What 77 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota 4RUNNER Hybrid

We were traveling down the mountain of Mt. Nebo in Dardanelle, AR, around 1:08pm on Friday, May 22, 2026. It had been misty rain for a few hours. As we were traveling down the switchbacks of the mountain, we pressed on the brake to slow the vehicle; however, the vehicle did not slow down any. Since we were coming to the next curve in the switchback, the decision was made to drive the car into a tree vs. risking flipping the car over the side of the mountain. When the vehicle collided with the tree, none of the air bags deployed. The point of impact was the front driver corner of the car. The car was traveling around 20 MPH at the time of impact (to the best of our knowledge). Problem #1-brake system failure Problem #2-Air bags failed to deploy -What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The brake system & air bags. Both are available for inspection. -How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Risk of death associated with the crash. -Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Unavailable at this time due to the extensive damage caused from the crash. -Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not to my knowledge since this happened a few hours before a holiday weekend. -Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None that we seen.

NHTSA ODI 11740147

On 5/11/2025, my husband and I were returning home from the grocery store. I was operating the vehicle at the time of the incident. Upon arriving at our residence, I pulled into our driveway, which has a slight downward incline. As in our usual practice, I attempted to stop in front of the garage to unload groceries before entering, as the hatch of our vehicle can come in contact with the garage door when opened inside. While aligning the vehicle with the garage door, I began breaking and turning slightly to the left. However, as I attempted to come to a complete stop in front of the closed garage door, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated forward. Despite applying the brakes, the vehicle continued moving and crashed through the closed garage door. Due to the steering wheel being slightly turned, the vehicle veered left upon entering the garage, striking the left interior wall and a 32 foot ladder that was leaning against it. The impact with the wall and ladder brought the vehicle to a stop although the engine continued to rev and the vehicle attempted to move forward. My husband instructed me to shut off the engine, which I did immediately. My husband was not injured in the incident. I sustained pain in my left shoulder and upper left back. A medical evaluation indicated that the pain is expected to subside within a few weeks; imaging will be conducted if symptoms persist. I have filed both auto and homeowner's insurance claims regarding the incident. Additionally, I contacted the dealership, which advised me to report the issue to the manufacturers corporate office. They noted that the vehicle is equipped with a fail-safe system designed to prevent simultaneous engagement of the brake and accelerator. This was a very scary incident that I don't want to have happen to someone else.

NHTSA ODI 11661467

STARTED WITH SHAKING WHILE DRIVING, THEN THEY SAY THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE SAME FEELING. THEN THE FRONT CAR WOULD SQUEAK LIKE AND OLD COIL, THEY SAY THEY CAN'T REPRODUCE THAT. NOW THEY SAID I NEEDED NEW BRAKES AND THEN THE ABS, BRAKE, AND SKID CONTROL LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON AND OFF WHICH COINCIDES WITH A COIL/CLICK FEELING UNDER THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL. CAR STILL SHAKES AND SQUEAKED. TOYOTA KEEPS SAYING MY CAR IS FINE.

NHTSA ODI 11374970

DRIVING HOME, ON US 1, ABOUT 60-65MPH, I HAD TO SUDDENLY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE BRAKES LOCKED UP,AND YANKED ME TO THE RIGHT , PULLING ME OFF ROAD. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF AND WAS ABLE TO CORRECT AND MOVE BACK ONTO THE PAVEMENT. THE ABS, ACTIVE HANDLING AND BRAKE LIGHTS WITH WARNING BUZZER BEGAN. I HAD NO BRAKES FOR A FEW MOMENTS, PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR, MOMENTARILY. THEN, THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED, BUT LIGHTS AND WARNING SOUNDS STILL ACTIVATED. I WAS WITHIN A MILE OF HOME. I OPTED TO CONTINUE AT SLOW SPEED TO THE HOUSE, WHERE I PULLED IN AND USED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. I HAVE 25000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT'S JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. GOING ONTO THE FORUM, I FOUND THIS ISN'T A RARE PROBLEM. THIS COULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT HAD ANOTHER CAR BEEN BESIDE ME AT THE TIME MY BRAKES FAILED I PU

NHTSA ODI 11187363

HAVE AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE LOCKING DURING BREAKING. FEELS LIKE THE YOU SUDDENLY MASHED THE BREAK PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. HAPPENED ON DRY PAVEMENT WHILE GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD APPROX 50MPH CONSTANT BREAK PRESSURE. HAS DONE THIS AT SLOWER SPEEDS GOING FORWARD AND BACKING UP, JUST SEEMS TO DRAG THE RF TIRE WHILE OTHER THREE ARE ROTATING NORMALLY. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING IT. INCLUDED IMAGES OF DRAG MARKS IN SHOP FLOOR.

NHTSA ODI 11067264