Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Toyota 4Runner, most frequently naming the engine, powertrain (other) and tires & wheels categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 23 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 1998 | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 1998 | 1 | 3 |
| Sep 1998 | 1 | 4 |
| Mar 1999 | 1 | 5 |
| Aug 2000 | 1 | 6 |
| Sep 2000 | 1 | 7 |
| Nov 2000 | 1 | 8 |
| Jan 2002 | 1 | 9 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. VEHICLE RAN POORLY, AND THERE WAS LITTLE HESITATION. *AK
WHEN USING HIGH BEAMS OR TURN SIGNALS HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF. CONSUMER MUST WIGGLE/TOGGLE SWITCH FOR HEADLIGHTS TO TURN BACK ON.*AK
TREAD SEPARATION ON LEFT REAR TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VOYTAXC124 TIRE SIZE: 3211.5015 )
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 )
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
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER
NO SUMMARY
BUMPER IS LOCATED TOO HIGH CAUSING DAMAGE DURING A COLLISION; SEAT BELT UNLATCHED IN ACCIDENT.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
AIR BAGS; EQUIPMENT; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.
EQUIPMENT
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2021 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
EQUIPMENT
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
EQUIPMENT
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, T-SB-0144-08, and T-SB-0304-17. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dealer Package: 12/18/2018 The Program Details section has been updated. SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT FOR 1988 - EARLY 1990 TRUCK & 4RUNNER WITH 3VZ?E V6 ENGINES AND SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN (V06) FOR 1990 - EARLY 1995 TRUCK, 4RUNNER & T100 WITH 3VZ?E V6 ENGINES.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 49.7 |
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 51.7 |
| 2022 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 58.8 |
| 2021 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 51.1 |
| 2020 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 44.0 |
| 2019 | 64 | 4 | 0 | 58.1 |
| 2018 | 58 | 5 | 0 | 56.9 |
| 2017 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 63.7 |
| 2016 | 78 | 8 | 1 | 65.4 |
| 2015 | 86 | 9 | 1 | 59.1 |
| 2014 | 77 | 7 | 1 | 59.4 |
| 2013 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 57.3 |
| 2012 | 96 | 8 | 1 | 58.8 |
| 2011 | 163 | 10 | 1 | 57.4 |
| 2010 | 145 | 12 | 1 | 56.6 |
| 2009 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 60.0 |
| 2008 | 96 | 5 | 1 | 58.6 |
| 2007 | 154 | 5 | 1 | 53.2 |
| 2006 | 380 | 5 | 2 | 60.0 |
| 2005 | 424 | 5 | 2 | 56.6 |
| 2004 | 678 | 2 | 2 | 53.0 |
| 2003 | 695 | 3 | 2 | 53.5 |
| 2002 | 224 | 3 | 1 | 55.7 |
| 2001 | 185 | 3 | 0 | 49.9 |
| 2000 | 483 | 2 | 0 | 49.0 |
| 1999 | 330 | 2 | 0 | 51.2 |
| 1998 | 250 | 4 | 0 | 52.1 |
| 1997 | 261 | 4 | 0 | 55.1 |
| 1996 | 161 | 5 | 0 | 54.3 |
| 1995 | 172 | 4 | 1 | 59.2 |
| 1994 | 64 | 4 | 2 | 63.2 |
| 1993 | 51 | 3 | 2 | 59.9 |
| 1992 | 53 | 3 | 2 | 60.1 |
| 1991 | 43 | 2 | 4 | 55.7 |
| 1990 | 78 | 2 | 4 | 65.1 |
| 1989 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1988Viewing | 9 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.