IllustrationWAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT. VEHICLE WAS CONTROLLABLE & GUIDED IT TO SIDE OF ROAD. CHECKED THE TIRE & NOTICED TREAD HAD PEELED OFF. \ HAD TIRE EXCHANGED WITH SPARE. TOOK TIRE TO FIRESTONE RETAILER. DO NOT HAVE TIRE. FIRESTONE ATX 311050R15F WITH 91,000 MILES ON IT.*AK
1994 Toyota 4 Runner
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Toyota 4 Runner do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 96.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 4 Runner years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 52 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
52 reportsTIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE ON I-10W, TRAVELING @60MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF HIGHWAY AND CALL ROAD SERVICE TO CHANGE TIRE. LUCKLY NO ONE WAS INJURED. CHANGED ALL FOUR TIRES IMMEDIATELY AFTER RETURNING HOME. TREAD ON TIRES WERE GOOD. *AK( DOT NUMBER: U8860 TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )
THE REAR WINDOW GOES UP AND DOWN IN THE TAIL GATE IN ORDER TO OPEN THE TAIL GATE YOU MUST MOVE THE WINDOW UP AND DOWN ALL THE PARTS THAT MOVE THE WINDOW UP AND DOWN RUSTED OUT WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA TO GET AN ESTIMATE ON THE REPAIR AND FIND OUT WHAT THE PARTS COST AND IF THEY HAD THEM ON HAND THE GENTLEMEN IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT …
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THE REAR WINDOW GOES UP AND DOWN IN THE TAIL GATE IN ORDER TO OPEN THE TAIL GATE YOU MUST MOVE THE WINDOW UP AND DOWN ALL THE PARTS THAT MOVE THE WINDOW UP AND DOWN RUSTED OUT WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA TO GET AN ESTIMATE ON THE REPAIR AND FIND OUT WHAT THE PARTS COST AND IF THEY HAD THEM ON HAND THE GENTLEMEN IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND THEY KEEP THE PARTS ON HAND. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO BE FIXED WHILE FIXING THE PARTS THEY BROKE THE GLASS ON THE WINDOW AND TRIED TO GET ME TO PAY FOR IT OR FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY.*AK
DO TO WEAK MANUFACTURED MATERIAL LIQUID HEATS UP AND IT FLOWS OUT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 1/2000, ON 6/1/2000, I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A FAST-FOOD DRIVE-THROUGH I WAS STOPPED, I PRESSED ON THE GAS, THE ENGINECHECK LIGHT WENT ON, THE CAR QUIT AND A HUGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR STATED THAT THE PISTON BLEW DUE TO THE BAD HEAD G…
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WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 1/2000, ON 6/1/2000, I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A FAST-FOOD DRIVE-THROUGH I WAS STOPPED, I PRESSED ON THE GAS, THE ENGINECHECK LIGHT WENT ON, THE CAR QUIT AND A HUGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR STATED THAT THE PISTON BLEW DUE TO THE BAD HEAD GASKET. THEY FOUND ANTI-FREEZE AND WATER IN THE ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON BEFORE THIS. THE TRUCK SHOWED NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING BEFORE THIS. TWO MINUTES LATER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY.*AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKETS ARE BLOWN THEY WERE RECALLED ONCE ALREADY AND REPAIRED IN 12/1998 BY PREVIOUS OWNER. THEY HAVE BLOWN AGAIN ON 11/1999. I CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS RECALLED ONCE BY THEM. THEY STATED IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED ONCE FOR THE RECALL AND THAT WAS ALL THEY WOULD COVER. FOR ME TO CONTACT DEALER WHO R…
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ENGINE HEAD GASKETS ARE BLOWN THEY WERE RECALLED ONCE ALREADY AND REPAIRED IN 12/1998 BY PREVIOUS OWNER. THEY HAVE BLOWN AGAIN ON 11/1999. I CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS RECALLED ONCE BY THEM. THEY STATED IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED ONCE FOR THE RECALL AND THAT WAS ALL THEY WOULD COVER. FOR ME TO CONTACT DEALER WHO REPAIRED IT (ANDRETTIS AIRPORT TOYOTA) I DID SO THEY WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH ME EITHER. I FEEL THAT SINCE IT WAS RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN THAT TOYOTA SHOULD STILL BE REPONSIBILE FOR CORRECTING BECAUSE IT IS UNDOUBTLY STILL DEFECTIVE. A REPAIR OF THAT COST SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 11 MONTHS. IT SHOULD NOT BE MY PLACE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BUT I HAVE TO. *AK
THE RIM FOR THE SPARE TIRE DID NOT MATCH THE RIM ON THE ROAD WHEELS. YH
FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET RESULTED IN POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION OF OIL, WHICH LEAD TO SERIOUS DAMAGE TO ENGINE. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER) MJS
ENGINE OIL PAN DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE, THE OIL DOES NOT COMPLETELY DRAIN OUT DURING OIL CHANGES CAUSING CONTAMINATION AND DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. MJS
THE CONSUMER WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN VEHICLE BEHIND HER HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND PUSHED HER INTO ANOTHER VECHICLE AT A COST OF SEVEN CAR COLLISION. ALSO THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS AFFECTED. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP BODY SHOP, AND THEY SAID THE TRUCK WAS TWISTED AND SHE SUSTAINED HEAD AND RIGHT SHOULDER …
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THE CONSUMER WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN VEHICLE BEHIND HER HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND PUSHED HER INTO ANOTHER VECHICLE AT A COST OF SEVEN CAR COLLISION. ALSO THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS AFFECTED. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP BODY SHOP, AND THEY SAID THE TRUCK WAS TWISTED AND SHE SUSTAINED HEAD AND RIGHT SHOULDER AND LEFT ELBOW INJURIES. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.