Toyota 4Runner years to avoid— and the best years
8 4Runner model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
Every 4Runner model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 #1 | A | 6 | 1 · 0.2/yr | 33 · 6/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2021 #2 | A | 5 | 1 · 0.2/yr | 36 · 7/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2023 #3 | A | 3 | 1 · 0.3/yr | 32 · 11/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2017 #4 | B | 9 | 5 · 0.6/yr | 36 · 4/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2019 #5 | B | 7 | 4 · 0.6/yr | 65 · 9/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2018 #6 | C | 8 | 5 · 0.6/yr | 58 · 7/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2022 #7 | B | 4 | 3 · 0.8/yr | 39 · 10/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2016 #8 | F | 10 | 8 · 0.8/yr | 79 · 8/yr | ★★★★☆ | 2 critical |
The 4Runner years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2016 Toyota 4Runner
The 2016 4Runner: 8 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.8 a year, 2 critical: air bags) — also structure ×2, equipment ×2; 79 owner complaints to NHTSA, 8 a year (most often electrical (18) and airbag (10)); owners reported 6 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injured; NHTSA investigation EA21002 (open, air bags); NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars.
2022 Toyota 4Runner
The 2022 4Runner: 3 recalls in 4 years on the road (0.8 a year) — equipment ×2, exterior lighting; 39 owner complaints to NHTSA, 10 a year (most often automatic emergency braking (7) and airbag (6)); owners reported 5 crashes, 1 fire, 7 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars.
The 4Runner years the record favours
first 2 of 82020 Toyota 4Runner
The 2020 4Runner: 1 recall in 6 years on the road (0.2 a year) — equipment; 33 owner complaints to NHTSA, 6 a year (most often airbag (5) and backup camera and parking sensor (5)); owners reported 4 crashes, 4 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars.
2021 Toyota 4Runner
The 2021 4Runner: 1 recall in 5 years on the road (0.2 a year) — equipment; 36 owner complaints to NHTSA, 7 a year (most often steering (13) and suspension (10)); owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about 4Runner years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat Toyota 4Runner years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2016, 2022 rank lowest of the 8 4Runner model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2016 — 8 recalls in 10 years (0.8 a year), 2 critical, 79 complaints (8 a year); the 2022 — 3 recalls in 4 years (0.8 a year), 39 complaints (10 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best Toyota 4Runner year to buy used?
The 2020 Toyota 4Runner has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal A, 0.2 recalls a year on the road and 6 complaints a year. The 2020 4Runner: 1 recall in 6 years on the road (0.2 a year) — equipment; 33 owner complaints to NHTSA, 6 a year (most often airbag (5) and backup camera and parking sensor (5)); owners reported 4 crashes, 4 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2016 Toyota 4Runner reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2016 4Runner: 8 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.8 a year, 2 critical: air bags) — also structure ×2, equipment ×2; 79 owner complaints to NHTSA, 8 a year (most often electrical (18) and airbag (10)); owners reported 6 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injured; NHTSA investigation EA21002 (open, air bags); NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars. That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the Toyota 4Runner have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 28 recall campaigns against the Toyota 4Runner, and owners filed 378 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2026) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.