Page 2 of 2 · complaints 51–78 of 78

1990 Toyota 4Runner complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1990 record →

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Jul 2, 1999MA

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN VEHICLE IS IN PARK, AND IT IDLES AT 1500 RPMS. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 14 TIMES, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jun 8, 1999CA

ROD THROWN, ENGINE DESTROYED. WARRANTY HEAD WORK DONE LAST OCTOBER AFTER RECALL POSSIBLY RELATED. MASSIVE OIL LOSS SOMETIME IN LAST WEEK, POSSIBLY AT TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Mar 16, 1999TX

WHILE DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. TAPPED BRAKES TO RELEASE CRUISE CONTROL. VEHICLE MAINTAINED SPEED. AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THIS CAUSED ENGINE TO REV UP RPMS. SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL CAUSED REVVING. FLOORED PEDAL & CRUISE CONTROL WAS RELEASED. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › EngineFire
Filed Dec 11, 1998WA

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING TRUCK, AND SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO PRESSURE WHEN SHE HIT THE GAS PEDAL AND SHE SMELLED FUEL. ALSO SHE HAD A NEW ENGINE PUT IN JULY, THE MILEAGE WAS 75000 ON THE TRUCK. THE SHORT BLOCK WAS REPLACED . THEN THE TRUCK BURST INTO FLAMES. THE CAR WA STOWED TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Aug 19, 1998MD

BRAKES FAILED CAUSING ACCIDENT. OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT.

Vehicle Speed Control1 injured
Filed Jun 23, 1998CA

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN A VEHICLE COLLISION.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Filed Feb 24, 1998VT

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ABOUT 20 MPH AND APPYLING BRAKE PRESSURE 2 OUT OF 3 BRAKE LINES BROKE, CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH. THE BRAKE LINES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. *AK

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Feb 9, 1998NJ

POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED, ALSO DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY, PASSENGERS WERE TRAPPED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Jan 31, 1998CA

ENGINE THERMOSTAT FAILED TWICE, ENGINE FAILED DUE TO COLLANT LEAK.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jan 20, 1998NY

DRIVETRAIN CONSTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jan 12, 1998NY

DRIVETRAIN CONSTANTLY JUMPS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND INTERVALS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

SteeringCrash
Filed Jan 9, 1998NV

WHILE MAKING A LANE CHANG ETO THE LEFT AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THERE WAS NO RSPONSE FROM VEHICLE. LOST CONTROL, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Dec 16, 1997CA

TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE CYCLES ON AND OFF DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, RESULTING IN LOSS OF GAS MILEAGE. ALSO ABS BRAKES LOCK UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIDE.

Suspension › FrontCrash1 injured
Filed Nov 19, 1997CA

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH, SWITCHING LANES THE VEHICLE WOBBLED AND SPUN OUT OF CONTROL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER, INJURING THE DRIVER. *AK

Power Train › Clutch Assembly
Filed Jul 29, 1997MD

CLUTCH MOUNTING BRACKETS HAVE TORN TO THE POINT THAT THE CLUTCH WILL NOT RELEASE.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash2 injured1 killed
Filed Jun 2, 1997TX

DRIVER HIT THE BRAKES AND ABS BRAKES FAILED TOYOTA TRUCK, 4-RUNNER LOST CONTROL/ROLLED OVER, A BABY AND ADULT DRIVER FELL OUT OF THE CAR, RESULTING IN 2 INJURIES AND A FATALITY. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Feb 28, 1997CA

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITONS AND NOTICED LCK OF RESISTANCE FROM THE HYDRAULIC CLUCTH AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK

Seat BeltsCrash
Filed Jan 24, 1997WA

OWNER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAD ROLLED OVER BUT HE WAS ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE WITHOUT PUSHING THE RELEASE BUTTON, HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS SAFETY. *AK

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Jan 10, 1997NC

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BODY IS CRACKING, CAUSING THE BRAKE CLUTCH BRACKET TO FAIL, TOOK TO DEALER, SAID IT WAS A BAD DESIG, NEEDS A NEW BRACKET, CONSUMER TO PAY FOR THE WELD . *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Oct 8, 1996OR

BOLT THAT HOLDS THE HEAD ON THE ENGINE GASKETS IS BROKEN. *AK

Structure › Body
Filed Apr 4, 1996WY

FIREWALL CRACKED, CAUSING PEDALS TO 'ROLL'. *SD

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Mar 26, 1996CA

ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS JAMMMED, PREVENTING OCCUPANTS FROM EXITING THE VEHICLE. *AK

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Jan 22, 1996DC

POWER DOOR LOCKS STICK. *SD

Fuel System, GasolineFire
Filed Jan 11, 1996VT

TRUCK WENT UP IN FLAMES FOR NO REASON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

Power Train › Axle AssemblyCrash2 injured
Filed Nov 21, 1995MS

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 40 TO 45 MPH THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE REAR AXLE CAME OFF CAUSING THE TRUCK TO ROLLOVER TRUCK WAS TOTOALED . TT

Structure › Body › Tailgate
Filed Nov 6, 1995OH

TAILGATE ELECTRIC DOOR FAILED AND CANNOT OPEN GATE. TT

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Nov 2, 1995MI

THE ENGINE HEAD IS BAD . TT

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys
Filed Sep 18, 1995OH

REPLACED ENGINE BELTS.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 1990 Toyota 4Runner → · Every 4Runner year → · How the figures are calculated →