TOYOTA 4RUNNER · model year

2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

46 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013TOYOTA4RUNNER carries 46 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 4RUNNER is unknown or other with 9 filings, followed by air bags (9) and service brakes (5). 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. This model year has 6 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2013 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.

46
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER - NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 3.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

46 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 - Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 3/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
AIR BAGS9
SERVICE BRAKES5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
ENGINE3
WHEELS2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE2
SUSPENSION1
STEERING1
POWER TRAIN1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
TIRES1
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS1

Recalls (6)

19V74100017/10/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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 GX4

15V51500013/08/2015

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured March 29, 2010, to July 30, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them w

19V00500009/01/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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, Louis

18V02400009/01/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP (Saipan),

16V57700003/08/2016

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured September 3, 2009, to December 1, 2014. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that may contact people and possibly burn

17V42500003/07/2017

STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

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.

Recent Complaints

20251120FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2013 VIN# [XXX] LP# XXX The gas needle will be above the half (middle line), and the fuel range on top of the dash would read anywhere from 160-213 miles, going 45 mph up a hill or 70 mph on the freeway, all of a sudden starts to stall and completely shut off while still driving. I would then only have a few seconds to try to pull over due to losing all power, and not being able to shift into neutral because it's a push/start button. The car will only turn back on after putting some gas into it, so I make sure to never let the gas needle go below the middle line or have the gas range reading go below anything around 160-200 miles since the vehicle has shut down at a different amount each time, and there's been multiple times. Also, the fuel level needle never matches with how many miles is shown on the range, displaying inaccurate readings. It has poor acceleration, poor mileage, and now making a loud whining noise that is heard from outside the vehicle near gas tank.

20251120ENGINE

TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2013 VIN# [XXX] LP# XXX The gas needle will be above the half (middle line), and the fuel range on top of the dash would read anywhere from 160-213 miles, going 45 mph up a hill or 70 mph on the freeway, all of a sudden starts to stall and completely shut off while still driving. I would then only have a few seconds to try to pull over due to losing all power, and not being able to shift into neutral because it's a push/start button. The car will only turn back on after putting some gas into it, so I make sure to never let the gas needle go below the middle line or have the gas range reading go below anything around 160-200 miles since the vehicle has shut down at a different amount each time, and there's been multiple times. Also, the fuel level needle never matches with how many miles is shown on the range, displaying inaccurate readings. It has poor acceleration, poor mileage, and now making a loud whining noise that is heard from outside the vehicle near gas tank.

20251120ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2013 VIN# [XXX] LP# XXX The gas needle will be above the half (middle line), and the fuel range on top of the dash would read anywhere from 160-213 miles, going 45 mph up a hill or 70 mph on the freeway, all of a sudden starts to stall and completely shut off while still driving. I would then only have a few seconds to try to pull over due to losing all power, and not being able to shift into neutral because it's a push/start button. The car will only turn back on after putting some gas into it, so I make sure to never let the gas needle go below the middle line or have the gas range reading go below anything around 160-200 miles since the vehicle has shut down at a different amount each time, and there's been multiple times. Also, the fuel level needle never matches with how many miles is shown on the range, displaying inaccurate readings. It has poor acceleration, poor mileage, and now making a loud whining noise that is heard from outside the vehicle near gas tank.

20250417TIRES

I was traveling on [XXX] returning home and felt the steering wheel pulling strongly to the right so I immediately pulled off to the side of the road and noted the right front passenger tire was deflated. This tire is a 245/60 R20 107HSL BSW Procontrol Cooper tire. The tire at the top portion was bulging out in several areas. Within a couple minutes a truck with 3 men stopped to help and they removed the flat tire and put on the spare. I drove back to Lubbock and took the tire to Discount tire where we had bought them July of 2024. We were told the tire was defective and that they were able to inflate the tire and there was no damage to the tire such as nails etc. They replaced the tire. No warning lights were on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250417TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

I was traveling on [XXX] returning home and felt the steering wheel pulling strongly to the right so I immediately pulled off to the side of the road and noted the right front passenger tire was deflated. This tire is a 245/60 R20 107HSL BSW Procontrol Cooper tire. The tire at the top portion was bulging out in several areas. Within a couple minutes a truck with 3 men stopped to help and they removed the flat tire and put on the spare. I drove back to Lubbock and took the tire to Discount tire where we had bought them July of 2024. We were told the tire was defective and that they were able to inflate the tire and there was no damage to the tire such as nails etc. They replaced the tire. No warning lights were on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240801ENGINE

Make: Toyota Model: 4Runner Year: 2013 Mileage: 76,200 Description of Incident While driving on [XXX] at night, the vehicle experienced a sudden and catastrophic engine failure, leaving it immobilized in the middle of the highway. This presented an immediate and severe safety risk to both the vehicle occupants and other motorists. The failure was later determined to be caused by a malfunction in the Variable Valve Timing (VVT) oil control system, specifically an Exhaust Cam Gear failure. This led to a broken timing chain and subsequent engine failure. Inspection and Diagnosis The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Toyota Dealer in Florence, SC. They confirmed the failure of the oil control system and recommended a complete engine replacement, estimating costs over $5,000. Broader Implications and Potential Safety Hazard Further investigation, including consultations with multiple Toyota technicians, review of technical discussions on various platforms, and examination of online 4R

20231107AIR BAGS

The component that failed is the air back clock spring. It’s preventing the horn form functioning properly. In turn can result in an accident from lack of warning other drivers and/or air bag might not go off. It seems to be a known problem on the 13 model year of the 4Runners. It has not been inspected as I’m not knowledgeable on what to do in that situation and the dealer says that I’d have to pay for it anyway. No warnings just one day the horn didn’t want to work anymore and seems to be a problem that’s pretty consistent. People have reported that it has gone bad with as little as a 100k miles which the clock spring shouldn’t be a maintenance item to begin with.

20231107AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE

The component that failed is the air back clock spring. It’s preventing the horn form functioning properly. In turn can result in an accident from lack of warning other drivers and/or air bag might not go off. It seems to be a known problem on the 13 model year of the 4Runners. It has not been inspected as I’m not knowledgeable on what to do in that situation and the dealer says that I’d have to pay for it anyway. No warnings just one day the horn didn’t want to work anymore and seems to be a problem that’s pretty consistent. People have reported that it has gone bad with as little as a 100k miles which the clock spring shouldn’t be a maintenance item to begin with.

20230218UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1) The failed component is the door locks. Or more precisely, the motor for the electrical operation of the door locks. When failed, the door remains locked even when pulling on the interior handle to open the door or when trying to unlock the door using the interior latch. You are essentially locked inside your car. I believe the door should always unlock when the handle is pulled, and the interior lock lever should always unlock the door as well. Both of these function "normally" when the actuator is not failed. The failure first appeared in late 2018/early 2019. I noticed that when I locked the vehicle using the key fob, I was not hearing the audible "beep." And when the car was shifted out of PARK, I was not hearing all the doors lock. I then realized the drivers front door was not locking. I lived with this for a while, long enough for the drivers side rear door to fail, and then the right rear door failed as well. The front right and rear door have never failed. I purchased a T

20221006UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The problem is the reproduction of a vehicle illegally by a dealer. My federal information & later my vehicle & home were obtained after my phone was cloned. Vehicle has airbag recalls from takata. Vin- [XXX]. (It’s and emergency vehicle) INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

20210913STRUCTURE:BODY

Rust appeared on the hatch of my 4Runner approximately 2 years after I purchased it new. My complaints to 2 different dealerships were ignored and left undocumented. I was told this wasn't covered under warranty. In 2019, the rust was finally documented by Toyota and I was told that this would have been covered under warranty, but now it's too late. At that point the rust was just an eyesore. Sometime in August 2021, while driving on a bumpy dirt road, my "open door" indicator illuminated and a warning chime went off. When I checked my doors, I discovered that the hatch wasn't fully secure. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that rust had eaten away the metal that secures the latch which keeps the hatch closed. The rust I had on the hatch, had eaten away at the metal from the inside, out. There is now only a small piece of rusted metal holding the locking mechanism in place that keeps the rear hatch secure. Since my earlier complaints to the service departments of Toyota went ignore

20210414FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

OUR FUEL PUMP AND A GASKET WENT OUT AT SAME TIME. NO WARNING IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, LUNGED FORWARD 5 FEET AND THEN DIED. GOING TO COST $1,000 TO FIX. IT LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA HAS RECALLS ON FUEL PUMPS BUT IT DOESN'T COVER OUR YEAR YET.

Mileage: 130,000

20201105UNKNOWN OR OTHER

CONSTANT BAD MOLDY/MILDEW SMELL COMING FROM THE A/C SYSTEM

Mileage: 121,000

20200926CrashAIR BAGS

DURING AN ACCIDENT, BOTH SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED (FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY). FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER INJURED BY SIDE AIRBAG -- BLEEDING PUNCTURE WOUNDS (APPROX 3) ON UPPER RIGHT WRIST, SEVERE RAISED GOUGES (BELOW THE SKIN) FROM THAT POINT UP THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE ARM (MORE SEVERE ON FOREARM). PASSENGER RECALLS SOMETHING SHOOTING OUT FROM "A" POST. PASSENGER WENT VIA AMBULANCE TO ER. LATER, FOUND BROKEN JAGGED PIECE OF WHITE HARD PLASTIC IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. PIECE IS IN OUR POSSESSION AS WELL AS PHOTOS AND MEDICAL RECORDS.

Mileage: 70,800

20200526ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I PURCHASED MY TOYOTA 4 RUNNER SR5 AND HAVE AROUND 89K MILES ON IT. I'VE SEVERAL ARTICLES ABOUT THE HORN CLOCK SPRING BEING FAULTY. MY DEALERSHIP IS QUOTING ALMOST $1K TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL. PLEASE ADVISE *TR

Mileage: 85,000

20200325VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. ONCE AT STOP SIGN, TWICE ON HIGHWAY SLOWING DOWN FOR RED LIGHT AND ONCE IN A DRIVE THRU. ALL WAS IN MOTION. HAVEN'T HAD TO DEALER YET BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS SCARE. DATE BELOW IS ESTIMATE OF LAST TIME IT HAPPENED. NOTHING TO BACK THIS PROBLEM UP BUT MY WORD.

Mileage: 74,100

20200304FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY THREE TIMES IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS MOST RECENTLY ON 2/15/2020. EACH TIME THE GAS GAUGE WAS SHOWING APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER TANK OF GAS. IN NONE OF THE CASES WAS THE LOW FUEL LIGHT ON.

Mileage: 130,000

20200114FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IT WOULD ONLY CONTINUE RUNNING FOR 5 TO 60 SECONDS. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE VEHICLE STARTED AND DROVE TO MY DESTINATION (HOME). THE PROBLEM PERSISTED FOR 3 DAYS, WITH ONLY ONE SUCCESSFUL SHORT DRIVE AMIDST SEVERAL STALLS AND RESTARTS. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STARTED, BUT DID NOT RUN FOR LONG BEFORE DYING. I TOWED IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP 9 DAYS AGO AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUE... THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO HAVE FIXED ITSELF, AT LEAST FOR NOW. HOWEVER, TODAY THE NEWS REPORTED A RECALL FOR NEWER MODEL 4 RUNNERS THAT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING, POSING A SERIOUS RISK. I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS AFFECTING MY 2013 4 RUNNER.

Mileage: 95,000

20200114UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IT WOULD ONLY CONTINUE RUNNING FOR 5 TO 60 SECONDS. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE VEHICLE STARTED AND DROVE TO MY DESTINATION (HOME). THE PROBLEM PERSISTED FOR 3 DAYS, WITH ONLY ONE SUCCESSFUL SHORT DRIVE AMIDST SEVERAL STALLS AND RESTARTS. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STARTED, BUT DID NOT RUN FOR LONG BEFORE DYING. I TOWED IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP 9 DAYS AGO AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUE... THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO HAVE FIXED ITSELF, AT LEAST FOR NOW. HOWEVER, TODAY THE NEWS REPORTED A RECALL FOR NEWER MODEL 4 RUNNERS THAT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING, POSING A SERIOUS RISK. I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS AFFECTING MY 2013 4 RUNNER.

Mileage: 95,000

20190506AIR BAGS

TAKATA RECALL ALL OF THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING ON A FLAT SURFACE AROUND 20 MPH. ACCORDING TO COMPUTER REPORT IT STATED THE 4RUNNDER WAS IN A ROLLOVER WHEN IT WAS NOT. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED REPORT. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT AT ANY INCLINES. TOYOTA STATED THE 2013 4RUNNER IS NOT UNDER THE AIR BAG RECALL. IT SHOULD BE!!! I HAVE HAD THE 4RUNNER FOR UNDER A YEAR AND IT NOW IS JUST SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA IS DRAGGING THEIR FEET STATING THAT IT CAN TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS OR MORE FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW THE COMPUTERS REPORT AND MAKE A DECISION TO RECALL/REPLACE/REPAIR THEIR BAD FAULTY AIR BAGS. THIS IS UNACCEPETABLE. THE 4RUNNER IS NEEDED FOR A DAILY DRIVER. THIS NEEDS TO BE HANDLED QUICKER AND THERE SHOULD BE NO QUESTION THIS 4RUNNERS AIR BAGS SHOULD BE UNDER THE RECALL.

Mileage: 108,000

Compare 2013TOYOTA4RUNNER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER have?
The 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has 46 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER?
The 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 3/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER?
Yes, the 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has 6 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER?
The most-complained component for the 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2013 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. The 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. 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.