Your vehicle report
2005 Toyota 4RUNNER
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 410
- Received May 2006 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Frame rusts and corrodes through173 complaints · 42% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking26 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Glass shatters or cracks without impact20 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V396000Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
- Recall #16V065000Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Frame rusts and corrodes throughFirst signal: Apr 2015
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 19 crashes, 3 fires, 13 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Frame rusts and corrodes through
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
- Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 10 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2010 | 31 |
| 2011 | 12 |
| 2012 | 13 |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 31 |
| 2017 | 33 |
| 2018 | 64 |
| 2019 | 50 |
| 2020 | 37 |
| 2021 | 33 |
| 2022 | 16 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 3 |
| Total | 410 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 173 | 42% | 72.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2015 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.5% |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 26 | 6.3% | – | NHTSA recall #11V113000 |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 20 | 4.9% | – | |
| Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag | 7 | 1.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 6 | 1.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 1.5% | – | |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 5 | 1.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| TPMS valve stems break or leak | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 0.7% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 3 | 0.7% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 0.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 0.7% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 3 | 0.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V396000June 2, 20167,749 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
NHTSA recall #16V065000February 5, 2016320,409 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.
If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.
NHTSA recall #11V113000February 24, 20111,363,244 vehicles affected
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.
A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
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. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
NHTSA recall #10V035000February 3, 2010271,417 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Gulf states Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
This does not meet the standard requirements.
Remedy
Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact gulf states Toyota at 713-580-3300.
NHTSA recall #10V036000February 3, 2010153,418 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2005 Toyota 4RUNNER.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN