Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Toyota 4Runner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Upon moving with the flow of traffic at about 30 to 35 mph a car shot from a driveway straight in front of me causing me to hit that driver in the rear quarter panel of the passenger side putting him into a 360 spin not causing my airbags to deploy at that rate of speed in my opinion that is a huge fault of my system from my vehicle at that rate of speed my airbags should have went off to protect me as if I didn't have my seat belt on but thank God I always wear my seatbelt
The back brake lines rusted out completely crumbling causing me to almost collide head on with oncoming traffic while my kids where in the car. This was a terrifying experience. Upon further inspection the back brakes were so rusted out that they crumbled to dirt.
In miami, fl. At intersection of waterway drive and sw. 72 ave. Made left turn under rain, (all day raining) I lost control of the vehicle after turn. Came to a stand still and momentarily, I accelerated towards a tree aprox. 15 feet away, vehicle crashed against tree so severely that passenger side of frame bent bad (declared total lost by state farm insurance). Air bag did not deploy. I hit my against head against the windshield, hit steering wheel with rib cage, I was taken to south miami hospital emergency room. After two cat scans and two x-rays I was sent home to follow- up with my primary care physician I am still in pain mainly neck an shoulders and lately my lower back. Still have trouble sleeping, etc. Cannot do house chores. Pcp forbidden any type of exercise for the time being. Please advise. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota 4runner. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the ABS, auto lsd, and vsc trac warning indicators illuminated continuously. The brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to decelerate. The contact stated that the emergency brakes engaged and the vehicle stopped abruptly. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power booster assembly failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Updated 04/13/16
My Toyota 2005 4runner undercarriage and frame is really badly rusted.the brake lines have rusted out and failed on 2 separate occasions in heavy traffic once (8/2017) on a 4 lane I had to cross to safety, and last on a steep hill with heavy traffic at the bottom of hill, thank god I didn't hit anyone. Now I find out that the frame has a crack in it and rusted out on the passenger side and is split/rusted up front, it is very dangerous. I can not afford to pay out of pocket for repairs..
Toyota dealer failed safety inspection due to rear suspension arm rusted off and a hole rusted through frame. Only has 124,000 miles. Toyota said that vehicle is unsafe to drive and rear end May lift during a hard stop. Rear brake lines are also rusted out.
The rear control arm broke while I was driving causing me to swerve uncontrollably and almost causing a collision
I purchased this beautiful used black 2005 4runner in October of 2016 and the body still looks beautiful - no visible rust anywhere on doors etc - but I took it in to auto craftsmen in montpelier, vt to check my brakes and replace a couple of bulbs to get the vehicle ready for vermont state inspection as the car is due for inspection in feb 2018 and I wanted to head up any maintenance needed. Was shocked when I went back and craftsmen told me not to put any money into the vehicle - that the frame was broken, had major hole in it and that the frame was too rusty to patch the hole - holy unexpected batman. …
My 2005 Toyota 4runner has had issues with front brake calipers seizing up. With roughly 60K miles on it, I had to replace both front calipers because the lower inner pistons were seized. I replaced the calipers with re-manufactured calipers. At 100K miles, I had to replace the front calipers again for the same reason. After searching on the Toyota 4runner forums, it appears that this is a common problem. The local Toyota dealership was unable to offer anything other than replacing the calipers at my cost. I called the Toyota customer service line and reported the problem twice, but they were also unable to do anything. They blame road salt for the issue. My other vehicles, as well as those of my neighbors/friends/coworkers, have operated in the same conditions, but haven't had this issue. Thus far, I haven't had a complete braking failure or incident from the issue. …
The problem is the sudden reduction of braking power. It happened twice during the course of the owner ship of my SUV. Last incident happened on 01/31/2009. Early in the morning I was backing up from my garage by using the reverse gear and then I switched the gear to d to move forward. My driveway slopes down away from my garage. While moving forward away from the garage I tried to brake, but the pedal went all the way down to the floor and the SUV was still moving. I had to pump the brake few times stop. The break system acted like that for next 2-3 hours and then it went back to 'normal'. The fist time that it happened about 2 years ago, Toyota looked at it but apparently couldn't find any thing. I don't know when and where it will happen again. Hopefully not on the freeway going 55 MPH. Honestly I don't trust the braking system of this SUV any more.
Brake complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Toyota 4Runner, 8% of the model year's 425 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota 4Runner brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2005 Toyota 4Runner, though it has 5 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 2005 Toyota 4Runner brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to brakes 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.