Total Complaints
13 filings
Toyota 4runner · model year
1986 Toyota 4runner
13 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 13
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1986 Toyota 4runner posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 16%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1986Toyota4runner carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1986 4runner is engine and engine cooling:engine with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly (2) and parking brake:conventional (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1986 4runner. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
13
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1986 Toyota 4runner
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL:MECHANICAL:LINKAGE AND CABLE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20230404SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 1986 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that the driver’s and passenger’s side seat belts failed to unlock as needed. The contact and his passenger was unable to unlatch or release the seat belt. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000. The VIN was not available.
Mileage: 300,000
20031212PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL:MECHANICAL:LINKAGE AND CABLE
ON 1986 TOYOTA 4 RUNNERS THE HAND BRAKE IS SOLELY RELIED ON TO ADJUST THE BACK BRAKES. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE THE BELL CRANK BOOT DOES NOT SUFFICIENTLY PREVENT CORROSION BETWEEN THE BELL CRANK AND ITS FRAME AT THE BACKING PLATE. THIS CAUSES THE ADJUSTING SCREW TO NOT ENGAGE AND THEREFORE THE BACK BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. WITH LESS FORCE ON THE BACK BRAKES THAN THE FRONT BRAKES THE FRONT BRAKES TEND TO LOCK UP. STEERING CONTROL IS THEN LOST.*AK
Mileage: 268,000
20031212SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
ON 1986 TOYOTA 4 RUNNERS THE HAND BRAKE IS SOLELY RELIED ON TO ADJUST THE BACK BRAKES. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE THE BELL CRANK BOOT DOES NOT SUFFICIENTLY PREVENT CORROSION BETWEEN THE BELL CRANK AND ITS FRAME AT THE BACKING PLATE. THIS CAUSES THE ADJUSTING SCREW TO NOT ENGAGE AND THEREFORE THE BACK BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. WITH LESS FORCE ON THE BACK BRAKES THAN THE FRONT BRAKES THE FRONT BRAKES TEND TO LOCK UP. STEERING CONTROL IS THEN LOST.*AK
Mileage: 268,000
20001025TIRES:SIDEWALL
TIRE SIDEWALLS ARE EXHIBITING DIMPLING OR REDUCED THICKNESS FROM THE TREAD EDGE TO RIM ABOUT 1 INCH WIDE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VD60AW3529 TIRESIZE: 31X10.5R15)
20000914EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
TRAVELING ON A SECONDARY ROAD AND T-BAR RUSTED AND SPARE TIRE FELL DOWN. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED. *AK
20000802CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00-00; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 45MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND LEFT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT. THEN CONSUMER CHANGED THE TIRES, AND NOTICED THAT TREAD AND WIRES SEPARATED FROM TIRES. *AK
19970909ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD WARPED, CAUSING HEAD GASKET LEAKS. *AK
19960502CrashFatalPARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN HILL DUE TO FAILURE OF PARKING BRAKE, INJURING ONE/KILLING ONE. *DSH
19960229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED. *SD
19960229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED AROUND THE MANIFOLD. *SD
19960229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILED. *SD
19960229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED. *SD
19960229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED AROUND THE MANIFOLD. *SD
Compare 1986Toyota4runner to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 Toyota 4runner have?▼
The 1986 Toyota 4runner has 13 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 Toyota 4runner?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 Toyota 4runner is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY and PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL.
Is the 1986 Toyota 4runner safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1986 Toyota 4runner; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.