UsedScore

2025 Toyota 4Runner: Too new to judge

The 2025 Toyota 4Runner has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 59 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 4.7× the rate other 4Runner years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the brakes (39% of complaints).

Complaint index
4.7×
partial: first 23 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
59
in 23 months so far
Recalls
1
campaign
6th generation, 2025–today (first year of the generation; redesign years often run worse) · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Sport

Photo: 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Sport · Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Brakes39% · 23 complaints
  2. Electrical14% · 8 complaints
  3. Air bags5% · 3 complaints
  4. Seats and belts2% · 1 complaints
  5. Steering8% · 5 complaints
  6. Body and structure12% · 7 complaints
  7. Driver assistance5% · 3 complaints
  8. Engine3% · 2 complaints
  9. Fuel and propulsion3% · 2 complaints
  10. Powertrain3% · 2 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

Brakes

Many 2025 4Runner owners report loud squealing or screeching brakes, especially in reverse, sometimes starting within days of purchase. Dealers frequently say they can't find or fix the cause, and some owners say a service bulletin attempt didn't resolve the noise.

Warning signs:
Owners describe a high-pitched squeal or scratching/grinding sound from the brakes, worse when cold or backing up, sometimes with a shudder.
What shops did:
Dealers often say they can't repair the noise, replaced brake pads in some cases without lasting resolution, and some mention a service bulletin that owners say didn't fix it.

“All four brakes shriek going forward and reverse.”

“Brakes screech every time I back up. Brake pads have been replaced twice and issue is still unresolved.”

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 25V595000September 2025591,377 vehicles

    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. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.

    Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    Fix: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, 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 58 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2025 4Runner. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • T-SB-0006-26 Rev2 · July 2026Some 2024 – 2026 model year Land Cruiser, and 2025 – 2026 model year 4Runner and 4Runner Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving in…
  • T-SB-0006-26 Rev1 · May 2026Some 2024 – 2026 model year Land Cruiser, and 2025 – 2026 model year 4Runner and 4Runner Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving in…
  • T-SB-0046-25 Rev2 · February 2026OBSOLETE NOTICE February 12, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete.
  • T-SB-0006-26 · February 2026Some 2024 – 2026 model year Land Cruiser, and 2025 – 2026 model year 4Runner and 4Runner Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving in…
  • T-SB-0046-25 Rev1 · September 2025Some 2024 – 2025 model year Land Cruiser, and 2025 model year 4Runner and 4Runner Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving in reverse.
  • T-SB-0046-25 · July 2025Some 2024 – 2025 model year Land Cruiser, and 2025 model year 4Runner and 4Runner Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving in reverse.
  • T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · June 2025The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks.
  • T-TT-0779-25 · April 2025To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit.

All 2025 4Runner bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2025 Toyota 4Runner reliable?
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 59 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 4.7× the rate other 4Runner years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold. 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 2025 4Runner problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (39%), the electrical system (14%) and the air bags (5%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2025 Toyota 4Runner been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2025 Toyota 4Runner, the most recent in September 2025 (electrical system). 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 2025 Toyota 4Runner on NHTSA.gov · How we rate