IllustrationFUEL PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE ON INJECTOR ASS. FAILED AT SEAMS AND SPRAYED FUEL ALL OVER TOP OF ENGINE. FUEL WAS AT IGNITION POINT WHEN SMELLED GAS AND SAW GAS DRIPPING OFF ENGINE AND EXHAUST. FUEL WAS POPPING AND BOILING. EXTREME FIRE OR EXPLOSION POTENTIAL. HAVE PART FOR INSPECTION IF YOU WANT SENT TO YOU.*AK
1993 Toyota 4RUNNER
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 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 51 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 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. 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.
4 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
51 reportsSECOND HEAD GASKET HAS NOW FAILED AND ENGINE IS RUINED. FIRST HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES. NOW, AT 130,000, THE HEAD GASKET IS GONE AND THE ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. PERHAPS THE REPLACEMENT WAS AS FAULTY AS THE ORIGINAL?
HEAD GASKET FAILURE. MR THE CONSUMERS HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED UNDER A SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM WAS NOT REMEDIED BECAUSE THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AGAIN LESS THAN 50 MILES AFTER THE ORIGINAL REPAIR WAS DONE. *JB
VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH
VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIRS SHOP AND INFORMEDD THAT ENGINE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM MUFFLER. HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED THROUGH A RECALL .*AK
REPLACEMENT TIRES, DOT, P22575R15 ON TOYOTA, 4 RUNNER, 1993. WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD CAME OFF, BUT IT STILL HAD AIR IN IT. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON FREEWAY IT MAY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*AK
THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY REPLACED ON RECALL. ONCE THERE IS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM IT CANNOT BE PROPERLY REPAIRED. THIS IS THE THIRD AND LAST TIME I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST OCCURED 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL RECALL!! THE SECOND HAPPENED 2 YEARS LATER AND THE THIRD 1 YEAR AFTER THAT. MY COMPLAINT IS WHAT GOOD I…
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THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY REPLACED ON RECALL. ONCE THERE IS A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM IT CANNOT BE PROPERLY REPAIRED. THIS IS THE THIRD AND LAST TIME I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST OCCURED 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL RECALL!! THE SECOND HAPPENED 2 YEARS LATER AND THE THIRD 1 YEAR AFTER THAT. MY COMPLAINT IS WHAT GOOD IS A WARRANTY IF THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER CORRECTED TO BEGIN WITH!
THIS 4RUNNER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIT DIFFICULT TO GET IN AND OUT OF REVERSE. IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL TIRES, AND SOMETIMES MOVING THE CLUTCH IN AND OUT UNTIL YOU GET IT "JUST RIGHT" AND REVERSE IS FOUND. ON 8/22/00 I LEFT IT IDLING IN MY DRIVEWAY, A FLAT DRIVEWAY, WHILE I RAN IN THE HOUSE FOR A FORGOTTEN ITEM. I RETURNED ABOUT 20 S…
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THIS 4RUNNER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIT DIFFICULT TO GET IN AND OUT OF REVERSE. IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL TIRES, AND SOMETIMES MOVING THE CLUTCH IN AND OUT UNTIL YOU GET IT "JUST RIGHT" AND REVERSE IS FOUND. ON 8/22/00 I LEFT IT IDLING IN MY DRIVEWAY, A FLAT DRIVEWAY, WHILE I RAN IN THE HOUSE FOR A FORGOTTEN ITEM. I RETURNED ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER TO SEE THE 4RUNNER BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, ON ITS OWN. IT BACKED ACROSS THE STREET AND UP THE NEIGHBORS STEEP LAWN, THEN WENT BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND ROLLED DOWN THE EMBANKMENT, BACK ACROSS THE STREET, THROUGH OUR YARD AND OVER A RETAINING WALL. I WONDER IF THE DIFFICULTY WITH REVERSE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS EXPENSIVE EXCURSION......IF YOU NEED MORE INFO, DON'T HESITATE TO EMAIL ME.
HEAD GASKET FAILURE BOTH SIDES OF V-6 ENGINE REPLACED BY FACTORY RECALL. *AK
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