1988 Toyota 4RUNNERProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 9 owner complaints about the 1988 Toyota 4RUNNER, most often about the power train. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls1Free fix at dealers Owner complaints91 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem2Power train

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 9, 2002. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1988 Toyota 4RUNNER has problems

9 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

2Power train

2Tires

2Engine and engine cooling

1Unknown

1Seat belts1 crash/fire/injury

1Exterior lighting

1Structure1 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Power train	2	0
Tires	2	0
Engine and engine cooling	2	0
Unknown	1	0
Seat belts	1	1
Exterior lighting	1	0
Structure	1	1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1988 Toyota 4RUNNER recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 88V-019 · Feb 16, 1988 · 4,842 vehicles

Risk. HEAT FROM THE EGR COULD CAUSE THE HOSE TO CRACK ANDRESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.

Best & worst years

1988 vs. every other 4RUNNER year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 4RUNNER median. How we score

9 6 78 43 53 51 64 17216126125033048318522569667842538115496 22 14716396 36 77 87 81 36 60 66 33 36 39 33 10 63 9

'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

In owners' words

What 4RUNNER owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

NOT SURE I ANSWERED ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS PROPERLY. SO TO SUMMARIZE, I JUST HAD MY 5TH SPEEDOMETER CABLE INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE. THEY LAST 2 YEARS (HAVE A 1 YEAR WARRANTY). THIS TIME I ALSO REPLACED THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD. DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME AND TOYOTA WAS OF NO HELP. *AK
Complaint 704850 · Mar 24, 1999

Own a 1988 4RUNNER?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.