2023 Toyota 4Runner problems, complaints & recalls
Far fewerToo few recent reports to judge
NHTSA has received 32 owner complaints about the 2023 Toyota 4Runner, or 8.4 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.21, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2023 vehicles we track, it ranks #21 of 92 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Toyota models its rate is 75% lower; against other Off-road SUVs it is 87% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2023-02-07 and 2026-09-04. Median delay from incident to filing: 16 days.
32Complaints
8.4Complaints per year on the road
0.21Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
1Recalls
18.8%Share involving a crash or fire
7Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2022) drew 8.1 complaints per year, about the same. The following model year (2024) drew 3.2 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2023 model collected 19 complaints, 77% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Unspecified or other (18.8% of complaints), followed by Airbags & seat belts (12.5%) and Wheels, tires & suspension (12.5%). Unspecified or other complaints are 2.1 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 6 reports (18.8%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 5 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 16 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (44% of incidents). 7 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.21
vs. other Toyota models0.25
vs. other 2023 models0.2
vs. other Off-road SUVs0.13
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (19)0.23
The contact owned a 2023 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while her father was driving under 30 MPH on a side road, the driver swerved to miss a deer.
Airbags & seat belts · 2026-02-04 · ODI 11715551 · Crash · Fire
The car just accelerated while during into parking lot. I used brake but did work and hit on to the pole. It accelerated pretty fast. The parking lot store has a video of me coming in slow and the the car accelerated.
Driver-assist systems · 2025-05-27 · ODI 11663054 · Crash
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that the driver's side door failed to lock using the key fob or the buttons on the door. The doors had to be manually locked and unlocked.
Body & structure · 2026-09-04 · ODI 11762125
Purchased size 265/70R17 tires (Michelin Defender LTX M/S2) exhibiting severe highway vibration immediately post-installation. The vibration persisted continuously for two years across every rotation, posing serious handling and steering risks.
Wheels, tires & suspension · 2026-08-25 · ODI 11759490
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).
Brakes · 2026-05-21 · ODI 11739260
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota 4Runner vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification label states the incorrect load carrying capacity, which can result in an overloaded vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC will mail a new modified label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 1, 2023. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET23A.
