Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2023 Toyota 4RUNNER problems & reliability

30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 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.

Owner complaints
30
Recall campaigns
1
Fire reports
1 (3%)
Crash reports
6 (20%)

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
17 MPG combined
City 16 · highway 19 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
95
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

2 complaints report injuries (5 injured).

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Unknown OR Other12
Exterior Lighting3
Tires3
Air Bags2
Back Over Prevention2
Engine2
Forward Collision Avoidance2
Power Train2
Seat Belts2
Service Brakes2

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.

Complaints by incident year

22
23
24
25
26

What owners report

  • New, strange noise started in Dec'25 (41K miles; 2yrs 9 months). No warning lights. Diagnosed as failed brake accumulator (first at an independent shop, later at the dealer). Apparently the accumulator is part of the full master cylinder assembly which must be replaced. Toyota has quoted $3,200 to complete this repair…

    Service Brakes · filed May 21, 2026

  • I was driving the vehicle and suddenly the steering wheel started to getting hard to turn it and the dash board doesn’t show any failure I went right away to dealership close by they inspected the vehicle they states there is a power steering failure but the car never showed any failure on dashboard or safety system

    Steering · filed Mar 3, 2026

  • Windshield cracked approximately 2” from the bottom all the way across while using the defroster to clear ice from it. I was still parked at the time. I am unsure how long it will stay water tight or become worse. One concern is the crash avoidance and the automatic high beam sensor are both attached to the windshield…

    Visibility/wiper · filed Feb 6, 2026

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

Technical service bulletins

95 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2023 Toyota 4RUNNER. The 10 most recent:

  • Customers state Parking Brake efficiency concerns. The conditions can include the following: • The Parking Brake Pedal feels loose or requires full depression for proper engagement. • When not fully depressed…

    T-TT-0788-25 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 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

  • Customers state Parking Brake efficiency concerns. The conditions can include the following: • The PKB Pedal feels loose or requires full depression for proper engagement. • Ineffective on steep surfaces, allowing the…

    T-TT-0788-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 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

  • 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

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 2023 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 2023 Toyota 4RUNNER?

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.