Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 14% | 0 miles |
| 2025 | 8 | 13% | 1,000 miles |
| 2024 | 2 | 22% | — |
| 2022 | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2021 | 3 | 8% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2019 | 8 | 12% | 22,000 miles |
| 2018 | 4 | 7% | 55,000 miles |
| 2017 | 5 | 14% | 2,000 miles |
| 2016 | 18 | 23% | 14,000 miles |
| 2015 | 13 | 15% | 45,000 miles |
| 2014 | 24 | 31% | 50,000 miles |
| 2013 | 4 | 11% | 85,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 6% | 37,000 miles |
| 2011 | 6 | 4% | 49,000 miles |
| 2010 | 4 | 3% | 81,000 miles |
| 2009 | 4 | 18% | 23,000 miles |
| 2008 | 5 | 5% | 185,000 miles |
| 2007 | 13 | 8% | 111,000 miles |
| 2006 | 18 | 5% | 109,000 miles |
| 2005 | 9 | 2% | 170,000 miles |
| 2004 | 22 | 3% | 121,000 miles |
| 2003 | 12 | 2% | 94,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 1% | 94,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 3% | 112,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 1% | 100,000 miles |
| 1999 | 17 | 5% | 112,000 miles |
| 1998 | 11 | 4% | 103,000 miles |
| 1997 | 6 | 2% | 65,000 miles |
| 1996 | 3 | 2% | — |
| 1995 | 6 | 3% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact was a police officer calling on behalf of the owner of a 2025 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while the owner was attempting to park the vehicle in a parking spot, the vehicle began to independently accelerate up a hill. The owner then placed the vehicle into reverse(R) as the vehicle continued to accelerate while in reverse. The contact stated that the owner had their foot firmly pressed on the brake pedal as the vehicle continued to accelerate. The owner then struck two parked vehicles and another moving vehicle that was entering the parking lot. The vehicle continued to accelerate in reverse(R), crossed a side street, and entered a grassy area before the vehicle abruptly shut off. The contact was unaware if any warning lights had appeared on the instrument panel during the failure. The air bags did not deploy at any time during the failure. …
On August 29, 2026, I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake when I noticed the vehicle moving forward even though I was pressing the brake pedal. I immediately entered a nearby parking lot at very low speed. I had significant difficulty stopping and used the electronic parking brake to help keep the vehicle stopped. While still inside, I noticed a strong burning smell and smoke. After exiting, I saw smoke coming from the passenger side. I walked to that side and saw flames coming from the area near the passenger-side tire. I attempted to extinguish the fire with a small amount of water. I then opened the hood and observed fire in the same general passenger-side area, including near the tire and around the battery area. The heat/fire was severe enough to crack and damage the windshield. I called 911, and the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. …
On 3/30/21 it was discovered that my 2021 4runner with 5500 miles caught fire while parked in my enclosed garage. This event happened while my family and I were sleeping. The fire was discovered @5am at which time the fire department was contacted. The fire was contained to the garage. The vehicle was a total loss and was determined to be the source of the fire that destroyed all of the contents in my garage and significantly damaged the garage structure resulting in a rebuild. The fire department performed an initial investigation, a 3rd party fire investigator performed an investigation, and State Farm along with a representative from Toyota conducted an investigation. Per my claims adjuster, the investigation determined that the fire originated in the vehicle but the exact cause could not be determined due to the damage to the wiring harness and the proximity to the condenser. …
Saturday morning July 12th after starting my vehicle, a warning was presented "SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION". I immediately took it to the dealership where they ran diagnostics. The service advisor admitted he nor his mechanic had ever seen anything like that before. They were unable to detect the issue that day. We planned to return the vehicle Thursday July 17. I dropped it off at 10am and never heard from the dealership again that day. Friday, July 18th I contacted the service advisor around 10 am to get an update in which he said they were looking into it. Friday afternoon, I received a call from the service advisor letting me know that the front passenger Occupant ECU had malfunctioned, costing approximately $1000. After researching this, I learned that Toyota has issued many recalls on this issue with other models. …
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact waited an hour and was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that while her mother was driving 5 MPH, she heard abnormal grinding sounds, and the vehicle inadvertently stalled. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact also stated that she had smelled a strong burning odor while driving and the subframe of the vehicle was corroded. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving at 45 MPH, he noticed that the vehicle was shuddering. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated and the vehicle continued to shudder while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that rodents were consuming the food-based wires that were coming out of the wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota 4Runner. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy per a Carfax report. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle mileage was 65,862. However, the Carfax report indicated that the mileage was 61,000 in April 2022; 90,000 in February 2023; and 54,000 towards the end of the month in February 2023. The contact stated that the current approximate mileage was 86,000.
Apparently rodents have gone to the engine and ate the soy wires to the harness. This in turn has cost me over $1000 to fix. The only warning was when the warning lights came on and four runner started to shake when started.
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the…
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota 4Runner years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2014 (24), 2004 (22), 2006 (18), 2016 (18) and 1999 (17) model years. Electrical complaints make up 31% of all complaints for the 2014.
Is there a recall for Toyota 4Runner electrical problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 25V-595 (instrument cluster/panel, Sep 11, 2025). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota 4Runner electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the wiring (7 mentions), followed by the ignition › module (6).
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.