Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2019 Toyota 4RUNNER problems & reliability

64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Toyota 4RUNNER, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
64
Recall campaigns
4
Fire reports
1 (2%)
Crash reports
5 (8%)

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 MPG combined
City 17 · highway 20 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
156
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Unknown OR Other12
Steering10
Electrical System8
Fuel/propulsion System7
Engine6
Fuel System, Gasoline6
Suspension6
Air Bags5
Service Brakes5
Power Train4

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 14,825 miles (middle 50% between 7,487 and 24,625 miles), based on 24 complaints that included mileage.

under 20k
14
20–40k
7
40–60k
2
60–80k
1
80–100k
0
100–150k
0
150k+
0

Complaints by incident year

19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

What owners report

  • I have experienced a persistent steering and suspension-related issue with my 2019 Toyota 4Runner since early ownership, beginning at approximately 6,800 miles. The vehicle repeatedly pulls/drifts to the right at highway speeds and requires constant steering correction. I have also experienced steering wheel vibration…

    Steering · filed May 6, 2026

  • My 2019 Toyota 4Runner has experienced an ongoing steering and suspension issue since early in its life. The vehicle required an alignment at approximately 6,800 miles and has required repeated alignments since. At approximately 48,000 miles, a separate repair facility identified lower control arm bushing concerns…

    Steering · filed Apr 28, 2026

  • Vehicle Back-up camera works intermittantly, sometimes working when placed in reverse, other times showing a black screen when placed in reverse. Has not been a consistent enough problem for dealer repair/troubleshooting. A google search shows many 5th Gen 4runner online web forms with lots of reports involving…

    Back Over Prevention · filed Mar 25, 2026

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

Technical service bulletins

156 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2019 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

  • Some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.

    T-TT-0790-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2025

  • 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

  • Some 2019 – 2024 model year 4Runner vehicles may exhibit a cracking noise from the driver and/or passenger front seat cushion track. This condition may occur when the front seat cushion track is at the rearmost position.

    T-SB-0002-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 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

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 2019 Toyota 4RUNNER has 4 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 2019 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 14,825 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.