RoadVitals

1989 Toyota 4Runner

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
6
Latest Sep 5, 2000
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Sep 6, 2005
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Toyota 4Runner, most frequently naming the engine, body & structure and brakes categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine233.3%
  • Body & structure116.7%
  • Brakes116.7%
  • Seat belts116.7%
  • Tires & wheels116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

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.gov
05V389000

STEERING:LINKAGES:ROD:RELAY:CONNECTING

Sep 6, 2005
977,839 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS REPEATEDLY TURNED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHERE HIGH STEERING EFFORT AND POWER ASSIST ARE REQUIRED, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN FULLY TURNING THE WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE STEERING RELAY ROD.
The risk: IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE RELAY ROD MAY FRACTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING RELAY ROD. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.Manufacturer number 50NView on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

SQ99003ClosedInvestigation

CORRODED BRAKE LINES

Opened Jan 27, 1999
Closed Apr 22, 1999

TOYOTA IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL IN CANADA 98-253. CORRODED BRAKE LINES COULD FAIL RESULTING IN A PARTIAL BRAK SYSTEM LOSS AND INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 5, 2000

LAST YEAR I REPLACED A FIRESTONE ATX TIRE BECAUSE IT STARTED SEPARATING. FIRESTONE REIMBURSEMENT POLICY DOESN'T INCLUDE THIS TIRE BECAUSE IT WAS REPLACED BEFORE JAN. 2000. HAD THE TIRE NOT SEPARATED, IT WOULD STILL BE ON MY VEHICLE AND BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT BUT I FEEL THIS IS UNFAIR. THANKYOU.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235-75R15 )

NHTSA ID
730315
Incident
May 6, 1999
Engine
Filed Jul 14, 1999

HEAD GASKET FAILED, RECALL ON COMPONENT HOWEVER NO NOTIFICATION SENT TO OWNER, RECALL DENIED DUE TO EXPIRATION. MJS

NHTSA ID
547166
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Body & structure
Filed Jun 17, 1997

FRAME:LEFT UPPPER CONTROL ARM MOUNT TORN OUT OF FRAME, FRAME CRACKED. *AK *NLM

NHTSA ID
813168
Incident
Jun 7, 1997
Brakes
Filed Feb 20, 1997

THE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS BURN OUT OFTEN (SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR.) THE LENSES ARE EXTREMELY FADED.

NHTSA ID
546800
Seat belts
Filed Dec 20, 1996

THE ANCHOR THAT SUPPORTS THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS POPPED OUT. WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALER TO CORRECT. *AK

NHTSA ID
806615
Engine
Filed Nov 3, 1995

EXPERIENCING HEAD GASKET FAILURE. VEHICLE WAS RIDING ROUGH. TT

NHTSA ID
974530

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB003220

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.

Toyota PRO19-02

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.

T-SB-0032-20 Rev

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.

T-SB-0304-17 Obs

EQUIPMENT

TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates

T-SB-0032-20

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.

V06_Dealer Packa

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Toyota 4Runner by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026710—
2025541049.7
2024810—
2023301051.7
2022393058.8
2021341051.1
2020311044.0
2019644058.1
2018585056.9
2017365163.7
2016788165.4
2015869159.1
2014777159.4
2013366157.3
2012968158.8
201116310157.4
201014512156.6
2009226160.0
2008965158.6
20071545153.2
20063805260.0
20054245256.6
20046782253.0
20036953253.5
20022243155.7
20011853049.9
20004832049.0
19993302051.2
19982504052.1
19972614055.1
19961615054.3
19951724159.2
1994644263.2
1993513259.9
1992533260.1
1991432455.7
1990782465.1
1989Viewing611—
1988910—
1987500—
1986800—
1985200—
1984200—

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.