2003 Toyota 4runner recalls and problems

The 2003 Toyota 4runner has 3 recalls and 696 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is structure.

How the 2003 compares

Highest

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Highest complaint count among 27 4runner model years — the most of any year.

3recalls

696complaints

18crashes

0fires

27injuries

127,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

Check your VIN →

3 recalls

Vehicle Speed Control

Feb 24, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V113000 · 1,363,244 vehicles

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 Lexus LX570, 2003 through 2009 Toyota 4RUNNER, and 2006 through 2010 RAV4 vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.

Original NHTSA wording

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 LEXUS LX570, 2003 THROUGH 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, AND 2006 THROUGH 2010 RAV4 VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.

Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal May result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

Original NHTSA wording

A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy & notes

The remedy is now available. The safety recall began early April 2011. The remedy will involve modification or replacement of the accelerator pedal and replacement of any Toyota all-weather floor mat. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

Toyota's recall campaign numbers are 90L (Toyota) and 90LG (Lexus).customers May contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.this recall is an expansion of safety recalls 09V-388 and 10V-023.

Fuel System

Apr 14, 2003 · NHTSA campaign 03V146000 · 29,482 vehicles

Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with V6 engines, the fuel pulsation damper, located on the fuel rail, May have been improperly assembled, causing a diaphragm in the pulsation damper to be damaged. If the diaphragm fails, fuel May leak.

Original NHTSA wording

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V6 ENGINES, THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPER, LOCATED ON THE FUEL RAIL, MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED, CAUSING A DIAPHRAGM IN THE PULSATION DAMPER TO BE DAMAGED. IF THE DIAPHRAGM FAILS, FUEL MAY LEAK.

Risk: This could result in an engine compartment fire if a heat source or an ignition source is present.

Original NHTSA wording

THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE IF A HEAT SOURCE OR AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace the pulsation damper. Owner notification began May 5, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota recall no. Ssc 30C.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Wheels

Dec 17, 2002 · NHTSA campaign 02V339000 · 176 vehicles

Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with five factory alloy wheels (model 6934 and 6936), with factory llat, and with port installed WR4, four alloy wheel upgrade processed at the jacksonville, Florida port and distributed by southeast Toyota distributors in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, north and South Carolina, when the vehicles were processed at the port, an alloy tire/wheel upgrade was installed. The upgrade included 4 alloy wheels. The original spare tire/alloy wheel was not changed. The spare tire requires the use of a different style of wheel nut to attach it to the vehicle.

Original NHTSA wording

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FIVE FACTORY ALLOY WHEELS (MODEL 6934 AND 6936), WITH FACTORY LLAT, AND WITH PORT INSTALLED WR4, FOUR ALLOY WHEEL UPGRADE PROCESSED AT THE JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA PORT AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE PROCESSED AT THE PORT, AN ALLOY TIRE/WHEEL UPGRADE WAS INSTALLED. THE UPGRADE INCLUDED 4 ALLOY WHEELS. THE ORIGINAL SPARE TIRE/ALLOY WHEEL WAS NOT CHANGED. THE SPARE TIRE REQUIRES THE USE OF A DIFFERENT STYLE OF WHEEL NUT TO ATTACH IT TO THE VEHICLE.

Risk: If the spare tire/wheel is installed on the vehicle using the wheel nuts provided for the upgrade alloy wheel, damage to the wheel could result and could eventually lead to a loose wheel.

Original NHTSA wording

IF THE SPARE TIRE/WHEEL IS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE USING THE WHEEL NUTS PROVIDED FOR THE UPGRADE ALLOY WHEEL, DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL COULD RESULT AND COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A LOOSE WHEEL.

Remedy

Owners will be provided with different style lug nuts, a warning label for the spare re/alloy wheel, and an owner's manual addendum.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Structure284

Suspension114

Engine99

Unknown or other97

Service Brakes74

Power Train39

Steering32

Vehicle Speed Control29

Seats17

Visibility13

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Frame corrosion

DP18002 · opened Aug 17, 2018 · closed Mar 18, 2022

Summary

On August 7, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Gary Weinreich alleging premature frame corrosion failure in model year (MY) 2002 - 2006 Toyota 4Runner vehicles. The petitioner based his request upon a corrosion-related front suspension failure he experienced in his MY 2005 Toyota 4Runner, a class action lawsuit settlement involving other Toyota products, and other complaints of underbody corrosion in Toyota 4Runner vehicles that he found in NHTSA?s online complaint database. The petitioner submitted a complaint to NHTSA documenting his experience (NHTSA ID 11098055). On August 17, 2018, ODI opened DP18-002 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI?s evaluation included information provided by the petitioner regarding his vehicle, facts related to the class action lawsuit cited by the petitioner, and consumer complaint data received by NHTSA regarding underbody corrosion in third and fourth-generation Toyota 4Runner vehicles.The undercarriage of the petitioner?s vehicle exhibited severe corrosion damage indicative of seawater immersion. The vehicle?s service history shows that concerns with underbody corrosion were first noted by a Toyota dealer in a multi-point vehicle inspection performed on April 28, 2011. The invoice for that inspection noted ?severe and excessive amount of rust on the undercarriage and on the drive shaft transmission.? Two years later, on October 21, 2013, another multi-point inspection by a Toyota dealer …

Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration

RQ10003 · opened Feb 16, 2010 · closed Mar 1, 2011 · led to recall 11V112000

Summary

On February 16, 2010, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened RQ10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior Toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, Toyota recalls 07E-082, 09V-388, 10V-017, and 10V-023.NHTSA also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.I. Pedal Interference from Floor mats, Carpet Covers and Plastic Pads in Carpets.During the RQ10-003 investigation, ODI reviewed a large volume of documents to assess whether additional vehicles should be recalled.Following the agency's analysis, NHTSA requested that Toyota recall additional vehicles.Toyota complied with the agency's request.The details of these recalls are set forth more fully in Toyota's reports to NHTSA pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573.These recalls are as follows:Recall 11V-112: (1) model year (MY) 2004-2006 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid; and, (2) MY 2004-2007 Lexus RX330,RX350, and RX400h (hybrid model). The total estimated population under this recall is 769,379 vehicles.This recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by a loose floor carpet cover (trim panel). Recall 11V-113: (1) MY 2003-2009 through 2009 Toyota 4Runner; (2) MY 2006-2010 Toyota RAV4; and, (3) MY 2008-2011 Lexus LX570.The total estimated population under this recall is 1,381,000 vehicles.This recall supplements recall 09V-388 and remedies potential accele…

2003 vs. other Toyota 4runner years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2003. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2003 Toyota 4runner have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2003 Toyota 4runner, the latest from Feb 24, 2011 (vehicle speed control). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota 4runner?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention structure (284), suspension (114), engine (99). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.