Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2016 Toyota 4runner — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2019 to Dec 2020
The most reported issue is electrical system problems (10 complaints). 5 complaints involved crashes. 1 involved fire.
Open Safety Recalls (8)
NHTSA Campaign: 19V005000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS250, IS350, 2011-2016 4Runner, 2011-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2011-2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, 2011-2017 Lexus GX460, and 2011-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS350, 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Lexus IS250, 2010-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2010-2014 Lexus IS-F, and 2010-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.
NHTSA Campaign: 19V741000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
NHTSA Campaign: 17V425000
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: If the hood scoop detaches, it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET17B.
NHTSA Campaign: 17V763000
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Toyota 4Runner vehicles equipped with an accessory Billet Grille Overlay installed by SET or provided by SET and installed by SET dealers. The U-nut that secures the overlay grille may fracture, allowing the Billet Grille Overlay to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: If the Billet Grille Overlay detaches while driving, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the securing U-nuts with upgraded hardware, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 26, 2018. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET17C.
NHTSA Campaign: 17V291000
Component: EQUIPMENT
Gulf States Toyota, Inc (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2016-2017 4Runner vehicles equipped with the TFORCE accessory package. The fasteners for the aftermarket roof rack may have been improperly tightened.
Risk: If the roof rack fasteners loosen, the roof rack may detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, tighten the roof rack fasteners, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Gulf States' number for this recall is 17R1.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V937000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling one 2016 Toyota 4Runner vehicle manufactured November 1, 2016 and one 2017 Lexus GX460 vehicle manufactured November 16, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with Takata PSPI-LD front passenger air bag inflators that may have been manufactured without ignition booster tablets. As a result, in the event of a crash, the air bag may not fully inflate during deployment of the primary stage. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: The improper inflation of the passenger air bag may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Toyota dealers have replaced the passenger side air bag modules, free of charge. Toyota notified the affected dealers on December 15, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G06, GLR.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V236000
Component: TIRES
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V228000
Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured September 22, 2014, to March 23, 2016 and equipped with accessories installed by Gulf States. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will install an accurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 1, 2016. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Gulf States' number for this recall is 16R2.
Owner-Reported Issues (20 of 75)
Suspension →3 issues
Both of your front coil springs have cracked — the right one failed first, and the left one cracked at 114,000 miles. This appears to be a design problem with how the springs sit on the spring perch, and you may experience a sudden loss of vehicle control if a spring breaks completely. Fixing this will require replacing the front coil springs and possibly the strut assemblies.
Parts you may need:
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Your 4Runner's X-REAS sport suspension system is failing at 58,000 miles, even though you've only driven on city streets. Both the front struts and rear shock absorbers are leaking fluid and need to be replaced. The repair will involve removing and installing new strut and shock absorber assemblies.
Parts you may need:
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Your 4Runner has an aftermarket upper control arm that's subject to a suspension recall (NHTSA Campaign 23E051000), but you're having trouble getting the manufacturer to respond about the repair. You've called and left messages without receiving a callback, and the delay has gone beyond what seems reasonable. Getting the recall repair scheduled will likely require persistent follow-up contact with the parts manufacturer or dealer.
Parts you may need:
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Back Over Prevention →3 issues
Your backup camera display shows a blank screen at random times, though the screen works normally otherwise. This issue has been happening intermittently over the past couple of years. The problem likely involves the camera itself, its wiring connection, or the display module, and may require inspection and replacement of the faulty component.
Parts you may need:
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Your backup camera display intermittently goes blank, starting around 125,000 miles and becoming more frequent. Restarting the car or shifting gears doesn't fix it. The dealer says this isn't a known issue and you'll need to replace the camera system, which is expensive.
Parts you may need:
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Your rearview camera displayed a blank screen when you tried to back up, preventing you from seeing what's behind your vehicle. This backup camera failure removes an important safety feature designed to help you avoid hitting objects or people while reversing. The issue developed at 125,293 miles. A repair would likely involve diagnosing the camera system and replacing either the camera unit itself or its wiring/connectors.
Parts you may need:
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Structure →3 issues
Your car's clear coat—the protective layer over the paint—is peeling off and spreading across the body, starting from the tailgate and now affecting the hood and roof. This is a known issue with your 4Runner model year, though Toyota has only recalled the pearl white version so far due to higher complaint volume. Your nautical blue isn't covered by recall yet because fewer complaints have been filed for that color.
Parts you may need:
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Your 2016 4Runner's clear coat is peeling and flaking off the hood and roof, even though you've maintained the vehicle properly and applied a ceramic coating. The protective clear layer has failed, leaving the base coat underneath exposed and starting to oxidize. This appears to be a manufacturing defect rather than damage from neglect or improper care. Repairing this will likely require sanding down the affected panels and reapplying clear coat and paint.
Parts you may need:
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The clear coat paint on your roof and rear bumper is bubbling or peeling. This is a cosmetic issue that affects the appearance of your vehicle. Fixing this will likely require sanding down the affected areas and repainting them with new clear coat.
Parts you may need:
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Air Bags →2 issues
Your car's airbags deployed completely after hitting road debris that struck only the front skid plate at 55 mph, with no contact to the bumper, wheels, or other parts and no loss of control. The collision shop was surprised by the full airbag deployment given the minor nature of the impact. Addressing this will likely require airbag system diagnostics and replacement of the deployed airbag modules.
Parts you may need:
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Your side curtain airbags deployed and hit your head while you were driving through mud ruts in 4WD Low, even though you weren't rolling over. Toyota's investigation found that the rollover sensors incorrectly detected a rollover event based on the vehicle's motion through the terrain. You're concerned about the safety of this predictive system and noted that the rollover airbag shutoff button was removed from your model year per NHTSA regulations. Addressing this may require Toyota to recalibrate or replace the rollover detection sensors, or you may need to discuss alternative solutions with the manufacturer.
Parts you may need:
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Electrical System →2 issues
While driving at 70 mph on the highway, your radio, USB ports, blower motor, and dashboard instruments lost power three separate times. You discovered the battery mount was broken with missing pieces, causing the mount to loosen and make contact with your positive battery terminal, which created sparks when you tried to remove it. This is a serious electrical hazard that requires replacing the battery mount and inspecting the battery terminal for damage.
Parts you may need:
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Your 4Runner hesitates when you press the accelerator pedal at various speeds, and multiple warning lights appear on your dashboard. A dealer discovered that rodents chewed through the soy-based wiring, which was replaced at your expense, but the problem came back twice. The underlying wiring damage may need complete electrical harness replacement or rodent-deterrent measures to prevent future chewing.
Parts you may need:
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Fuel/propulsion System →2 issues
Your 4Runner is having trouble starting consistently, even though you've already replaced the battery and tested the alternator. The starting problem sounds similar to a fuel pump issue from a recall that affected 2014-2015 models, and since your 2016 was built in September 2015, it may be affected. A failing fuel pump could eventually leave you stranded, so having it inspected and replaced if necessary should resolve the starting issue.
Parts you may need:
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Your fuel pump failed while you were driving 70 mph on the highway, causing your vehicle to stall. You've noted that Toyota has issued recalls for fuel pump problems on 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 4Runners, but not for 2016 models. Replacing the fuel pump will be necessary to restore normal operation.
Parts you may need:
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Unknown Or Other,service Brakes →1 issue
While slowly pulling into your driveway and braking to stop in front of your garage, your 4Runner unexpectedly accelerated forward instead of stopping, even though you continued pressing the brakes. The vehicle crashed through your closed garage door, hit an interior wall and ladder before stopping, though the engine continued revving and the vehicle tried to move forward until you shut it off. The dealership mentioned your vehicle has a fail-safe system meant to prevent the brake and accelerator from engaging at the same time, suggesting this shouldn't have happened. Diagnosis will likely involve the dealership inspecting the brake system, accelerator pedal mechanism, and any electronic controls that coordinate them.
Parts you may need:
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Electrical System,seats →1 issue
Your car produced burning electrical smoke and your passenger's seat became dangerously hot, even though the seat warmer switch wasn't turned on. The smoke got worse as you drove onto the freeway, and the area around the seat warmer switch appeared to be on the verge of catching fire. The issue appears to involve faulty wiring or electrical components in the seat heating system that malfunctioned on their own.
Parts you may need:
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Visibility/wiper →1 issue
Your 4Runner's rear window defogger wiring harness melted while the vehicle was parked and off, causing the rear window to crack and shatter outward. The glass shop that replaced the window recommended not reconnecting the harness due to the melting issue. This suggests an electrical fault in the defogger circuit that could pose a fire or safety risk. The repair will likely involve replacing the defogger wiring harness and having the electrical system inspected to prevent recurrence.
Parts you may need:
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Power Train →1 issue
Your 4Runner's transmission shudders or vibrates during operation, and this problem has persisted even after three repair attempts. Both the Toyota dealer and an independent mechanic have confirmed the issue is with the torque converter, which Toyota acknowledges has quality problems with this part. You may feel unsafe driving on highways due to this ongoing transmission problem. The fix will likely involve replacing the torque converter with a new unit from Toyota.
Parts you may need:
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Seat Belts →1 issue
Your passenger side back seat seatbelt broke during normal use. The belt gave out without any accident or impact involved. You'll need to have the seatbelt assembly replaced to ensure safe restraint for back seat passengers.
Parts you may need:
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