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Toyota 4RUNNERModel year report

2010 Toyota 4RUNNER Problems

Compared with other Toyota 4RUNNER years

Typical for this model

63/100 1.4× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2013

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
147filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
58,000miles, 51 complaints with mileage
Recalls
12campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 2.7L 4-cyl RWD · 18 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Complaints on this model year are dominated by the Takata passenger-side airbag inflator recall, with many owners describing long waits for parts and limits on carrying a front passenger. A second cluster covers brake pedal feel and warning lights, and a third covers frame and underbody rust on higher-mileage trucks. The rest are scattered reports of hesitation, hesitation-like stalling, wheel studs and heated seats.

  1. Air bags

    Takata passenger airbag inflator recall not completed

    Mentioned in 11 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe being notified that the front passenger airbag inflator is under recall and being told not to carry anyone in that seat until parts are available. Complaints describe dealers saying the part is backordered, repeated visits without a repair, and frustration at having no timetable. Some also report the airbag warning light staying on or airbags not deploying in a collision. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 40,000 to over 175,000 miles, mostly in 2016-2018 filings.

    Recall 19V741000Recall 19V005000Recall 18V024000Recall 16V340000

    What to check: Ask for written confirmation that the passenger-side inflator recall has been completed, and check the VIN against open recalls before purchase. If the airbag light is on, have the system scanned.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall - it has been almost a year since the takata recall was initiated for my 2010 4RUNNER. Toyota states that I should not operate my vehicle with anybody in the passenger front seat. This is quite unacceptable! Toyota should be required to provide a remedy for this extremely dangerous recall asap!”

    NHTSA complaint #10965796, filed 2017-03, 75,000 miles

    “Takata recall I was notified on june 9, 2016 that it could be dangerous to ride in the passenger seat of my SUV. I have contacted Toyota corporate and the local Toyota dealership regarding this matter. My SUV in which I should be able to carry 5 passengers safely will only carry 4 safely. When can I expect this to be repaired. Why has this not been addressed? I do not want to wait until an incident happens.”

    NHTSA complaint #10958422, filed 2017-03, 60,000 miles
  2. Brakes

    Soft or long brake pedal and warning lights

    • 11 complaints (7%)
    • median 5,500 mi at 0.9 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2018

    Owners describe the brake pedal traveling far or sinking toward the floor, sometimes with a hissing noise, and occasional warning lights for ABS, stability control and traction control. Several say the pedal had to be pressed harder to stop and that dealers could not duplicate the concern or called it normal. Some reports mention a failed master cylinder or rear brake cylinder. Mostly reported under about 50,000 miles, including some vehicles with only a few hundred to a few thousand miles.

    What to check: Press the pedal with the engine off and on to feel for sponginess or a hissing sound, and check that no ABS or stability control lights stay lit. Ask whether the brake fluid has been serviced and whether any brake-related bulletin was applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2010 Toyota 4RUNNER. Larger SUV so I thought loss of control in the snow twice was due to weight increase to new vehicle. Be more careful. But in the last two weeks I have had the front brakes lock up twice on dry pavement. This was not emergency braking but harder than normal. There was no pulsing of brakes as there should be for anti-lock systems. Contacted dealer and will take the SUV to the shop next week.”

    NHTSA complaint #10355901, filed 2010-09, 17,000 miles

    “I will preface this notation with a statement that I am very familiar with the functionality of a motor vehicle. As months went on after I first purchased the said vehicle I began to notice that I would have to depress the brake pedal more and more to engage the braking system. Once deployed the brakes did bring the vehicle to a stop, albeit with a 'soft' pedal. I brought it to a local dealership and requested that they check the error codes as well as the brakes inc. Lines, pads rotors etc.. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10448005, filed 2012-02, 5,000 miles
  3. Body and structure

    Frame and underbody rust

    • 6 complaints (4%)
    • median 241,000 mi at 9.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2014–2022

    Owners in higher-mileage trucks describe rust on the rear frame area, including around the rear control arm mounts, plus rusted heat shields, skid plate brackets and exhaust parts. Complaints describe shops finding holes or brackets separating from the frame, and in some cases suspension parts affected by the corrosion. Reported mainly from about 65,000 to over 280,000 miles on older vehicles.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the truck inspected underneath, especially the rear frame rails, control arm mounts and heat shields. A musty-odor bulletin exists for water intrusion, so also look for damp carpets and odor.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The undercarriage of my truck is so rusted, that parts are starting to fail. I can not install new tires on the truck at this point until $3000 of rust-damaged parts are replaced and possible frame replaced. I was told that the damage is so extensive, the costs outweigh the repairs, and that in the near future the truck will not be driveable.”

    NHTSA complaint #11463313, filed 2022-05

    “Bought this vehicle because it rated high, even though it cost more money than competitor models. Reliability is worth it to me. However, the frame started having significant rust after just a few years and was causing some expensive repairs. Fire shield rusted off and was removed. Now the massive skid plate bracket rusted off. Toyota service just removed the entire unrepairable skid plate due to the level of rust. There is nothing left to attach to. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11064157, filed 2018-01, 75,000 miles
  4. Electronic stability control

    Hesitation or delayed response when accelerating

    • 5 complaints (3%)
    • median 17,975 mi at 1.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2010–2019

    Owners describe a pause of one to three seconds between pressing the accelerator and the vehicle moving, often when pulling away from a stop or after slowing down. Complaints mention dealers being unable to duplicate the condition, and one report links the behavior to the traction control system. Mostly reported at low mileage, from new to about 3,000 miles, with a few later reports.

    What to check: During a test drive, try several rolling and standing starts and note any delay before the vehicle moves. Ask whether the dealer has any stored fault codes for the throttle or traction control.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving into town (approx. 12 miles) and slowed to about 40 MPH as I was approaching a stop light. I had to apply all my weight to stop the vehicle. The engine did not return to idle speed when I was stopped. I shifted to neutral and the RPM indicated 1500 revs. I kicked the gas pedal and the engine returned to normal idle speed, 700 revs. The floor mat was nowhere near the pedal. I can not find any recalls for this vehicle. Is there a fix for this problem?”

    NHTSA complaint #10475440, filed 2012-09, 35,000 miles

    “There appears to be something dangerously wrong with the transmission. I have experienced this randomly, maybe a dozen times, over the last week since I have owned the car. It takes up to two seconds for the car to respond after pressing the gas pedal. This has happened when slowing down and then having to give the car gas, again. Other times it has happened from a stop or an idling roll. There is a significant hesitation. This does not happen every time, which makes it that much more dangerous - being unpredictable.”

    NHTSA complaint #10322656, filed 2010-03, 100 miles

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 147 consumer complaints for the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER. 51 of the complaints include a mileage, and 43% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 58,000 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns and 288 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 14 Toyota 4RUNNER model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 63 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

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.

Also reported: Electrical system (4), Engine (3), Seats (3), Equipment (2), Exterior lighting (2), Fuel system (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “The recall for takata airbags issued may 2016 goes unremidied as I have to continue to travel for work across multiple zones with high humidity. The suggestion to have no front passenger is ludicrous and has deemed my vehicle unfit for its purpose. In the event of rupture, metal fragments may/will pass through the airbag, striking the occupant and result in injury or death. Let's think about that for a moment as you drive you family members home.”

NHTSA complaint #10944164, filed 2017-01, 135,000 miles

Body and structure: “My wife was at a red light waiting for the light to change when she was hit on the driver side front fender and tire area . No air bag deployed there is over 8,000 dollars in damages the other driver was moving 35+ MPH at impact so now along with the whiplash and shoulder bruises and seat belts cuts there mental damage she feel the vehicle is not safe and is afraid to drive it when repaired in closing I feel at the speed of travel on impact the air bag should have deployed.”

NHTSA complaint #10597794, filed 2014-06, 58,000 miles

Brakes: “After starting my vehicle the ABS and stability control lights came on and never went off. My anti lock braking and traction control do not work now. I just found out Toyota is recalling several models from 2012 and 2013 for the same problem and my vehicle is not listed. Do I have to have an accident or injury before it is added to the recall??? Sounds like a lawsuit to me. I have a 2010 4RUNNER.”

NHTSA complaint #10564692, filed 2014-02, 65,870 miles

Other or unknown: “2010 Toyota 4runner, in this case a 4 wheel drive. Panic braking at 55mph+ is dangerous. If you suddenly remove your foot from the gas pedal and suddenly apply full braking pressure to the brake pedal, the car lurches downward into a nose dive so violently that in one case I would swear the rear tires lost contact with the road. The two times I have encountered this I was on dry pavement and it is scary, I can't imagine wet conditions. In the incident where I was traveling approx. …”

NHTSA complaint #10339387, filed 2010-06, 6,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

43% of the 51 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 12,500 and 100,000 miles.

22%0–108%10–2514%25–5020%50–7512%75–10012%100–15014%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (51 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 58,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’14’1761’20’23’26
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.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
4RUNNER · sedan RWD/AWDnot rated5 / 4——3 · 24.6% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2010 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 2WD2.7L 4-cyl4-speed automatic182320$3,350
4Runner 2WD4.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic172319$3,550
4Runner 4WD4.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic172219$3,550
4Runner 4WD4.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic172219$3,550

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

See all 12 recalls for the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

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. 288 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 288 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

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER?

Complaints on this model year are dominated by the Takata passenger-side airbag inflator recall, with many owners describing long waits for parts and limits on carrying a front passenger. The issues reported most often: Takata passenger airbag inflator recall not completed; Soft or long brake pedal and warning lights; Frame and underbody rust.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER have?

NHTSA recorded 147 consumer complaints for the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 92 complaints (63% of the total), followed by body and structure with 12.

Has the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER been recalled?

NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER (4Runner 2WD, 2.7L 4-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 18 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2010 Toyota 4RUNNER reported?

Among the 51 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 58,000 miles and the middle half falls between 12,500 and 100,000 miles; 43% 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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. 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.