2009 Toyota 4RUNNERProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 22 owner complaints about the 2009 Toyota 4RUNNER, most often about the power train. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-396 the manufacturer reports only 24% of affected cars repaired.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 24%Owner complaints226 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage20kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 13, 2024. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Toyota 4RUNNER has problems

22 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

10Power train

4Electrical system2 crash/fire/injury

3Structure

2Engine and engine cooling

2Fuel system, gasoline1 crash/fire/injury

2Steering1 crash/fire/injury

2Suspension1 crash/fire/injury

2Air bags2 crash/fire/injury

2Engine1 crash/fire/injury

22 other systems

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	10	0
Electrical system	4	2
Structure	3	0
Engine and engine cooling	2	0
Fuel system, gasoline	2	1
Steering	2	1
Suspension	2	1
Air bags	2	2
Engine	2	1
2 other systems	2	0

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

6 recalls

2009 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.

repaired · 2017 Q4

Front assembly: seat heater/cooler

Recall 16V-396 · Jun 2, 2016 · 7,749 vehicles · 1,831 repaired

Risk. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

repaired · 2016 Q2

Front assembly: seat heater/cooler

Recall 14V-743 · Nov 19, 2014 · 3,233 vehicles · 871 repaired

Risk. Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

Recall 13V-014 · Jan 16, 2013 · 3,235 vehicles

Risk. If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

Recall 11V-113 · Feb 24, 2011 · 1,363,244 vehicles

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls

no report yet

Other: labels

Recall 10V-035 · Feb 3, 2010 · 271,417 vehicles

Risk. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Other: labels

Recall 10V-036 · Feb 3, 2010 · 153,418 vehicles

Risk. A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

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

2009 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 62 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

NHTSA crash tests

2009 Toyota 4RUNNER safety ratings

2009 Toyota 4Runner 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2009 Toyota 4RUNNER frontal crash test, NHTSA

Frontal crashNot rated

2009 Toyota 4RUNNER side barrier test, NHTSA

Side barrierNot rated

Rollover: 3 stars (20.4% risk)
Stability control: Standard
Forward collision warning: No
Lane departure warning: No

1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Toyota 4RUNNER, and the recalls they led to.

Feb 16, 2010
Unintended and Uncontrolled AccelerationRQ10003 · closed Mar 1, 2011
Led to recall 11V-112

In owners' words

What 4RUNNER owners report

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND TURNING, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATING POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE…
Complaint 10500520 · Feb 26, 2013 · 24,000 miles

2009 4RUNNER TRANSMISSION SLIPS (REVS TO HIGH RPMS) WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AFTER SLOWING BELOW 15 MPH (WHILE MAKING TURNS OR SLOWING FOR TRAFFIC). THIS HAS CAUSED DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE A SIGNIFICANT LAG TIME BETWEEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND WHEN THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES WHILE…
Complaint 10383941 · Feb 22, 2011 · 20,000 miles

I PURCHASED MY 2009 4RUNNER NEW LAST YEAR. FROM THE MINUTE I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ANY TIME THE VEHICLE SLOWS BELOW 15MPH AND THEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE REVS TO A HIGH RPM AS IF SEARCHING FOR A GEAR AND DOES NOT ACCELERATE AS COMMANDED.…
Complaint 10373627 · Dec 31, 2010 · 1 miles

Own a 2009 4RUNNER?

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