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Toyota 4RUNNERModel year report

1987 Toyota 4RUNNER Problems

Complaints
5filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
72,391miles, 1 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl 4WD/AWD · 17 city / 20 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER. The part named most often is brakes, with 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain (2) and equipment (1). 1 of the complaints include a mileage, and 0% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 72,391 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 17 technical service bulletins for this model year.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Brakes: “The contact owns a 1987 Toyota 4 RUNNER. When the contact attempted to engage the brake pedal while making a left turn, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. The contact crashed into a vehicle and suffered minor injuries. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 72391.”

NHTSA complaint #10286491, filed 2009-10, 72,391 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Consumer purchased a Toyota 4 RUNNER and found out that the vehicle was not safe. While driving on the freeway vehicle shook, and would not go over 5 MPH. Consumer took vehicle to dealer, and mechanic determined that all bolts were missing, including drive line shifter, clutch line, and the brake lines. Consumer told mechanic hat this vehicle could have been a death trap.”

NHTSA complaint #10063508, filed 2004-03

Equipment: “The underside spare tire fell off during driving. Luckily, it was not on the highway and no one was hit. This is the second failure of this carrier. It is a chain lift which cranks up the spare tire under the vehicle's rear. The break occurred between the chain and the unit that attaches to the tire. This unit was replaced once before when it failed with less than 30,000 miles on it.”

NHTSA complaint #709540, filed 1999-08

Tires: “Consumer stated she heard a muffled gunshot like sound and vehicle sank in the rear, she lost control, vehicle ran off the road into some trees and then rolled over, a witness stated he saw one of the rear firestone tires blowout (p225/75r15), consumer was injured in the accident.”

NHTSA complaint #870535, filed 2000-09

Mileage when problems were reported

0% of the 1 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 72,391 and 72,391 miles.

0%0–100%10–250%25–50100%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (1 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 72,391 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

19992200020042009
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
4Runner 4WD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual182219$3,550
4Runner 4WD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic172018$3,700
4Runner 4WD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic151716$4,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 17 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 17 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota 4RUNNER

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202673002422—Too new
2025609251422Too new to compareToo new
2024102,0381417—Too new
2023339,500141730 · FewerToo new
20223923,600341750 · TypicalRising
202136637141727 · FewerFalling
2020339,000141728 · FewerFalling
20196513,074441864 · TypicalFalling
20186020,500541862 · TypicalFalling
20173612,890541840 · TypicalFalling
20168125,000841966 · MoreFalling
20158738,977941961 · TypicalFalling
20147740,000741939 · TypicalFalling
20133672,45064190 · FewerFalling
20129645,144841941 · TypicalFalling
201116341,32010—1966 · MoreStable
201014758,00012—2063 · TypicalFalling
20092221,5006—18—Falling
20089653,0005—1857 · TypicalFalling
200715469,8245—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2006381100,7625—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2005425104,8505—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2004678115,9782—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2003696106,0003—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2002225120,0001—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2001185122,0001—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2000483143,4640—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1999330155,0000—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1998250157,5001—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1997261167,6001—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1996161175,0002—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1995172110,0001—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199464115,0001—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199351150,0001—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199253141,0001—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199143170,0001—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199078150,0001—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19896—1—17—Not enough data
19889—1—16—Not enough data
1987572,3910—18—Not enough data
19868284,0000—18—Not enough data

All Toyota 4RUNNER model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER have?

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 2.

Has the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER get?

The EPA rates the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER (4Runner 4WD, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 17 city and 20 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1987 Toyota 4RUNNER reported?

Among the 1 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 72,391 miles and the middle half falls between 72,391 and 72,391 miles; 0% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.