1992 Toyota 4RUNNER problems & reliability
53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1992 Toyota 4RUNNER, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (7 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 18 | 34% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 12 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 11% |
| Power Train | 4 | 8% |
| Visibility | 4 | 8% |
| Tires | 3 | 6% |
| Equipment | 2 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 4% |
| Steering | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Made a noise starting idling weird hadn't even warmed up the car yet just drove up the street to store real quick when came back. Sounding like poop and checked everything milky oil a sign of a head gasket. Ps it happened on my birthday last year. It really”
Engine · filed May 23, 2016
“1992 toyota 4 runner. Consumer states after using the ect power button, she no longer had control of the vehicle causing a accident *tgw the consumer stated when she looked down to see if the accelerator pedal was stuck she then looked back up and realized she was on the wrong side of the road. As she attempted to…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jun 2, 2010
“On february 28, 2010, my 1992 toyota 4runner had a repeated accelerator issue. My truck accelerated several times while my foot was off the accelerator. I was stopped at a traffic light when the truck surged forward. I pressed on the brake with both feet and the accelerator continued to race. I watched the tachometer…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Mar 2, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR SEAT BELT ROUTING
Defect Petition DP02002 · opened Mar 26, 2002 · closed Aug 26, 2002
- CORRODED BRAKE LINES
Investigation SQ99003 · opened Jan 27, 1999 · closed Apr 22, 1999
Technical service bulletins
28 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1992 Toyota 4RUNNER. The 10 most recent:
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be…
TSB003220 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2023
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be…
Toyota PRO19-02 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2022
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2021 model year vehicles may be…
T-SB-0032-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 3, 2021
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
T-SB-0304-17 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2020
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, T-SB-0144-08, and…
T-SB-0032-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2020
Dealer package: 12/18/2018 the program details section has been updated. Special policy adjustment for 1988 - early 1990 truck & 4runner with 3vz?e v6 engines and special service campaign (v06) for 1990 - early 1995…
V06_Dealer Packa · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 2018
Technical Service Bulletin: OBSOLETE NOTICE: July 31, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0304-17.
PG006-01-Obsolet · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2018
Technical Service Bulletin: OBSOLETE NOTICE: July 31, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0304-17.
PG004-97-Obsolet · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2018
TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 31, 2018 Rev2: ? The Supersession Notice has been updated. January 11, 2018 Rev1: ? The Supersession Notice has been updated. Any previous printed versions of this bulletin should be discarded…
T-SB-0304-17_Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2018
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, and T-SB-0144-08. Service Bulletin…
T-SB-0304-17_Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2018
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
The 1992 Toyota 4RUNNER has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1992 Toyota 4RUNNER?
- · 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.