Total Complaints
12 filings
TOYOTA 4RUNNER · model year
1988 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988TOYOTA4RUNNER carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 4RUNNER is tires:tread/belt with 2 filings, followed by power train:axle hubs (1) and structure:body:bumpers (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1988 4RUNNER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
12
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE HUBS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020109ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. VEHICLE RAN POORLY, AND THERE WAS LITTLE HESITATION. *AK
20001127EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
WHEN USING HIGH BEAMS OR TURN SIGNALS HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF. CONSUMER MUST WIGGLE/TOGGLE SWITCH FOR HEADLIGHTS TO TURN BACK ON.*AK
20001127EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
WHEN USING HIGH BEAMS OR TURN SIGNALS HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF. CONSUMER MUST WIGGLE/TOGGLE SWITCH FOR HEADLIGHTS TO TURN BACK ON.*AK
20001002TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD SEPARATION ON LEFT REAR TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VOYTAXC124 TIRE SIZE: 3211.5015 )
20001002TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD SEPARATION ON LEFT REAR TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VOYTAXC124 TIRE SIZE: 3211.5015 )
20000920TIRES
DRIVING TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 9 AM, THE TIRE TORE ITSELF OPEN WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD NOTICED THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT IT WAS SLIGHTLY UNDERINFLATED, AS IF FROM A SLOW LEAK -- BUT NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL. WHAT WAS ASTONISHING WAS THE SHEER DEGREE OF DESTRUCTION. IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE HAD INSERTED A SAW AND RIPPED THE SIDEWALL OPEN THROUGH 180 DEGREES OF ARC. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP WITHOUT SERIOUS INCIDENT.( DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWB505 TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )
19990324POWER TRAIN
NOT SURE I ANSWERED ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS PROPERLY. SO TO SUMMARIZE, I JUST HAD MY 5TH SPEEDOMETER CABLE INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE. THEY LAST 2 YEARS (HAVE A 1 YEAR WARRANTY). THIS TIME I ALSO REPLACED THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD. DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME AND TOYOTA WAS OF NO HELP. *AK
19990217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER
19980822
NO SUMMARY
19980624STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
BUMPER IS LOCATED TOO HIGH CAUSING DAMAGE DURING A COLLISION; SEAT BELT UNLATCHED IN ACCIDENT.
19980624SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
BUMPER IS LOCATED TOO HIGH CAUSING DAMAGE DURING A COLLISION; SEAT BELT UNLATCHED IN ACCIDENT.
19970312POWER TRAIN:AXLE HUBS
4-WHEEL DRIVE LOCKING HUBS FAIL, CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK/GRAB. *AK
Compare 1988TOYOTA4RUNNER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 TOYOTA 4RUNNER have?▼
The 1988 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 TOYOTA 4RUNNER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 TOYOTA 4RUNNER is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AXLE HUBS and STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS.
Is the 1988 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.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.