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Engine coolingPart report

2008 Toyota 4RUNNER Engine cooling Problems

Complaints
2about this part
Share
2%of 96 total for the year
Median mileage
23,711miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2008 Toyota 4RUNNER, 2% of the 96 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 23,711 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“My Toyota 4runner has a consistent ammonia smell that leaks into the cabin. This has gone on for a month and hatch Toyota denies it's a problem. My wife and I fear for our health because of this odor. The forums report this problem as far back as 2003, but Toyota says they are unaware of any problem.”

NHTSA complaint #10422802, filed 2011-08, 38,000 miles

“Started my 2008 Toyota 4runner. Never touched the accelerator pedal. Engine raced uncontrollably to around 7-8000 RPM and shuddered terribly. Immediately turned the engine off and then tried it again. Did same thing. Took vehicle to the dealership where they said they couldn't duplicate the symptoms and said there weren't any codes stored in the computer. Was told they would call Toyota technical to report issue. Never have been contacted. This incident only reinforces the belief that Toyota has issues other than the recall fix . I believe that it is an electrical/computer problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #10316962, filed 2010-03, 9,422 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine cooling: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202213%
201511%
200929%
200822%
200775%
2006113%
2005102%
2004254%
20038913%
2002125%
2001137%
2000133%
1999155%
1998166%
1997145%
19962516%
199510762%
19942641%
19932039%
19921834%
19912047%
19903849%
1989233%
1988222%
1986225%

Other parts of the 2008 Toyota 4RUNNER

Transmission and drivetrain
27 complaints
Body and structure
16 complaints
Vehicle speed control
16 complaints
Brakes
15 complaints
Other or unknown
12 complaints
Suspension
11 complaints
Engine
7 complaints
Electrical system
5 complaints
Steering
5 complaints
Air bags
4 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaints
Wheels
4 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Toyota 4RUNNER

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology