Electrical System Problems of Toyota 4Runner - part 1

Saturday morning July 12th after starting my vehicle, a warning was presented “srs airbag system malfunction”. I immediately took it to the dealership where they ran diagnostics. The service advisor admitted he nor his mechanic had ever seen anything like that before. They were unable to detect the issue that day. We planned to return the vehicle Thursday July 17. I dropped it off at 10am and never heard from the dealership again that day. Friday, July 18th I contacted the service advisor around 10 am to get an update in which he said they were looking into it. Friday afternoon, I received a call from the service advisor letting me know that the front passenger occupant ecu had malfunctioned, costing approximately $1000. After researching this, I learned that Toyota has issued many recalls on this issue with other models. I called Toyota headquarters to see how they would rectify this but ended the conversation with no solution other than it is the consumer’s liability. This is a safety issue that should fall back on the manufacturer, especially given the history of recalls issued on this specific defect.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

When turning the steering wheel several things happen. Channels change, phone hangs up, gps stops, air bag light comes on. Dealership inspected and said need to change spiral cable. $1200 dollars.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Camera system, rear, from, 360 degree all are distorted and makes hard to see yellow and white painted lines, pedestrians, and other obstacles while parking. System is defective and do not work as it should.

See all problems of the 2024 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

My vehicle keeps leaking inside from the ac drip line and it's been cleared multiple times and it still keeps happening and it floods the whole bottom of the passenger side floorboard and becomes soaked through which can cause erosion, electrical issues, mold growth and other problems as well.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

I drive for a living and yesterday I was driving while this happened 3 separate times. I was going 70 mph on the highway when my radio, usb ports blower motor and dash cluster power went out. I was terrified that my car would shut off while driving. Upon checking the car over, I noticed the battery mount was broken/missing pieces. The upper portion had become lose due to the broken parts and had stuck itself to my positive battery terminal. Lots of sparks when I tried to remove it. I finally got it broke loose using a piece of wood instead of my hands. Very scary.

See all problems of the 2016 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Driving along the freeway in winter conditions I used the rear defroster for the back window, this caused the back glass to explode loudly, shattering glass onto belongings, animals and the road behind us. This caused drivers behind us to act evasively and myself as well making a winter driving condition more dangerous, not to mention the spray of glass that reached the back seats of my car with passengers. This has been well documented by other drivers and been acknowledged by Toyota in letters and technician bulletins for replacement of the windows, there are no warning lamps, it just goes from working correctly to exploding.

See all problems of the 2007 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

When modifying the "beep" volume which is tied to the audio beep when locking or unlocking the car, the car will then turn off the wireless ability read the key fob when using it to lock or unlock the car. The proximity feature will still function and you are still able to start the car. But you will lose functionality with all key fob buttons; lock, unlock, and panic will not be functional. This is listed in detail in the this 4runner forums group. . Read more...

Picked up a gal to go out on a date. Turned the vehicle on and got about 1 mile down the road when I started to smell , like a hot , burning electrical smoke . My date , sitting in the passenger seat says her seat is get warm , then says , it's getting really hot ! I looked at the seat warmer switch and noticed and said , weird , the switch isn't even on . Then the smoke became very apparent as we got onto the freeway and we were compelled to pull over as the electrical components or wiring were on the verge of catching fire , where the electic seat switch is located .

The rear tailgate window shattered while vehicle was in driveway as soon as it was turned off. Before it shattered there was an odor of something like plastic burning. Fortunately no one was hurt by the exploding bits of glass. The sound the breaking glass make was loud and startled the passengers. Good thing the vehicle was not in motion on the street or highway. On the internet I saw where other people shared the same problem on their Toyota 4runner. Then I saw that Toyota had put out, TSB-0189-17, which stated exactly what happened to my 4runner. Due to this possibly dangerous incident this should be upgraded to a vehicle safety recall.

See all problems of the 2004 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Apparently rodents have gone to the engine and ate the soy wires to the harness. This in turn has cost me over $1000 to fix. The only warning was when the warning lights came on and four runner started to shake when started.

See all problems of the 2018 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

My vehicle is throwing the abs light and slamming my breaks. I’ve taken it to Toyota, it’s not showing any codes so they can’t diagnosis it to fix the issue. It may go two weeks and drive fine, and then it does it again. Whether I’m going 10mph or 55mph, it will do this. Very scary and very unsafe.

The contact owns 2007 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, while the vehicle was parked or idling, the electrical system malfunctioned. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, brake lights intermittently illuminated or failed to illuminate as needed, the horn failed to operate, and other undisclosed electrical systems intermittently failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown icmu failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

The contact owns 2000 Toyota the contact stated that after disconnecting the battery from the vehicle it was later discovered that the both the driver and passenger side doors and the hatch door could not be opened both manually or remotely. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 200,000.

See all problems of the 2000 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

My gear shift became difficult to shift. As I was driving it, when I physically shifted to the drive position, the display didn't confirm "d", but I could drive. As I was driving, the car shifted to neutral without me shifting, but did not show "n" on the display. My car stopped accelerating and revved higher. This occurred as I was driving on the road around 45 mph. I could not tell on the display that I was not in drive. I pulled over safely luckily. I continued to try to get it to drive to get it to a dealership to look at. They reported it was prndl switch issue. Tech found internal corrosion in transmission range sensor creating a physical resistance in sensor which prevented vehicle from properly indicating gear. Tech replaced transmission range sensor, adjusted sensorwith techstream data list, and performed health check this is not the first they have seen either. This would appear to be a common safety issue to drivers. I also had a difficult time confirming the car was in the park "p" position. I believe this issue could have potentially affected the vehicle's ability to engage in park and stay in park, much like the issue with getting into drive and staying in drive.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

I was driving my truck and needed to use the horn to warn another driver of a potential collision. My horn did not work. I later noticed that the horn only stopped working when the steering wheel was in the forward position. I researched this online, and it was stated that this was a known issue with many Toyotas including the 4runner. It is the clock spring in the steering wheel which needs replacement. Another issue is the price Toyota is charging for the clock spring at $800 which may deter customers from fixing it. I am fixing mine and ask for nothing except consideration in forcing a recall. This is dangerous. I can send you the defective clock spring if you would like it. I bought the vehicle but live in canada.

See all problems of the 2011 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

I was driving my 4runner and the rear glass exploded and shattered. This is a known issue with Toyota and documented in t-sb-0189-17 and warranty enhancement zg7. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the glass shattering. Toyota refuses to cover the repair costs and the estimate provided by the dealer is $1,200. Photos were taken in my garage when I got home immediately after the explosion occurred.

See all problems of the 2005 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

The horn stopped functioning. This is a safety hazard because I am not able to alert other drivers. The vehicle has only been inspected by the Toyota dealer. No codes and no lights were displayed. Fearing for my family's safety, I paid for the repairs.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving at 45 mph, he noticed that the vehicle was shuddering. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated and the vehicle continued to shudder while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that rodents were consuming the food-based wires that were coming out of the wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

I purchased a 2022 Toyota 4runner and 9 days later the wiring harness was destroyed by rodents most like squirrels. Toyota switched to soy based wire insulation without taking precautions in the design to protect the wiring from rodents attracted to the insulation material. The resulting damage cost $8000 to repair and it will take months for the harness to be in stock. This failure caused all safety features to be disabled leaving the vehicle without standard safety functions.

My 2019 Toyota 4runner was inhabited by a rat that chewed the wiring harness in at least 3 different areas. The damage occurred between 8pm and 7am. The vehicle started with lights on the dash illuminated. The car was out into drive and was jerking. Reverse had the same result. After inspecting under the hood of the car wires were seen chewed partially and a few completely severed. A rat was seen under the manifold cover. I used an air hose to evict it and had the car towed to dealership. The bill was just under $1000 to repair. I was warned it could have been worse ($6000) if harness needed changing. I was told “I was lucky”. After researching I discovered this is a problem because of soy based wiring. It’s an attractant for rodents.

Rear view camera cuts out and screen goes black. Similar to the rav4 complaints.

The door lock actuator on the passenger side door is going out. This is clearly a common problem with this make and year model. Several reviews I have read state that this has been an issue specifically with the front driver and passenger doors. I'm not sure why there has not been a recall on this issue. This is obviously a manufacturer issue vs a owner/user issue. Toyota really needs to consider a recall because this is not a cheap fix.

The plastic slider for the sunroof malfunctioned releasing the sunroof so when I went to open the sunroof while driving the airflow caught underneath the sunroof lifting it up and shooting it off and hurtling into traffic behind me and innocent highway drivers, and I completely shocked did not know where it landed or who it landed on. Now I don’t have any protection from the weather and my headliner is coming off due to the wind. Now I have to save money or go to a pick and pull and figure out how to get this fixed before it causes more damage to my vehicle. I do not know if it caused any injuries or crashes or if anyone got hurt being that I was going down the highway at the time of the incident.

See all problems of the 2006 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

In 2017 I was reporting that the left brake light was working intermittently. In 2018 the socket assembly completely failed and was told that this was not an extended warrenty repair (milage was less then 100,000). In March 2021 the bake lights failed again. The dealership reported that the failure is intermittent but that the socket assembly needs to be replaced.

See all problems of the 2010 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

On 3/30/21 it was discovered that my 2021 4runner with 5500 miles caught fire while parked in my enclosed garage. This event happened while my family and I were sleeping. The fire was discovered @5am at which time the fire department was contacted. The fire was contained to the garage. The vehicle was a total loss and was determined to be the source of the fire that destroyed all of the contents in my garage and significantly damaged the garage structure resulting in a rebuild. The fire department performed an initial investigation, a 3rd party fire investigator performed an investigation, and state farm along with a representative from Toyota conducted an investigation. Per my claims adjuster, the investigation determined that the fire originated in the vehicle but the exact cause could not be determined due to the damage to the wiring harness and the proximity to the condenser. This incident could have easily lead to significant injury or death to my family. The vehicle had not experienced any issues, no warning lights had indicated an issue, and the only maintenance that had been performed to the vehicle was a tire rotation at 5000 miles at the Toyota dealership.

The door lock actuator has failed on every door in my car. I've had them fixed but now the warranty is expired.

The rear window exploded on it's own with glass shattering everywhere while the defrost function was on. This is a very serious safety issue and design flaw that should be remedied before it happens. Toyota acknowledges the design flaw yet allows this dangerous occurrence to happen with consumers before doing anything about it. They say to bring it in for inspection but nothing that they can see until it has exploded. Toyota customer service representative named ryan informed me today there is nothing Toyota can do for me. They need to reimburse consumers for replacement no matter the time frame because it is a serious safety issue and it is a design flaw!.

The rear tire assembly ripped loose from its mounts under normal driving conditions. . A loud clunk noise. . . . Then . Brakes were lost and the electrical system showed warning lights on dash board. . . Car is not drivable. . . Massive rust at failure points.

See all problems of the 2003 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Sometimes back-up cameras doesn't turn on while shifted in reverse. I have to shut engine and lift rear gate and close then it works again sometimes. When I am busy I just have to back up without the camera. That could leave drivers at increased risk of a crash when they back up without checking their surroundings.

Drivers door air bag harness has an open code. Part # 82152-12l23. Same problem thst Toyota has with recalled venza. Toyota wants over $1,000 to fix. Air bag light on all of the time.

See all problems of the 2013 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

2006 4runner rear glass exploded/shattered after using defrost - was denied reimbursement despite this being a known issue and faulty defrost connector. After dropping my 5 year old son off for school on 1/15/2021, I pulled up to a stop sign and heard a loud crash from the back of the car. I looked in the rear view mirror and the back glass had completely shattered and pieces were coming off into the back seat. Nothing had hit the window from the inside or outside - this happened spontaneously. Right before this happened, I had the rear defrost on for approximately 10 minutes to clear the rear glass while driving. The defrost was off when the glass exploded. I contacted my local Toyota dealership who informed me that this was a known issue but that the extended warranty coverage for this had ended on April 30, 2018. Toyota released a TSB (technical service bulletin) and offered an extended warranty and free replacement for vehicle owners who experienced this problem starting in 2017 but is since expired. The connector for the defrost located in the rear glass is found to be faulty and can short out or overheat, causing the glass to shatter. Being that this is a major safety concern and thankfully my 5 year old son wasn't in the backseat at the time, avoiding injury from the glass, I decided to contact Toyota customer experience. A case was opened, however, they wouldn't offer any compensation or assistance with getting the glass replaced. We are without a vehicle until this can be repaired and I am now forced to pay for it on my own since Toyota isn't agreeing to help at all.

On my way to the grocery store, my back window blew out while driving. It was a very loud pop! which scared the daylights out of me! I looked in the review-mirror and the back window completely shattered. There was nobody around and I was driving too slow for it to have been a rock or debris. I was driving in san antonio texas near utsa blvd. In the turning lane, was in motion at a slow speed as I was pulling up to a red light. The mechanic at safelight auto said that it had to do with the electrical and saved the piece of where there was a short causing the blast. As I walked out the door, a gentleman asked if that was my Toyota as he was there for the exact same issue for the same year make and model Toyota.

The backup camera does not work consistently. While not moving and then shifiting into reverse, the screen does not change or changes to something other than the camera. It usually stops working after several stops and shifts into reverse. Sometimes it goes 2 or 3 days without displaying and then starts working again another day.

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota 4Runner 🔎.

Purchased vehicle brand new with 18 miles on it. I get it serviced like clockwork and have never missed a maintenance appointment. A little over a week ago, the electrical locking system on the drivers side door stopped functioning. Toyota is telling me that there are no recalls and it will cost me almost $1000. 00 to repair. Now, the electric locking system for the passenger side door is not working and Toyota is still saying it is nothing they can do because there is no recall and the vehicle is no longer under warranty. This is not acceptable. One minute the locking system was working with no obvious signs that something was amidst, then all of a sudden, my 4 runner doors are not locking. Now the cost is double and they are saying that the other doors will soon follow.

Driver door actuator does not work, preventing the remote locking and unlocking of the door.