1988 Toyota 4Runner Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1988 Toyota 4Runner, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine222.2%
- Powertrain (other)222.2%
- Tires & wheels222.2%
- Body & structure111.1%
- Exterior lighting111.1%
- Seat belts111.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. VEHICLE RAN POORLY, AND THERE WAS LITTLE HESITATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
4-WHEEL DRIVE LOCKING HUBS FAIL, CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK/GRAB. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 )
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
BUMPER IS LOCATED TOO HIGH CAUSING DAMAGE DURING A COLLISION; SEAT BELT UNLATCHED IN ACCIDENT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN USING HIGH BEAMS OR TURN SIGNALS HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF. CONSUMER MUST WIGGLE/TOGGLE SWITCH FOR HEADLIGHTS TO TURN BACK ON.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
BUMPER IS LOCATED TOO HIGH CAUSING DAMAGE DURING A COLLISION; SEAT BELT UNLATCHED IN ACCIDENT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .