Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2014 Toyota 4RUNNER problems & reliability

77 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Toyota 4RUNNER, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
77
Recall campaigns
7
Fire reports
1 (1%)
Crash reports
5 (6%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

NCAP overall rating
Not rated
NHTSA 5-star program
EPA fuel economy
18–19 MPG combined
City 17 · highway 21 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
417
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
1
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Electrical System24
Unknown OR Other11
Air Bags8
Structure8
Steering7
Engine6
Fuel/propulsion System6
Service Brakes5
Fuel System, Gasoline4
Suspension3

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 50,000 miles (middle 50% between 25,250 and 82,500 miles), based on 36 complaints that included mileage.

under 20k
7
20–40k
9
40–60k
5
60–80k
5
80–100k
5
100–150k
3
150k+
2

Complaints by incident year

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

What owners report

  • I am reporting what I believe is a design defect involving the Secondary Air Injection (SAI) System on my 2014 Toyota 4Runner. My vehicle illuminated the Check Engine Light and stored Diagnostic Trouble Code P2440 (Secondary Air Injection System Switching Valve Stuck Open). During my inspection, I found that the…

    Engine · filed Jul 29, 2026

  • The contact owns a 2014 Toyota 4Runner. The contact purchased four Bridgestone tires in 2022, Tire Line: Alenza AS Ultra, Tire Size: 245/60/R20, DOT Number: 1RBTEAAU1. The contact stated that all four tires had developed cracks on the sidewalls and by the tire beads. The tires were replacement tires. The tire dealer…

    Tires · filed Mar 10, 2026

  • I had a collision and rear ended a truck. My front left bumper was completely damaged. My chest hit the steering wheel. My airbags did not deploy.

    Air Bags · filed Jun 30, 2025

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Federal defect investigations

Technical service bulletins

417 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2014 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 air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and…

    T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign · issued Jun 13, 2025

  • 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

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 2014 Toyota 4RUNNER has 7 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 2014 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 50,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Toyota or NHTSA.