Home · 2018 Toyota 4RUNNER · Complaints

What 57 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota 4RUNNER

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 (57)Crash / fire / injury (9)Steering (11)Fuel system (9)Airbags (7)Brakes (6)Body & structure (5)Engine (5)Suspension (4)Electrical system (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (2)

7 of 57 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters

Mar 27, 2026AirbagsBrakesEngine

The dealership Direct Motor, located in Manassas, Virginia, sold me this car in poor condition. On Sunday the 22nd, I picked up the car around 10 PM. They didn't show me any information about the car. When I picked it up, I saw that the front bumper and rear door were damaged, and the airbag lights were on, which is dangerous. I returned the car first thing Monday morning and asked them to exchange it. They refused. I asked for my money back, which is $3,000, and they refused again. Then I went back on Wednesday and filled out a form explaining why I returned the car. They said they would return my money, but now they're not responding. They're trying to scam me.

NHTSA ODI 11727554

Mar 29, 2024AirbagsCrash1 injury

My vehicle was in a collision at 55 miles an hour. Hit 3 grown cows in the highway at nighttime. Totaled my vehicle in the airbags, never deployed period Turn off.

NHTSA ODI 11580036

Jul 20, 2020AirbagsBody & structureCrash

HUSBAND FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL GOING 80MPH AND HIT A HUGE EXIT SIGN WHICH HIT THE ENTIRE FRONT BUMPER AS WELL AS THE DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DOOR AND NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 11340505

Jan 4, 2020AirbagsBody & structureElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash

TOTALED VEHICLE REPAIRED AFTER VEHICLE REPORTED TOTALED - VEHICLE NOT REPAIRED ADEQUATELY AND IS UNSAFE AS A RESULT OF A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT. INCIDENT REPORTED TO POLICE - INSURANCE COMPANY, TOWING SERVICE, AND CONSUMER FRAUD BY NETWORK HACKING INSURANCE INFORMATION.

NHTSA ODI 11297063

May 3, 2019AirbagsCrash

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I CAME UPON A DEER JUST STANDING THERE. I SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING IT AND HIT THE GUARDRAIL AT APPROX 60MPH.

NHTSA ODI 11205442

May 3, 2019AirbagsCrash

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 0540 WHEN I CAM UPON A DEER JUST STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. I SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING IT AND HIT THE GUARDRAIL AT AN 90 DEGREE ANGLE, WHERE THE FORCE WHIPPED THE BACK END OF MY CAR INTO THE GUARDRAIL AS WELL.

NHTSA ODI 11205444

May 3, 2019AirbagsCrash

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 0540 WHEN I CAME UPON A DEER STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. I SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING IT AND CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL AT AN 90 DEGREE ANGLE, AT HIGH SPEED, CAUSING ALMOST 14 THOUSAND IN DAMAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11205466

Working with the data? Download all 57 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 7, 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 2018 Toyota 4RUNNER verdict →