2016 Toyota 4Runner reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 Toyota 4Runner has 79 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 9 per year. That is more complaints per year than most 4Runner years here — over the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Inflator, Hood, and Hinge.

2016 Toyota 4Runner Limited — Photo by RL GNZLZ from Chile, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (18 of 79), then Air bags (10) and Suspension (9). Those filings include 6 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 4Runner has 85 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2017 has 36 complaints, 7 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Toyota 4Runner. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (8)

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-10-17 · NHTSA campaign 19V741000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-01-09 · NHTSA campaign 19V005000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS250, IS350, 2011-2016 4Runner, 2011-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2011-2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, 2011-2017 Lexus GX460, and 2011-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS350, 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Lexus IS250, 2010-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2010-2014 Lexus IS-F, and 2010-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.

Recall structure, body, hood 2017-11-29 · NHTSA campaign 17V763000

Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Toyota 4Runner vehicles equipped with an accessory Billet Grille Overlay installed by SET or provided by SET and installed by SET dealers. The U-nut that secures the overlay grille may fracture, allowing the Billet Grille Overlay to detach from the vehicle.

Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the securing U-nuts with upgraded hardware, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 26, 2018. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET17C.

Recall structure, body, hood, hinge 2017-07-03 · NHTSA campaign 17V425000

Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle.

Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET17B.

Recall Equipment 2017-05-01 · NHTSA campaign 17V291000

Summary Gulf States Toyota, Inc (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2016-2017 4Runner vehicles equipped with the TFORCE accessory package. The fasteners for the aftermarket roof rack may have been improperly tightened.

Remedy Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, tighten the roof rack fasteners, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Gulf States' number for this recall is 17R1.

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2016-12-21 · NHTSA campaign 16V937000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling one 2016 Toyota 4Runner vehicle manufactured November 1, 2016 and one 2017 Lexus GX460 vehicle manufactured November 16, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with Takata PSPI-LD front passenger air bag inflators that may have been manufactured without ignition booster tablets. As a result, in the event of a crash, the air bag may not fully inflate during deployment of the primary stage. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Toyota dealers have replaced the passenger side air bag modules, free of charge. Toyota notified the affected dealers on December 15, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G06, GLR.

Recall Tires 2016-04-22 · NHTSA campaign 16V236000

Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

Remedy SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.

Recall Labels 2016-04-20 · NHTSA campaign 16V228000

Summary Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured September 22, 2014, to March 23, 2016 and equipped with accessories installed by Gulf States. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

Remedy Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will install an accurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 1, 2016. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Gulf States' number for this recall is 16R2.

Complaints by component (79 total)

Electrical system

Air bags

Suspension

Structure

Engine

Powertrain

Service brakes

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Back-over prevention

Speed control

Carry handle, shell, and base

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Exterior lighting

Lane departure

Seat belts

Seats

Show 11 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I have a 2016 Metallic Gray Toyota 4Runner and there appears to be a clear-coat defect on the hood and roof."
Structure · filed 2026-08-31
"Swivel motion has started to jam when half locked, base will show half red/half green and refuse to lock. Unlock handle becomes hard to lift to swivel the car seat back to attempt to lock it again. I’ve contacted…"
carry handle, shell, and base · filed 2026-08-11
"The paint is failing on this vehicle. The color is 8S6 Nautical Blue Metallic. The paint is peeling on the roof, hood, and two doors. The failure has been confirmed by a body shop."
Structure · filed 2026-06-02
"We were traveling down the mountain of Mt. Nebo in Dardanelle, AR, around 1:08pm on Friday, May 22, 2026. It had been misty rain for a few hours. As we were traveling down the switchbacks of the mountain, we pressed on…"
Air bags, Service brakes · filed 2026-05-26
"On March 6, I was on South bound on Rt 29 in Culpeper County VA at the posted speed limit of 55mph when I hit a debris item on the road. I do not know what it was but it impacted the front skid plate and seems to be no…"
Air bags · filed 2026-03-24

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2016 Toyota 4Runner SUV 2WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2016 Toyota 4Runner SUV AWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
4Runner two-wheel drive	4L, 6-cyl	Automatic (5-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	17	22	19 MPG	$3400
4Runner four-wheel drive	4L, 6-cyl	Automatic (5-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	21	18 MPG	$3600
4Runner four-wheel drive	4L, 6-cyl	Automatic (5-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	21	18 MPG	$3600

Specs and fitment

5th generation (N280), 2010–2024

Body styles SUV

Oil 0W-20 , 6.6 qt capacity

Tire size P265/70R17 113S (SR5/TRD), P265/60R18 (Limited), P245/60R20 107H (TRD Pro), 245/70R17 (select trims)

Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 19V005 covers certain Toyota 4Runner vehicles with passenger frontal air bag inflators that may explode after long-term exposure to high humidity and temperature cycling, including 2014-2016 4Runner models registered in NHTSA Zone A states and territories, 2011-2016 4Runner models in Zone B, and 2010-2016 4Runner models in Zone C. Depending on the vehicle, dealers replace the front passenger air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. NHTSA campaign 20V682 covers certain 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner vehicles among a larger Toyota and Lexus population: the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. If the pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. That campaign expands NHTSA recall 20V-012.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Toyota 4Runner Next year 2017 Toyota 4Runner See every Toyota 4Runner model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Toyota 4Runner reliable?

What are common problems with a 2016 Toyota 4Runner?

Is the 2016 Toyota 4Runner more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2016 Toyota 4Runner been recalled?

The 2016 Toyota 4Runner has 8 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Toyota 4Runner?

Owners have filed 79 complaints about the 2016 Toyota 4Runner with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Toyota 4Runner get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Toyota 4Runner is 18.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Toyota 4Runner?

5th generation (N280), model years 2010-2024 in the US.

What oil does a Toyota 4Runner take?

Fifth-generation US 4.0L V6 models use 0W-20 (about 6.6 qt with filter). 2025+ sixth-generation 2.4L i-FORCE models use 0W-20 (about 5.9 qt with filter).

How much can a Toyota 4Runner tow?

The fifth-generation 4.0L V6 is rated for 5,000 lb (trailer plus cargo). The 2025+ sixth generation lists up to 6,000 lb when properly equipped; i-FORCE trims are limited to 5,000 lb with a dead-weight hitch.