2021 Toyota 4Runner problems and complaints
Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota 4Runner. The most-reported areas: Steering (13), Suspension (10), Service Brakes (6).
Key takeaways
- 36 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 3 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 1 reported injury.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 13 | 36% |
| Suspension | 10 | 28% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 17% |
| Wheels | 4 | 11% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 8% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown Or Other | 2 | 6% |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Toyota 4RUNNER SUV AWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2021 Toyota 4RUNNER SUV 2WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Steering - filed 2026-09-03
While vehicle was parked and not in use, upon entering the vehicle, the steering wheel/column dropped out of its locked position on its own. Disassembly of the steering column revealed that the tilt-lock mechanism's steering lock fracture bolt has broken in half on the right side. This cause the steering wheel to fall ...
Latches/Locks/Linkages - filed 2026-08-25
The power door lock actuators on both front doors of my 2021 Toyota 4Runner have failed. The problem developed progressively. The front door locks initially began working intermittently and became less reliable over time. Eventually, both front door lock actuators stopped operating. They have now been inoperative for m...
Exterior Lighting - filed 2026-06-22
The interior of both headlights have the interior coating peeling in the first 20k miles
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More for the 2021 Toyota 4Runner
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.