2021 Toyota 4RUNNER problems & reliability
36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota 4RUNNER, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Sep 22, 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 components.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 13 | 36% |
| Suspension → | 10 | 28% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 17% |
| Wheels | 4 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 8% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown / Other | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 18 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While vehicle was parked and not in use, upon entering the vehicle, the steering wheel/column dropped out of its locked position on its own. Disassembly of the steering column revealed that the tilt-lock mechanism's steering lock fracture bolt has broken in half on the right side. This cause the steering wheel to fall…”
Steering · filed Sep 3, 2026
“The power door lock actuators on both front doors of my 2021 Toyota 4Runner have failed. The problem developed progressively. The front door locks initially began working intermittently and became less reliable over time. Eventually, both front door lock actuators stopped operating. They have now been inoperative for…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Aug 25, 2026
“I just had the tires road force balanced on a haweka with lug-centric balance, and the steering wheel persists shaking from 55-65 mph. From what I have seen is this is a design flaw on this generation of 4 runners called the shimmy. For a newer vehicle this is not only dangerous, but unacceptable to not be considered…”
Steering · filed May 30, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
128 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota 4RUNNER. The 10 most recent:
Some 2019 – 2024 model year 4Runner vehicles may exhibit an abnormal noise that may be described as cracking, clicking, or creaking from the driver and/or passenger front seat cushion track. This condition may occur…
T-SB-0002-25 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 10, 2026
OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2026
Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 28, 2026
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
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system…
T-TT-0780-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system…
T-TT-0780-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software…
T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 11, 2025
Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software…
T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 11, 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
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 2021 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 2021 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.