MADE A NOISE STARTING IDLING WEIRD HADN'T EVEN WARMED UP THE CAR YET JUST DROVE UP THE STREET TO STORE REAL QUICK WHEN CAME BACK. SOUNDING LIKE POOP AND CHECKED EVERYTHING MILKY OIL A SIGN OF A HEAD GASKET. PS IT HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR. IT REALLY
1992 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 Toyota 4RUNNER do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 58.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 4RUNNER 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: 12 of 53 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 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
53 reports1992 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. CONSUMER STATES AFTER USING THE ECT POWER BUTTON, SHE NO LONGER HAD CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING A ACCIDENT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK SHE THEN LOOKED BACK UP AND REALIZED SHE WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE VEH…
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1992 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. CONSUMER STATES AFTER USING THE ECT POWER BUTTON, SHE NO LONGER HAD CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING A ACCIDENT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK SHE THEN LOOKED BACK UP AND REALIZED SHE WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CORRECT LANE, SHE OVERCORRECTED, ROLLED THREE TIMES AND WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN ON TOP OF HER FROM THE WAIST UP. *JB
ON FEBRUARY 28, 2010, MY 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAD A REPEATED ACCELERATOR ISSUE. MY TRUCK ACCELERATED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THE TRUCK SURGED FORWARD. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET AND THE ACCELERATOR CONTINUED TO RACE. I WATCHED THE TACHOMETER GO FROM 1.1…
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ON FEBRUARY 28, 2010, MY 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAD A REPEATED ACCELERATOR ISSUE. MY TRUCK ACCELERATED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THE TRUCK SURGED FORWARD. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET AND THE ACCELERATOR CONTINUED TO RACE. I WATCHED THE TACHOMETER GO FROM 1.1K RPM TO 4K RPM WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS HAPPENED OVER AND OVER AGAIN OVER A 1/2 MILE STRETCH OF CITY BLOCKS (EL CAJON BLVD IN SAN DIEGO, CA). I HAD TO PULL OVER SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE I COULD NOT CONTROL THE SPEED. IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I REMOVED THE PLACEMAT AND THE ISSUE CONTINUED. IN FACT, WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE TACHOMETER WENT FROM 4K RPM TO 8K RPM IN THE RED ZONE EVEN THOUGH I WAS BARELY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS I HAD TO PLACE THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL WHEN ACTUALLY RIDING ON THE STREET JUST TO CONTROL MY SPEED. MY TRUCK HAS 143K MILES AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE. I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY NEXT TRIP. *TR
A 1992 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER WAS PURCHASED AND WE ONLY HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS. THE TRUCK WAS DRIVEN TO WEST VIRGINIA. THE NEXT DAY THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IT WOULD NOT STOP. IT CRASHED AND FLIPPED OVER. MY HUSBAND DIED IN THAT TRUCK. THERE WAS A LAW SUITE BUT IT NEVER WENT TO …
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A 1992 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER WAS PURCHASED AND WE ONLY HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS. THE TRUCK WAS DRIVEN TO WEST VIRGINIA. THE NEXT DAY THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IT WOULD NOT STOP. IT CRASHED AND FLIPPED OVER. MY HUSBAND DIED IN THAT TRUCK. THERE WAS A LAW SUITE BUT IT NEVER WENT TO COURT AFTER FIVE YEARS. MY LAWYERS GAVE UP. TOYOTA NEVER SETTLED WITH ME AND ONLY SAID IT WAS DRIVER ERROR. THE ENGINEER WHO WAS ON THE CASE SAID THERE WAS A DESIGN DEFECT BUT THEY COULD NOT PROVE IT. SEE ALSO ODI 10121117 *DSY *TR
MYSTERIOUS COOLANT LOSS, PRESSURIZED SYSTEM FOUND NO EXTERNAL LEAKS. WATCHED PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A MONTH, KEPT TOPPING UP COOLANT. DRIVING HOME LAST NIGHT SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER ON FREE WAY TEMPERATURE SPIKE, ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT GETTING OFF FREEWAY. HEAD GASKET FAILURE. TOWED. CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN DONE, TOYOTA DEALER WI…
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MYSTERIOUS COOLANT LOSS, PRESSURIZED SYSTEM FOUND NO EXTERNAL LEAKS. WATCHED PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A MONTH, KEPT TOPPING UP COOLANT. DRIVING HOME LAST NIGHT SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER ON FREE WAY TEMPERATURE SPIKE, ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT GETTING OFF FREEWAY. HEAD GASKET FAILURE. TOWED. CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN DONE, TOYOTA DEALER WILL NOT HONOR LABOR OR EVEN THE PART, AND IT IS QUITE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL FAIL SOONER THAN LATER. MY NISSAN HAS OVER 300,000KM ON IT AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. FLAWED DESIGN IN HEAD OR BLOCK. *TR
EXTERIOR LIGHT RECALL. *TR
LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ON LEFT HAND GRADUAL TURN ON GRAVEL ROAD 8/12/07. RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT ON A STRAIGHT LEVEL GRAVEL ROAD IN EARLY JULY. BOTH OCCASIONS AT OR BELOW POSTED SPEED LIMIT FOR CONDITIONS. HANKOOK DYNAMIC RF04 LT235/75/R15 6 PR *TR
I HAVE A 1992 4 RUNNER. I PURCHASED IT IN 1997. I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL ON THE HEAD WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I NOW HAS ANOTHER PROBLEM, ON OF THE CYLINDER IS ONLY PRODUCING 20% COMPRESSION. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD. IS THIS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL ALSO? *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING A CORNER, THE STEERING BECAME INOPERABLE CAUSING THE DRIVER TO CRASH INTO A GARBAGE CAN. A NHTSA RECALL LETTER#05V389000 CONCERNING THE RELAY ROD WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO GAVE NO DIAGNOSIS FOR THE PROBLEM.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BEYOND THE DRIVER'S EFFORT 8 TIMES AND TO 4 SEPARATE DRIVERS. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A FREEWAY IN 1998. WHILE TRAVELING 50 - 60 MPH WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. IN AN ATTEMPT TO DECREASE THE SPEED, IT WAS PLACED INTO NEUTRAL, T…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BEYOND THE DRIVER'S EFFORT 8 TIMES AND TO 4 SEPARATE DRIVERS. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A FREEWAY IN 1998. WHILE TRAVELING 50 - 60 MPH WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. IN AN ATTEMPT TO DECREASE THE SPEED, IT WAS PLACED INTO NEUTRAL, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE KEY WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. THIS NORMALLY OCCURS AT SPEEDS OF 50-60 MPH, HOWEVER THERE WAS ONE INCIDENT ON LOCAL ROADS AT 35 MPH. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE THROTTLE PLATE WAS CLEANED. AFTER EACH THROTTLE PLATE CLEANING, THERE WAS A REOCCURRENCE. ON THE LAST VISIT TO THE SERVICE DEALER, THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT DRIVABLE.
Official recalls
105V389000 · Steering:linkages:rod:relay:connecting
Sep 6, 2005
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS REPEATEDLY TURNED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHERE HIGH STEERING EFFORT AND POWER ASSIST ARE REQUIRED, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN FULLY TURNING THE WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE STEERING RELAY ROD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE RELAY ROD MAY FRACTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING RELAY ROD. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
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
2DP02002 · Rear Seat Belt Routing
Opened Mar 26, 2002 · Closed Aug 26, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:rear/other
No summary supplied.
SQ99003 · Corroded Brake Lines
Opened Jan 27, 1999 · Closed Apr 22, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
TOYOTA IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL IN CANADA 98-253. CORRODED BRAKE LINES COULD FAIL RESULTING IN A PARTIAL BRAK SYSTEM LOSS AND INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES
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