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2012 Toyota 4RUNNERProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 96 owner complaints about the 2012 Toyota 4RUNNER, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 8 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-577 the manufacturer reports only 36% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Toyota 4RUNNER
52
CarFlaw IndexSolid year7% below the 4RUNNER median · #20 of 35 years by complaints
Safety recalls8Lowest repair rate 36%Owner complaints9611 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage61kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 13, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: RL GNZLZ from Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Toyota 4RUNNER has problems

96 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags703
Electrical system60
Service brakes60
Engine51
Steering50
Fuel system, gasoline30
Structure21
Fuel/propulsion system20
Suspension20
4 other systems53

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

8 recalls

2012 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.

65%repaired · 2021 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-741 · Oct 17, 2019 · 928,220 vehicles · 600,429 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

83%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-005 · Jan 9, 2019 · 1,299,448 vehicles · 1,083,567 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

56%repaired · 2019 Q2

Equipment

Recall 17V-425 · Jul 3, 2017 · 3,547 vehicles · 1,972 repaired

Risk. If the hood scoop detaches, it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

74%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-006 · Jan 9, 2017 · 577,875 vehicles · 427,891 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 4 more recalls
36%repaired · 2017 Q4

Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe

Recall 16V-577 · Aug 3, 2016 · 425 vehicles · 153 repaired

Risk. Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

47%repaired · 2016 Q4

Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe

Recall 15V-515 · Aug 13, 2015 · 2,530 vehicles · 1,198 repaired

Risk. Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.

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

Equipment: electrical

Recall 12V-120 · Mar 23, 2012 · 363 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, ANTILOCK BRAKING AND STABILITY CONTROL MAY BE LOST, INCREASING 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

2012 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

'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

2012 Toyota 4RUNNER safety ratings

2012 Toyota 4Runner SUV 2WD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2012 Toyota 4RUNNER frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2012 Toyota 4RUNNER side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2012 Toyota 4RUNNER side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 3 stars (24.6% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Toyota 4RUNNER, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What 4RUNNER owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

2012 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO TAKATA FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATOR SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO HAVE A RECALL NOTICE MAILED TO A CURRENT ADDRESS. *JS
Complaint 11414833 · May 4, 2021
I AM THE OWNER OF A 2012 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WHICH HAS A CURRENT AIR BAG RECALL. THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE BEFORE OUR MILITARY PCS TRANSFER OVERSEAS. THEY BECAME AVAILABLE AFTER MY MOVE OVERSEAS, BUT TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST IN REPLACING MY AIRBAGS. I AM NOT GETTING READY TO TRANSFER BACK…
Complaint 11319004 · Mar 23, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 51 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISON, HE SWERVED, LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE SLIDING INTO A TREE IN THE SNOW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AT 18 MPH PER THE…
Complaint 11308584 · Feb 11, 2020 · 118,000 miles

Own a 2012 4RUNNER?

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