter field-fix procedure. Some customers may experience a steering flutter condition while driving at highway speeds. *sc
00105 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp on or malfunction indicator lamp light flashing with diagnostic trouble code c1735 stored in memory. Vehicle height control system: c1735 exhaust solenoid valve circuit. *tt
00105 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2005
Countermeasures to the air conditioner (a/c) magnetic clutch relay for a/c light flashing (inoperative a/c) issues on some vehicles equipped with a magnetic clutch compressor. *tt
01105 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2005
Diagnostics - abs with ebd & ba & trac & vsc system (from november, 2002). 00400-rm105-9u1. 00400-rm100-1u1. *tt
5054 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2005
Theft deterrent & door lock - power door lock control system 00400-rm116-5u3. 2004 4runner 00400-rm105-9u2. 2003 4 runner 00400-rm100-1u2. *tt
5019C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 4, 2005
Charge warning light on. *sc
00605 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 18, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0136 and/or p0156 (oxygen sensor circuit). *tt
00505 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 11, 2005
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2003 Toyota 4 Runner in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Toyota 4 Runner?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 6,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.