2025 Toyota 4Runner problems, complaints & recalls
TypicalRising
NHTSA has received 62 owner complaints about the 2025 Toyota 4Runner, or 34.7 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (complaint index 0.86, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 86 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #52 of 86 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Toyota models its rate is about the same; against other Off-road SUVs it is 46% 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 2025-04-04 and 2026-10-09. Median delay from incident to filing: 15 days.
62Complaints
34.7Complaints per year on the road
0.86Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
1Recalls
8.1%Share involving a crash or fire
39Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2024) drew 3.2 complaints per year, fewer than this one.
The most common problem area is Brakes (37.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (16.1%) and Body & structure (14.5%). Brakes complaints are 6.2 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 5 reports (8.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 3 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 10 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (68% of incidents). In the last 12 months 39 new complaints were filed, versus 23 in the 12 months before — up 70%.
On August 29, 2026, I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake when I noticed the vehicle moving forward even though I was pressing the brake pedal. I immediately entered a nearby parking lot at very low speed.
Electrical · 2026-08-30 · ODI 11760685 · Fire
The front brakes emit a very loud, embarrassing screeching or howling sound. This noise happens most severely when backing up/shifting into reverse.
Brakes · 2026-10-09 · ODI 11770239
The brakes make a loud squealing noise especially in reverse. This is concerning and not what I expect from a brand new car!
Brakes · 2026-10-02 · ODI 11768642
The steering system malfunctioned. The vehicle is at the dealer for inspection/repair. When driving the steering is loose, when you go over bumps there is an audible thump in the cabin of the vehicle.
Steering · 2026-08-28 · ODI 11760219
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.
Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Additional letters will be sent, anticipated in May 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB08 and 25TA08. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB05 and 25LA05.
