Toyota has been one of those brands, known for manufacturing durable midsize SUVs for years. The Toyota 4Runner with a base price of $38,105 appeared tough on some of its rivals like the GMC Acadia, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Ford Explorer because of its brand popularity. It would be unjust to consider 4Runner as a lemon car because of its market reputation that enabled Toyota to sell 131,864 units in the respective year. Despite such popularity, it is impossible to deny the complaints that were made against the vehicle’s structural integrity, and electrical issues leading to infotainment malfunctions. Apart from those, some users have noted safety issues about the car’s faulty deployment of the airbags too during the event of a car crash. These issues compelled the owners to register 43 complaints against the vehicle’s trustworthiness on the NHTSA website followed by 4 recalls. The queries raised against the car’s loyalty somehow affected the sales figure of the 4Runner which was 139,694 in the previous year.
User Complaints and Problems
Electrical Problems
- Bluetooth issue- User complaint includes malfunctioning Bluetooth, which often stops working with iPhone 11Pro Max due to a software error. This issue might show up when the infotainment software is not updated. The dealers should update the software to mitigate the problem soon.
- Dead dashboard lights- Dashboard lights usually turn dead when there’s a short in the electrical circuit ultimately blowing off the fuse. Sometimes there can be other wiring issues too because of which the dashboard lights might be dead. The owners should notify the dealers to repair the issue and get it repaired soon.
Engine and Mechanical Problems
- Weird vibration during gear change- 4Runner owners have sensed weird vibrations while accelerating the vehicle’s gear shift from the first to the second position. Such jerks usually occur during gear shifting when the transmission fluid is not changed for some time. The dealers should take action to change the transmission fluid and increase the fluid level if it is low.
Safety Problems
- Failure in deploying airbags- Faulty airbags may not deploy during the event of a car crash, often triggering injuries to the passengers. If it is a frontal crash, there are chances for the passenger to hit the steering wheel and the driver’s door window, which might be a life-threatening risk too. Therefore, the dealers must find the reason behind the non-deployment of the airbags and get those replaced or repaired soon.
Structural Problems
- Faulty windshield- Faulty construction leading to crack marks in the windshield is a common problem in many cars. The 4Runner is no exception, as owners have found such crack marks in the windshield which had to be replaced multiple times. The brand should issue a recall for such manufacturing defect and replace it for free.
Miscellaneous Problems
- Noisy suspension- Users have found noisy suspension sounds while driving the vehicle at low speed, usually when the car is driven at a speed of 15MPH. Such noisy sound has been noticed by the users from the front and the rear shocks of the vehicle. At times, such noisy sounds can be a reason for disturbance for the drivers, which the dealers should inspect and resolve accordingly.
2019 Toyota 4Runner Recall
|
S.No |
Date Issued |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
November 4 2020 |
20V682000 |
Fuel pump failure resulting in car-engine stall |
Low pressure in the fuel pump failing to inflow sufficient fuel into the tank compelling the engine to stall in the middle of the road |
The owners will be notified about the issue and the dealers are going to replace the fuel pump assembly with a better and improvised one, without claiming a single charge for the repair work. The remedy parts for the specific model will be available from January 21, 2021, which will be notified to the owners |
|
2 |
September 20 2019 |
19V670000 |
Improperly tightened fasteners increase the risk of losing vehicle control |
Wrongly installed certain steering and suspension components might detach from the car’s body and trigger a road hazard for the other vehicles passing by |
The owners will be notified by the SET and instruct the dealers to re-tighten the steering and suspension fasteners as per requirement for free. The recall is expected to begin from November 19 2019 |
|
3 |
March 27 2019 |
19V244000 |
Removal of non-permanent text depicting the vehicle’s load capacity level might mislead the owners to maintain the maximum payload capacity |
Erased and non-permanent text depicting the maximum payload capacity of the vehicle might compel the owners to add a weight that’s beyond its capacity, thereby compromising the vehicle’s speed performance. |
The owners are going to be notified about the same and the dealers will relabel the correct load carrying the capacity modification chart for free. The recall began on May 24 2019 |
|
4 |
October 25 2018 |
18V753000 |
Incorrect GVWR on the certification label might lead to overloading, possibly increasing the chances of a car crash |
Wrongly displayed Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) the certification label might possibly result in overloading, forcing the vehicle to compromise its performance while moving |
The owners will be notified by the SET about the issue and a mail will ask the dealers to correct the certification labels for free of cost. The recall for the issue began on November 28 2018 |
Should You Buy a 2019 Toyota 4Runner?
The 4runner’s flaws can’t be ignored due to its improperly tightened steering and suspension components along with an incorrect GVWR certification label apart from the other issues. Despite the vehicle’s pricey tag, Toyota succeeded in proving 4Runner to be superior to its rival brands like GMC, Jeep, and Ford. But the car’s reliability concerns could be a serious problem for Toyota’s brand loyalty. That’s why the brand issued a recall and instructed the dealers to mitigate the major problems that were noticed by the owners. The strategic move of Toyota not only helped the brand resolve the issues that were noted in the car earlier but also boosted the resale value of the SUV in the automotive market. So, if someone is willing to buy a used Toyota 4Runner from 2019, they can always pick the SUV after ensuring that it is free from the above-mentioned issues.
