Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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 have taken my car to Mountain states Toyota as well as corwin toyota for a tripped light it has to do with vehicle stability system it trips leaving the vehicle stability option not usable. I have told both dealers not to just reset the code however this is what's happening and they don't seem to know why it's doing this. we have repaired the knock sensors and speed sensors. It feels unsafe driving when this trips when road conditions call for all wheel drive. the technician can't figure it out why. their only solution is to keep resetting. This is not the option I want I need it repaired and they don't seem to want to do it or figure out and give us options on repair.
The rear tailgate window shattered while vehicle was in driveway as soon as it was turned off. Before it shattered there was an odor of something like plastic burning. Fortunately no one was hurt by the exploding bits of glass. The sound the breaking glass make was loud and startled the passengers. Good thing the vehicle was not in motion on the street or highway. On the internet I saw where other people shared the same problem on their Toyota 4Runner. Then I saw that Toyota had put out, TSB-0189-17, which stated exactly what happened to my 4Runner. Due to this possibly dangerous incident this should be upgraded to a vehicle safety recall.
Rusty frame undercarriage. It's not going to get any better due to the fact I have to drive on hwy 80 with all the construction, that's a hazard itself, potholes everywhere that puts stress on your frame and the salt every winter.
ABS, vsb trac on/off, and brake lights come on suddenly along with continuous high-pitched alert. Brakes eventually become difficult to work. Had towed to dealer, by the time dealer looked at, it wasn't happening and they could find nothing wrong. Picked up car, happened again on way home (both times making right hand turns). I am told this May be an electronic problem but regardless, to fix it, it will cost thousands of dollars ($4500 first quote) and requiring replacement of a number of parts/an entire assembly: brake booster/accumulator/master cylinder assembly. Besides the dangerous condition, don't understand why is built such that so much would have to be replaced and cost so much. Prior to this, seemed to have had more than usual problem with brakes, with multiple frozen calipers for example.
I was driving my car on pooler parkway in pooler, ga on a city street in heavy traffic when all of a sudden a buzzer goes off and my dashboard immediately gives off multiple warning signals. Vasc trac, trac off, ABS (I) brake. I immediately pull off to the side of the road and try to stop the car, but the brakes fail. This incident could have killed my whole family. I had to have the car towed. Chatham Toyota in savannah ga informed me that I was very lucky that I nor my family members were hurt or killed. They also stated to repair this would be $4,000.00 unbelievable! Toyota should warn and inform all buyers of this!!!!
I was driving at a speed of 50 MPH on pooler parkway in heavy traffic and a buzzer went off. All of a sudden my dashboard gives off multiple warning signals: vasc trac, trac off, ABS (I) brake. I do not know what the problem is so I pull off the road and try to stop the car, but the brakes fail. I had to have the car towed. Chatham Toyota in savannah ga tells me it's about $4,000.00 to repair this. This failure could have killed my whole family.
1.) 4runner sat for 10-15 minutes with radio on (not running) (battery tested good/700, 701, 691 our of 75 ca) 2.) 4runner would not start, battery issue, and was subsequently jumped. 3.) drove 4runner 10 minutes, parked, tuned off and started back up just fine. 4.) 4runner sat for 3 hours, started 4runner, buzzer/warning sound emitted and brake and ABS light were on. 5.) tried disconnecting battery to see if system would reset after speaking to Toyota dealer to no avail. 6.) backed 4runner out of parking spot, lights and buzzer still in effect, and 4runner had no breaks. 7.) took 4runner to dealer, dealer cleared codes, battery test, reset brake system, test drove, all worked. 8.) drove 4runner approximately 10-11 miles, hit brakes, brakes failed, ABS and brake light on, warning/buzzer sound, crash - no fatalities. 9.) codes from dealer c1223, c1251, c1256; brake fluid level good. …
I have an ongoing problem with our 2004 Toyota 4runner. It started about 4 years ago when the maryland state emmission test facility plugged into my odbi2 port. All the dash lights were on and I went in to the office and complained. I filed a form with emissions. I work out of town, my wife is a teacher and we have two small kids. Going to the dealer was not an option until school was our. In the mean time the truck drove fine other than no four wheel drive and the tires spinning if you hit the peddle to hard (no traction control or stability control. Took the truck to the dealer over the summer and they had to reset the values for $110.00 the four wheel drive would no longer engage. Toyota dealer said all the values being erased was a common problem with that year and mva cheep scanners. Maryland said they called Toyota and no one had ever had that 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. …
After picking my car up from the dealership from an oil change last October, my vehicle stabilty control (vsc) system zeroed the calibrations in effect shutting this system down. As a result, the car went into a sideways skid and nearly rolled. I had to have the car towed back to the dealership who recalibrated the system and accused my of inducing the skid and informed me the system if suppose to turn off if a tire starts to spin faster than another. In May, after picking the car up from another oil change at the dealership, the vsc system again zeroed the calibration while being driven from the service bay to the front. This time for know known reason. The dealership and Toyota technical support have told me to take the car, drive it and "see what happens". This seems to be occurring on a 13,000 mile frequency and when the system does turn off, the car is not safe to drive. …
NHTSA investigations
Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration
On February 16, 2010, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened RQ10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior Toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, Toyota recalls 07E-082, 09V-388, 10V-017, and 10V-023.NHTSA also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.I.
Electrical complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Toyota 4Runner, 3% of the model year's 678 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota 4Runner electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 Toyota 4Runner, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota 4Runner electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 121,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.