2021 Toyota 4runner Electrical Problems

Your vehicle displayed an "SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" warning after starting. The dealership diagnosed a faulty front passenger Occupant ECU (the computer controlling the passenger airbag system), which costs approximately $1,000 to replace. You discovered that Toyota has issued recalls for this same issue on other models, but Toyota indicated the repair cost is your responsibility rather than covered under warranty or recall.

Your door lock actuators are failing prematurely — your front passenger door locks stopped working in summer 2024, your driver's side door locks failed a few months later, and your liftgate locks failed about 4 months ago. This is a safety concern because you may not be able to quickly exit or enter your vehicle in an emergency. Your Toyota dealership has acknowledged the issue but hasn't offered a repair solution. A potential class action lawsuit has been filed regarding this defect.

On 3/30/21 it was discovered that my 2021 4runner with 5500 miles caught fire while parked in my enclosed garage. This event happened while my family and I were sleeping. The fire was discovered @5am at which time the fire department was contacted. The fire was contained to the garage. The vehicle was a total loss and was determined to be the source of the fire that destroyed all of the contents in my garage and significantly damaged the garage structure resulting in a rebuild. The fire department performed an initial investigation, a 3rd party fire investigator performed an investigation, and State Farm along with a representative from Toyota conducted an investigation. Per my claims adjuster, the investigation determined that the fire originated in the vehicle but the exact cause could not be determined due to the damage to the wiring harness and the proximity to the condenser. This incident could have easily lead to significant injury or death to my family. The vehicle had not experienced any issues, no warning lights had indicated an issue, and the only maintenance that had been performed to the vehicle was a tire rotation at 5000 miles at the Toyota dealership.