Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Toyota 4Runner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I experienced a terrifying "acceleration problem" this past week as I was parking my car at a local store. I'd already slowed down to almost a halt, but as I put my foot on the brake to come to a complete stop, it suddenly lurched forward with shocking speed. I instinctively threw the gear into park; it stopped as it crashed into the steps leading to the store entrance. The cause had nothing to do with a floor mat (I don't have any) nor "sticking" gas pedal (the car had already come almost to a halt before it suddenly accelerated). The brakes were useless and felt like they were disengaged; acceleration May have occurred after depressing the brake pedal (this is still cloudy in my mind). I bought the car new, in 2004. This is the first time I've had any problem. I wondered what I might have done to cause the problem after so many years without any. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota 4runner. While driving approximately 5 MPH into a parking space with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated on its own without warning. She applied extreme pressure to the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to stop and crashed into another vehicle. The front end of the vehicle was damaged and repaired. The mechanic test drove the vehicle, experienced the failure and advised the contact that they would not release the vehicle since it was too dangerous to drive. The dealer was notified and advised the contact that an inspector within their legal department would diagnose the failure since it was involved in a crash. The failure and current mileages were 40,400. Updated 03/04/10
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 25 MPH and caused the contact to crash into a pole. The contact was not injured and a police report was not filed. The contact did not call the manufacturer regarding the incident. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign I.d. Number 11V113000 (vehicle speed control) however, the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 164,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota 4-runner. The contact was driving 2 MPH uphill when the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a tree. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The contact was injured but there was no police report filed. The vehicle was inspected but no technician was able to explain what caused the crash. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The current mileage was approximately 110,000 and the failure mileage was 87,643.
The frame has so much rust on it and other areas of the undercargo that it has caused my speed and ABS sensors to work improperly. Speedometer will just quit working and ABS lights will come on with the vcs trac, vcs off, and ABS lights all coming on, then the engine light will also come on from time to time. There is already a hole rusted through the frame and mechanic said it was just a matter of time before it rusted through and broke.
I leased a 2004 Toyota 4 runner in 2004 for five years and turned the vehicle back into Toyota in 2009. During the time I had the vehicle, the accelerator became stuck on the freeway which resulted in my entire family almost being killed. Fortunately, we were not hurt, but our brakes were ruined during our efforts to bring the vehicle to stop. At the time, we had the brakes replaced and our mechanic felt that somehow, the floor mat caused the problem, rather than some mechanical issue. Early in 2011, I became aware of a recall of 2004 Toyota 4 runners because of this exact problem. I have requested reimbursement for the brake repair, but Toyota has told me that they will not reimburse me, as "brakes are not covered under the recall notice". I find this extremely disturbing and feel that Toyota is avoiding taking responsbility. …
Driving vehicle in frigid weather and engine service light went on, followed by vsc trac light and vsc off light going on. Went to service station they checked car and were able to turn off engine light. Took vehicle to empire Toyota in oneonta ny 1/18 and was told low battery caused problem. Diagnosis and battery change cost $202.33. I/29 same 3 lights go on. Returned to dealer, told computer sensed a future possible problem with catalytic converter and car designed to disable vehicle stability control system (a personal safety system) because of a possible future exhaust emission problem. Price quoted on catalytic repair was $2,200. Repair offer declined, engine light reset - dealer refused to turn vsc system stating it couldn't be done unless cat. Was replaced; charger another $86.40 for diagnosis of same problem. …
While driving, the CEL (check engine light) came on and the vsc trac and vsc off lights came on as well. Apparently Toyota disables vsc when the CEL is triggered. In my case, the 2 times it has occurred has been due to emissions related failures (1st time the cat failed, 2nd time one of the o2 sensors failed). In the 1st case, I immediately took the vehicle to the dealership as I was approaching the end of the emissions warranty. They made the repairs and cleared all the codes so wasn't aware that the vsc system was actually disabled. The 2nd time (o2 failure) I replaced the failed o2 sensor, the CEL has cleared, however the vsc lights are still on and vsc is disabled. I have serious concerns that Toyota disables key safety systems due to emissions related failures especially given the inherent stability problems with SUV's. …
I have a 2004 Toyota 4runner and a few months ago the accelerator pedal got stuck under the rubber floor mat. I purchased the rubber floor mat from a Toyota dealer and it was made specifically for the 4 runner. When the pedal got stuck, the engine was running wide open. I managed to get the vehicle in neutral and stopped before hitting anything. It was very frightening. It appears like the mat slid forward and that was what caused the pedal to get stuck. I had recently cleaned the mat and May not have had it positioned properly when I reinstalled it. I think the design of the mat is not safe due to the thickness of the mat at the front near the pedal. Future incidents are likely if the mat is loose and slides forward. I did have a carpeted mat under the rubber mat. The carpeted mat came with the 4runner when I bought the vehicle. …
Suffered sudden, catastrophic failure of vsc/ABS brake system while driving. Vsc, ABS, brake dash indicator lights illuminated with an audible alarm. Vehicle operated normally for about 1 mile, then lost most braking control. Narrowly avoided collision with another vehicle due to having minimal brake system. Had to use evasive steering and emergency brake maneuvers to slow and stop vehicle. After researching this issue on auto repair blogs there seems to be a common issue with the vsc/ABS system in most Toyota vehicles, especially camry's. Replacement of the defective part costs $3200 and Toyota refuses to acknowledge the problem or help pay for the repair since my vehicle is out of warranty. Catastrophic brake failure should not be tolerated by any manufacturer. …
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 Lexus lx570, 2003 through 2009 Toyota 4runner, and 2006 through 2010 rav4 vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Remedy: The remedy is now available. The safety recall began early April 2011. The remedy will involve modification or replacement of the accelerator pedal and replacement of any Toyota all-weather floor mat.
Acceleration complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Toyota 4Runner, 5% of the model year's 678 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota 4Runner acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 11V-113 (accelerator pedal, Feb 24, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota 4Runner acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.