UsedScore

2021 Toyota 4Runner: Best bet

Owners filed 27 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota 4Runner in its first five years on the road, about 19 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical 4Runner year. That's among the fewest of any 4Runner year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the brakes (19% of complaints).

Complaint index
0.5×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical 4Runner year
Rank
2nd of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
27
first five years; 19 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
1
campaign
5th generation, 2010–2024 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5

Photo: 2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5 · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Brakes19% · 5 complaints
  2. Steering41% · 11 complaints
  3. Suspension37% · 10 complaints
  4. Driver assistance7% · 2 complaints
  5. Speed control4% · 1 complaints
  6. Wheels and tires19% · 5 complaints
  7. Electrical7% · 2 complaints
  8. Visibility11% · 3 complaints
  9. Lights7% · 2 complaints
  10. Air bags4% · 1 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Steering

Owners describe a persistent steering wheel shake or vibration at highway speeds that repeated attempts at tire balancing and alignment did not fix. One owner separately reported a steering column mechanism breaking, causing the column to move out of its locked position.

Warning signs:
Owners notice vibration or shaking in the steering wheel, sometimes felt in the seats or floor, often worsening in a certain speed range or on cold mornings.
What shops did:
Dealers and shops performed tire balancing, road-force balancing, tire rotation, and alignments, but many owners report the shaking returned or was never resolved.

“The steering wheel will shimmy between 50-61mph. Just under 60mph is when it's most apparent.”

“Steering wheel shakes around 58-64 mph. Brought 4Runner in twice already with tires being road-forced balanced but nothing seems to work.”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 22V480000July 2022280 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2020-2022 4Runner vehicles equipped with 20-inch Black Gunner Wheels. The load carrying capacity modification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

    Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: SET will mail replacement labels to owners, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Toyota sent NHTSA 128 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2021 4Runner. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • TSB004321Rev2 · July 2022TSB: Some 2020 model year vehicles equipped with Audio Plus (version 1021) or Premium Audio (version 1021) or earlier may exhibit one or more of the following conditions: ?Barge in function defaulted…
  • TSB005122 · May 2022TSB: Some 2019 ?
  • T-SB-0085-21 Rev · January 2022TSB: Some 2020 ?
  • T-SB-0085-21 · September 2021TSB: Some 2020 ?
  • T-SB-0066-20 Rev · December 2020TSB: Some 2020 model year vehicles equipped with Audio Plus (version 1060) or Premium Audio (version 1060) or earlier may exhibit the following concern: ?Distorted screen when using Apple CarPlay®…
  • T-SB-0002-25 Rev1 · August 2026Some 2019 – 2024 model year 4Runner vehicles may exhibit an abnormal noise that may be described as cracking, clicking, or creaking from the driver and/or passenger front seat cushion track.
  • T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · January 2026OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete.
  • T-SB-0001-26 · January 2026Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest,…

All 2021 4Runner bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2021 Toyota 4Runner reliable?
Owners filed 27 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota 4Runner in its first five years on the road, about 19 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical 4Runner year. That's among the fewest of any 4Runner year. Ratings compare 4Runner years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2021 4Runner problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (19%), the steering (41%) and the suspension (37%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2021 Toyota 4Runner been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2021 Toyota 4Runner, the most recent in July 2022 (equipment). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Toyota. The 2021 Toyota 4Runner on NHTSA.gov · How we rate