Home · 2011 Toyota 4RUNNER Hybrid · Complaints

What 163 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota 4RUNNER Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (163)Crash / fire / injury (6)Airbags (112)Body & structure (9)Brakes (8)Electrical system (6)Engine (6)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Steering (5)Seats (4)Speed control (3)Suspension (3)

3 of 163 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters

Nov 9, 2012Speed controlFuel system

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING AND IDLING THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH VSE LIGHT AND EXPERIENCED ROUGH IDLING AND ERRATIC THROTTLE RESPONSE. WHEN MY WIFE TRIED TO PUT IN REVERSE AND BACK OUT NO THROTTLE WAS PRODUCED TO MOVE VEHICLE. SHE TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON ALONG WITH VSE LIGHT. SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME WITH ROUGH IDLING AND EXTREMELY ERRATIC THROTTLE RESPONSE. THIS HAPPENED ONE OTHER TIME WITHIN A FIVE DAY WINDOW UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE APPOINTMENT. DEALERSHIP CONTENDS THROTTLE BODY IS BAD AT 39,000 MILES DUE TO THE THREE PROBLEMS CODES PULLED FROM VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH SCHEDULED PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED @ 30,000 MILES WITH THROTTLE BODY CLEANING THIS PART STILL FAILED. THE ERRATIC THROTTLE RESPONSE FROM THIS PART IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE THAT EXPERIENCES THIS WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10483806

Sep 7, 2011Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

SUDDEN RAPID ACCELERATION, ENTERING A PARKING SPOT, BOTH FEET ON BRAKES, STILL ACCELERATION, PUT IN NEUTRAL THEN PARK, STILL ACCELERATION, HAD TO BACK UP, WAS IN A BAD POSITION, NEVER TOUCHED THE GAS THRU THIS WHOLE INCIDENT. RELINED VEHICLE, STILL ACCELERATION, PUT IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. TOYOTA HAS HAD IT SINCE, 9-2-2011, TODAY IS 9-7-2011. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS. I PICK UP MY GRAND KIDS ALL THE TIME LET ALONE ON THE ROAD SHOPPING, ERRANDS, ETC. THE FLOOR MATS WERE NOT THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10424066

Jul 21, 2011Speed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET TO 70 MPH, AND WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO TRAVEL DOWNHILL, IT ACCELERATED TO SPEEDS OF 80 TO 85 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS INTENDED AND THE VEHICLES SPEED WOULD EXCEED WHATEVER THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED TO WHEN TRAVELING DOWNHILL. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE SPEED WAS SUPPOSED TO VARY BY 3 TO 8 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 5,600.

NHTSA ODI 10413927

Working with the data? Download all 163 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Toyota 4RUNNER Hybrid verdict →