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 2007 Toyota 4Runner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
"I am requesting that dot NHTSA investigate the driver's contribution to unintended acceleration (ua) and Toyota's accelerator/brake pedal designs that make it possible. I was driving my Toyota 4 runner in the neighborhood street of my community. My speed was less than 30mph and it accelerated suddenly. I applied the brake and instead of slowing down the vehicle began to gain speed. I pressed harder on the brake and it accelerated. The harder I tried to stop the car, the faster it went. I took my foot off the brake for a moment and the vehicle stopped accelerating. My foot was on the brake. It accelerated and would not stop so I pulled the car from the street to the curb covered by grass. It slowed down to some extent and then I intentionally to a turn and hit the median curb & tree to stop the car. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota 4runner. The contact was driving 5 MPH into a parking space when the vehicle abnormally accelerated into the wall of a building. The contact sustained minor injuries. The vehicle sustained damages to the front bumper and headlights. The vehicle was towed by the contact's insurance company. The manufacturer advised an inspector would evaluate the vehicle for failures and advised the contact that the manufacturer would disclose the cause of the failure. The contact was not advised of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated the vehicle was in the possession of the dealer where the contact was awaiting a decision on repairs. The failure mileage was 35,000.
I experienced a sudden acceleration on 10-5-10 in my 2007 Toyota 4runner, 4wd. As I was turning onto a busy street at an intersection with lights, I pushed on the brake at the stop sign as the oncoming traffic approached, but the car continued accelerating into the lane at the intersection, and I pushed as hard as possible on the brake. I pushed the gear lever forward as the oncoming car veered into the next lane to avoid me. Continuing to push on the brake, I shifted into reverse, but the acceleration was still active and my tires squealed in reverse, so I shifted down into neutral and stopped, and the traffic had stopped also. Since the acceleration stopped I was able to drive normally, and there was no collision, thankfully. Toyota inspected the vehicle as usual, finding nothing, and said they adjusted the mat and that was that. …
I bought a 2010 Toyota camry in sept. I called my dealership 2 weeks after I bought it noticing that my car revs up for no reason & doesn't shift right. I contacted another Toyota dealership recently about it not shifting right & they said they have had several complaints about the same thing. My mom has a 2007 Toyota 4-runner & the gas pedal stuck 3x on her & my stepdad last summer on the interstate. Not knowing what to do, he turned off the ignition & coasted to the side of the interstate. They contacted marion, il Toyota dealership where they bought it & they gave my parents a hard time & was very hateful. After the 3rd time they finally cleaned the "throttle body" & hasn't done it since yet she hasn't drove it much since she is scared for her life. She has been an avid Toyota owner. …
I was waiting in line of traffic to pick up my daughter at school. Car was in drive, my foot was firmly on the brake pedal, when the engine suddenly raced and the car lurched forward about 10 feet. I stomped harder on the brakes and the car did stop, but at no time had my foot ever left the brake pedal, and was not even remotely touching the gas. At first I thought the car had been hit from behind, but when the incident was over, I realized that was not the case. My wife observed the incident from the passenger seat and concurs that my foot was on the brake the whole time. She later checked to make sure that the mat had not shifted to press on the gas, but confirmed that nothing was in contact, or even near the gas pedal. My wife took the car to the dealer the same day to check the computer codes, but nothing was recorded in the history. Dealer was unable to observe the phenomenon. …
The incident happened at the intersection of harbison and division st. Southbound at harbison st.,while slowing down for a full stop at a red light with my right foot gradually pressing the brake pedal suddenly the engine RPM went up so high without stepping on the accelerator pedal. My immediate reaction was to press harder the brake pedal. The high acceleration lasted about 10 seconds and I was able to bring the vehicle to a full stop at the middle of the intersection which have caused an oncoming vehicle at my leftside to swerve to its left to avoid an impact. This is the second time it occurred. The first time it happened with another driver it was ignored because he thought it was normal. There was no repair done on both times it happened. The owner have not receive any notice of manufacturer notice of defect. The first incident was about 6 months ago and not reported. …
Over the past 9-12 months I have owned the 4runner, I have noticed the floormats slide up behind the brake and acceleration pedal when I am constantly switching between the two (eg. Heavy traffic, long trips, etc.). I usually am able to pull them back down at a stoplight or stop sign; however, on Tuesday, July 29th, I was involved in an auto accident that was not only in heavy traffic, but while on a 200+ mile trip as well. I believe that the floor mat caused my car to have limited braking ability in addition to possible increased acceleration. The NHTSA's findings seem to be consistent with this. Additionally, the complaint with NHTSA id number: 10384563 states that "I pushed on the brake... But the car continued accelerating" and then "Toyota inspected the vehicle... And said they adjusted the mat" is one of many that have findings consistent with the malfunction that caused my wreck.
Tl contact owns a 2007 Toyota 4 runner. He stated that when he was driving 30 MPH and began slowing down with his foot on the brake pedal, the braking system failed and the vehicle did not slow down. He then depressed the brake pedal very hard multiple times to stop the vehicle. The failure has also occurred 5 times. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who stated that there was nothing wrong and the failure could not be duplicated. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure mileages was 20,000. The current mileage is 25,000. Updated 6/1/10 updated 06/04/10
Tl contact owns a 2007 Toyota 4runner. When the contact started the vehicle, the engine revved while the vehicle was in park. The accelerator pedal was depressed and the failure continued to occur. Suddenly, the ignition was turned off. The front driver side floor area was inspected regarding the floor mat entrapment, to no avail. The vehicle was restarted and the failure continued to occur. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. The cause of failure has not been determined at this time. The current mileage was 33,300. The failure mileage was 33,100.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota 4runner. While attempting to park the vehicle with his foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated. The contact stated that minor damage was done to the vehicle when he attempted to stop it from accelerating. He was able to shift the vehicle into park and shut the engine off. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and stated that there was nothing was wrong with the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted but would provide no assistance. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were 40,000.
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 2007 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2007 Toyota 4Runner, 14% of the model year's 154 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 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 2007 Toyota 4Runner acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 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.