Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Toyota 4Runner owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My gear shift became difficult to shift. As I was driving it, when I physically shifted to the Drive position, the display didn't confirm "D", but I could drive. As I was driving, the car shifted to Neutral without me shifting, but did not show "N" on the display. My car stopped accelerating and revved higher. This occurred as I was driving on the road around 45 mph. I could not tell on the display that I was not in Drive. I pulled over safely luckily. I Continued to try to get it to drive to get it to a dealership to look at. They reported it was PRNDL switch issue. TECH FOUND INTERNAL CORROSION IN TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR CREATING A PHYSICAL RESISTANCE IN SENSOR WHICH PREVENTED VEHICLE FROM PROPERLY INDICATING GEAR. TECH REPLACED TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR, ADJUSTED SENSORWITH TECHSTREAM DATA LIST, AND PERFORMED HEALTH CHECK This is not the first they have seen either. …
The horn stopped functioning. This is a safety hazard because i am not able to alert other drivers. The vehicle has only been inspected by the Toyota Dealer. No codes and no lights were displayed.Fearing for my family's safety, I paid for the repairs.
This complaint relates to a defect in the Toyota entune premium audio system with navigation. Audio software version 0101a5. Unit is produced by panasonic. Model 57080. The system randomly and without warning "freezes" thereby preventing the driver from lowering or muting radio volume. The volume cannot be lowered or muted until the vehicle is stopped, and the ignition is turned off. The reverse safety camera will not activate when the head unit is in its "frozen" state. Toyota motor sales USA entune support department has been contacted about this issue, and I have a case number. They have not been able to provide any fix for the issue other than to contact dealer. Dealer states radio unit is defective, and I must pay out of my pocket to replace. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that technical service bulletin number: 0278-17i was issued regarding the automatic running boards. The bulletin indicated that the running boards May fully deploy, but then retract when stepped on or retract on their own. The failure was identified on the running board's computer sensor. The contact stated that, due to the sensor, the running boards would retract before they were even accessed. The contact called herb chambers Toyota of boston (32 brighton ave, boston, ma 02134, [phone]) to inquire if they would pay for the repair. The dealer stated that the contact would still have to pay for the repairs. The manufacturer sent an inspector to the dealer and it was determined that the vehicle was no longer under warranty; therefore, the contact would have to pay for the repairs. …
Navigation/stereo/cd player will lock up then reboot itself. If I'm in the vehicle for at least an hour, it will lockup then reboot itself 3-4 times within that hour. It's very annoying and aggravating. It doesn't matter if I'm listening to a cd or radio station or pandora, or if I'm moving or sitting still, it will lock up for several seconds then reboot. This started happening around 20,000 miles and has only gotten worse. Since I live over an hour from the nearest Toyota dealership, I have only called them but never took it by there. According to gray daniels Toyota, this wasn't covered under my warranty. This should be a recall. It seems to be a cheap touchscreen stereo system. Also, my back speakers are busted. I do not listen to loud music either. The whole stereo system needs replacing or upgraded. I'm seriously thinking about trading my 4runner. …
Vehicle was in motion on a city street on 12/24/18 when the entire system (engine, electrical etc.) completely quit. I was near a stop light, so I stopped and restarted the engine and resumed travel. On 12//27/18 I was in motion in a parking lot and the entire system failed again. At this time no systems were operable including lighting and the vehicle did not immediately restart with the ignition key. After approximately 5 minutes the vehicle responded to the ignition key and restarted. I took the vehicle to a Toyota dealership and they did a diagnostics test. No issues were found during the test and they were unable to duplicate the complete system failure. They did and audio system update and I picked the vehicle back up on 12/28/18.
Yesterday morning when starting my 2014 4runner the trac off light stayed illuminated along with the check engine light. I took the vehicle to the dealership and it was discovered that the vehicle was damaged by rodents (chewing, droppings). An electrical wire had been completely chewed through. I turned the damage into my insurance company but am out a days work, $50 deductible, $100 deposit for rental vehicle and $5.10 tax daily on the rental. I believe this is all due to the soy being added to the vehicle electrical wiring (and anything else that is soy based) literally ringing the dinner bell for vermin.
While driving, the navigation/radio screen shuts off and seems to re-boot repeatedly. It is frustrating when using the radio, and dangerous when the navigation system goes blank while we are depending on it to get us to our destination. We have had to immediately pull off the road to wait for it to come back on-line and now we resort to using our Smart phone as a back-up because the navigation system on the vehicle is not dependable. It has always happened while driving of coursem as that's when it is being used. This just started happening June 10th and has happened 4 times in less than 2 weeks
I own a 2014 4runner with less than 60K miles on it. The front driver's door lock is completely gone and the rear driver's side is beginning to fail too. I've read on various Toyota owners websites that this seems to be a pretty common problem. The vehicle is no longer under warranty and I'm told that the cost to replace the actuator is $700-800 per door. It's totally unacceptable to me to spend $35K+ on a vehicle to then have $1500 in repairs 3 1/2 years later because of faulty equipment. I could understand if the vehicle was 10-15 years old.
The automatic door locks do not function properly and will not lock or unlock without manually flipping the lock or forcing the key to unlock it. This is a safety concern because if this vehicle was to be in an accident, it would be difficult to get a person in or out of the vehicle quickly and safely. Any instance in which someone May need to get in and out of the vehicle quickly the failure of the locking mechanism could possibly result in a catastrophe.
Electrical complaints in other 4Runner years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2014 Toyota 4Runner?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the electrical system of the 2014 Toyota 4Runner, 31% of the model year's 77 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Toyota 4Runner electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2014 Toyota 4Runner, though it has 7 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 2014 Toyota 4Runner electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
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.