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CarComplaints.com Notes: Although it has a stellar record in terms of vehicle problems, initially the 4th generation (2003 - 2009) 4Runner didn't earn our top "Seal of Awesome" rating because it received poor crash test ratings for rear impacts. However it's proven to have one of the lowest driver death rates out of all vehicles (not just SUVs), so we've bumped it back up to our top award.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
74,364 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Toyota 4Runner drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2006 Toyota 4Runner Owner Comments

problem #16

May 102021

4Runner

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My Toyota 4 runner entire frame and connecting components is completely rusted out and crumbling. The car isn't safe to drive at all. Toyota is aware of this as its common and no recall is in place. When driving, one tire is completely barely hanging on as the frame is failing all over. The car wobbles and swerves and feels as if it will come apart at any time. This frame was never treated properly when installed. If you went over 50 the car could fall apart and would be extremely dangerous.

- Dublin, OH, USA

problem #15

Sep 032019

4Runner

  • 168,595 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota 4runner. The contact stated that oil was discovered in the driveway where the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to tarbox Toyota (3671 quaker ln, North kingstown, ri 02852, (401) 884-5438) where the contact was informed that the rear differential was leaking and the frame was rotted. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle could not be repaired due to the excessive rust on the frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,595.

- Providence, RI, USA

problem #14

Oct 042018

4Runner

  • 132,000 miles
I just purchased my 2006 4runner and decided to take it to the shop where I work to have them do an oil change and fluid check, the mechanics brought me back and told me that my frame is rusting from the inside out and they think that in a matter of 2 yrs tops the frame will be rotted and collapse. I was terrified and in a panic my husband had taken my 4runner it to his friends garage and had the whole underneath undercoated. I called a Toyota dealer and asked if there was anything that Toyota can do and he told me that a lot of 4runner owners have been calling about their rotted frames and he told me that it's omly a matter of time when the 4runners will be recalled because they share the same frame as the Tacoma's I am so sick with fear and I just can't understand why they would delay this recall when it is a risk of human lives I drive my kids in this 4runner and every time I go over a bump I am scared please help us make Toyota do the right thing before people lose their lives I am not rich I saved up all my paychecks to buy this vehicle and now I'm stuck

- Chesterfield, MI, USA

problem #13

Sep 012018

4Runner

  • 107,553 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Rusty frame, rusted brake, transmission lines

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #12

May 232018

4Runner

  • 81,200 miles
After only a couple of years started rusting pretty badly on frame, crossmembers and front and rear differentials. Also stabilizers skid plates and basically anything under the truck. Thought it was only surface rust until parts were cracking and stabilizers fell off truck. Rear end was ready to drop off truck! truck only has 81,000 miles and looks brand new. Wanted to keep another 10 years! my wife and kid used this and could have crashed them both! frame rusted from inside out and dealer deemed undriveable this week! truck valued at $13-15,000! dealer wont warranty and not under Tacoma and sequoia recalls! same frame issues Toyota! recall the 4 runner Toyota! major danger of frame looking ok from outside but crumbling and falling apart while driving. Have been a mechanic and body person all my life and never seen rusting and crumbling of a frame in chunks falling off! wake up Toyota, recall the 4runner or fix my frame! cannot drive truck!

- Newfoundland, NJ, USA

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problem #11

Aug 222016

4Runner

  • 129,000 miles
Takata inflators, ABS. Purchased vehicle used 08/12/2016 the following mil codes were cleared by selling dealership. C1223, P0456, B1150, CR123, C1241, B1152. Needed repair immediately, passed state inspection even needing the following repairs, both front axles, serp belt, sway bar link and rear brakes.08/24/2016 vehicle repaired by selling dealer and returned with flat tire, I had it towed to tire garage because spare was too old and incorrect size. After I picked up from tire repair I made an appointment for an unrepaired safety recall from 2012 on the ABS at a local dealership. Prior to service appointment I was driving over a speed bump and the vehicle would not drive over bump, ABS lights came on and vehicle rolled backwards. Had towed to Toyota dealer for service(I have receipt for tow) a couple days later dealer said recall was completed but would not provide any documentation for repairs. That dealership broke a lug stud on the front tire in but did not repair it. They said its ok to drive on 5 lugs its a 6 lug rim. I then brought the vehicle to another Toyota dealer for repairs because the vehicle started rolling backwards on inclines and not accelerating. Very scary because I almost rolled back into cars, also tire pressure light was on but all tires were inflated. They had it from 09/12/2016-09/26/2016. Unfortunately could not duplicate concern but did repair the lug stud, tire pressure sensor and recalibrated the ABS and airbag light(I was not informed until picked up about the airbag). I also had an oil change. Vehicle having issues as of today right turns I hear a loud clunking sound and wobble when hitting bumps on highway speeds.. the ball joints might be bad. I can see them covered in grease and have play. I am concerned that the vehicle is unsafe and was in an undisclosed major accident prior to purchase. Next app is not until 10/24.

- Bradford, RI, USA

problem #10

Sep 072016

4Runner

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2006 Toyota 4 runner that has been developing excessive rust flaking on the rear axle housing, brake components, frame and rear suspension componets.we have had warranty work performed approx. 1 year ago and the mechanics at Toyota stated they needed to replace or repair various transmission lines before they would return the vehicle to my wife. I asked them what am I suppose to do about all the rust problems and they really didnt have a answer and said I need to talk to the service manager that was not there at the time. I have made every attempt to radicate this issue that has been getting worse over time. Vehicle is garage kept and was purchased new as we are the only owner of this vehicle. Myself and everyone else know Toyota knows about this problem and refused to do anything about it. My fear is that we are on a trip and have catastrophic failure of one or more components and getting in a accident. There was no accident yet.

- Robertsdale, PA, USA

problem #9

Jan 152016

4Runner

  • 99,000 miles
Excessive vehicle vibration. From review of www.tacomaworld.com forums this is a fairly common occurence with 2nd generation Tacoma (2005 to 2015). It seems to stem from the split driveshaft models (prerunners and 4X4S). In some cases it has resulted in vehicles dropping the driveshafts. In my truck, in one day it went to fine to what felt like the worst wheel imbalance I had ever felt. I immediately had my wheels balance and there was no improvement. That's when I went to the forums. Also, www.tacomahq.com/3392/Toyota-Tacoma-driveline-vibration-tsb-2005-2014/

- Kaneohe, HI, USA

problem #8

Feb 262006

4Runner 8-cyl

  • 12 miles
A couple of months after purchasing the new 4 runner listed above, I began to feel a clunk from the transmission when coming to a stop. The dealership said they were aware of it but could do nothing because there was no service bulletin published referencing the problem. They said a service bulletin existed on the Lexus GX470, which used the same drivetrain. To this date the vehicle still has the same problem, not only can you hear it but the inertia on occasions pushes the vehicle forward. Service bulletins are 00207 and 00106, NHTSA id# are 10021759 and 10021707.

- Annandale, VA, USA

problem #7

Sep 122014

4Runner 8-cyl

  • 97,000 miles
The secondary air induction pump (aip) and switching valves failed on my 2006 4runner limited with V8. This is the same issue that is seen on Toyota sequoias and Tundra. Toyota has issued a special extended warranty for this system on those vehicles, but not on the 4 runners, even though the defective systems / parts are the same. Toyota customer case # 1409160408. This is a > $2000 repair to basically clear the check engine code and allow me to pass state inspection. I believe there should be a recall on this system or at least have Toyota cover all vehicles with this defective system, not just certain higher-volume model years.

- Kyle, TX, USA

problem #6

Mar 012014

4Runner 6-cyl

  • 160,979 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my wife 2006 Toyota 4runner SR5 approximately 55-60 miles per hours on 88 West in California and the SUV experience sudden acceleration pass 70 miles per hours. I then step on the brakes as hard as I could but the SUV continues to accelerate faster than 70 miles per hour. While my foot is on the brake pedal at all time but the SUV could not slow down. The SUV then struck the rear of a pick up truck in front. After the impact, my SUV continued approximately a half mile and then I was able to slow down and bring to a stop in the right lane. Toyota down load the data on the SUV black box on 3/18/2014 and sent a letter to me and my wife this week stating that the gas pedal is normal.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #5

Dec 152013

4Runner 6-cyl

  • 33,000 miles
During snowstorm in 4 wheel drive mode; 4 wheel drive system would not engage due to failure of add - auto disconnecting differential actuator. This led to extremely dangerous safety hazard with vehicle sliding across overhead bridge. No warning of failure, just blinking 4 wheel drive indicator on dashboard. Toyota should be ordered to replace this part for free on all 4 wheel drive 4runners. This part has also been out-of-stock in the usa due to extremely high failure rate. Note: Failure occurs when vehicle is in driving mode in winter weather which represents a major safety hazard to Toyota 4runner drivers and occupants.

- Boothwyn, PA, USA

problem #4

Jan 012007

4Runner

  • 16,000 miles
Yes! I've been having a steering problem. "unintended veering" that I began to notice a month after I bought the vehicle (then at 13,000 miles). Something is causing the car to wander at high speeds. I also began to notice that after crossing a bridge (a lot of bridges on the way to work) the steering wheel will jerk back and forth really fast, which can be frightening. At other times it can seem to pulse. If you let go of the wheel the vehicle will veer to the left towards on-coming traffic (had it aligned twice -- still happens!) the dealership does not notice it when they drive it! so I eventually bought 4 brand-new tires and had it aligned again (all at the dealership at my expense) and I still have the problem. Anybody else that drives the vehicle notices it -- except people at the dealership! I was told I would lose $6,000 if I returned it. I did not, as that would set me back considerably. My father had just died and I was paying off the house too!

- Sayre, PA, USA

problem #3

Feb 222010

4Runner

  • 52,389 miles
I was backing out of a parking space, in reverse, when the engine began to rev. I hit the brakes and shifted into neutral. It revved at about 4000 RPM for a few seconds, then slowed down to a speed faster than normal idle. I put it back into reverse with brake firmly applied, at which point it returned to normal performance.

- Berlin, MD, USA

problem #2

Dec 012006

4Runner

  • 100 miles
Soon after purchasing my 2006 4runner V8 4WD I was pulling my boat and noticed when I was coming to a traffic light and braking that the engine was increasing in RPM and it became very difficult to stop. Had the traffic in front of me not been clear there would have been an accident. This happened several more times over the next few months, often when pulling the boat but not always. I later realized that the root cause of the problem was the proximity of the gas and break petals. When I pull the boat, and sometime other times, I wear flip-flops which are fairly wide and flat. The flip-flops are wide enough to accidentally bridge the two petals while driving. My 2001 4runner never had this problem. I have not had this issue recur since I stopped wearing flip-flops when driving the 4runner. The only reason I am reporting this is that I have read of sudden acceleration issues with Toyota's and thought this information might help the investigation. This problem appeared to be a sudden acceleration issue since the RPM's went up and the brakes could not stop the vehicle. I don't know if other Toyota's have the same proximity issue between the brake petal and gas petal. We have not seen this same issue on our 2004 sienna.

- Tamarac, FL, USA

problem #1

Jan 122007

4Runner 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 13,000 miles
- while driving his 2006 Toyota rav4 at 60 mph the contact felt a jerking as if the vehicle were struck from the rear. He believes that the vehicle''s 4 wheel drive engaged causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle spun several times and flipped over multiple times coming to a rest on the vehicle''s roof. The airbag did not deploy. The driver was injured. The contact will have the vehicle, pictures, and a police report available.

- Delran, NJ, USA

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