2008 Toyota 4RUNNER problems & reliability
96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Toyota 4RUNNER, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. 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 (9 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 27 | 28% |
| Structure | 16 | 17% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 17% |
| Unknown OR Other | 12 | 13% |
| Suspension | 11 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 10% |
| Engine | 7 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 5% |
| Steering | 5 | 5% |
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 56,000 miles (middle 50% between 18,800 and 105,000 miles), based on 76 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Diagnosis found trans fluid wicking up harness to engine ecm contaminating harness and ecu given false/abnormal readings at ecm. Extensive repairs necessary w/ internal trans wire replacement, engine harness replacement & engine ecu replacement. Other cleaning may be necessary or other harness replacement necessary…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 16, 2026
“The contact owns a 2008 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while pulling out of a parking spot and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that she might have shifted into park(P) and stopped the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while at a complete stop in an…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed May 7, 2025
“On August 11th 2024 at approximately 8:30PM I was hit on the passenger side of my vehicle. As a result both passenger doors were smashed in. And had also been shoved into the car and causing the passenger seat to be stuck between the doors and center console. There was ZERO airbag deployment. There are 3 known airbags…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 27, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration
Recall Query RQ10003 · opened Feb 16, 2010 · closed Mar 1, 2011 · led to recall 11V115000
Technical service bulletins
240 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Toyota 4RUNNER. The 10 most recent:
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…
T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
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 2008 Toyota 4RUNNER has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2008 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 56,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.