How many recalls does the 1994 Toyota 4runner have?

The 1994 Toyota 4runner has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 1994 Toyota 4runner has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1994 Toyota 4runner?

Of 15 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is engine and engine cooling.

1994 Toyota 4runner Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1994 Toyota 4runner has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 977,839 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

STEERING 05V389000 2005-09-06 977,839 affected

Defect

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS REPEATEDLY TURNED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHERE HIGH STEERING EFFORT AND POWER ASSIST ARE REQUIRED, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN FULLY TURNING THE WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE STEERING RELAY ROD.

Consequence

IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE RELAY ROD MAY FRACTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING RELAY ROD. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

111

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

POWER TRAIN

STEERING

STEERING:COLUMN

STEERING:LINKAGES:ROD:RELAY:CONNECTING

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

WHEELS

Total complaints15

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“My vehicle was in a accident on the passenger quarter panel the damage caused a electrical outage to all the blinkers on the passenger side and both my passenger side door lock actuators they locked up and stopped working after the accident. With the door lock actuators not working made my vehicle…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2017-12-05

“Tl* the contact owns a 1994 toyota 4runner. While driving approximately 55 mph, the contact heard a popping sound from under the vehicle and noticed an abnormal odor of oil. The contact stopped the vehicle and upon exiting, noticed a flame under the front driver side. The fire department was…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2012-03-20

“A couple of years after purchasing this toyota 4-runner there was a recall due to faulty head gaskets. They leaked. A recall was (supposedly) done. 100,000 miles later the same problem had to be fixed again. I contacted toyota and was informed that they were only responsible for one fix. That…”

ENGINE · reported 2012-02-15

“A couple of years after purchasing this toyota 4-runner there was a recall due to faulty head gaskets. They leaked. A recall was (supposedly) done. 100,000 miles later the same problem had to be fixed again. I contacted toyota and was informed that they were only responsible for one fix. That…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2012-02-15

“A couple of years after purchasing this toyota 4-runner there was a recall due to faulty head gaskets. They leaked. A recall was (supposedly) done. 100,000 miles later the same problem had to be fixed again. I contacted toyota and was informed that they were only responsible for one fix. That…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2012-02-15

“Tl*the contact owns a 1994 toyota 4runner . The contact noticed that the frame was rusted, which has caused the control arm to fall off. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified and the vehicle was not repaired or inspected. The current and failure mileages were 291,000.”

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS · reported 2011-02-05

“This is a failure that has no events leading up to it . I own a 1994 toyota 4 runner with 4 wheel drive. The harmonic balancer has broken more than 3 times on this vehicle. It seems that the key that fits into the slot on the crank shaft is too short. The key that fits into the slot also keeps the…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2010-04-07

“Engine blown head gasket caused water to leak into engine causing engine failure. Toyota repaired under recall several years ago. Now the same problem occurred and now it will cost me $1,900.00 to repair their poor quality, or craftsmanship. Why can't we get toyota to warranty this problem for the…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2010-03-08

Defect investigations

Investigation DP02002 Opened 2002-03-26 · closed 2002-08-26

REAR SEAT BELT ROUTING

Investigation SQ99003 Opened 1999-01-27 · closed 1999-04-22

CORRODED BRAKE LINES

TOYOTA IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL IN CANADA 98-253. CORRODED BRAKE LINES COULD FAIL RESULTING IN A PARTIAL BRAK SYSTEM LOSS AND INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1994 Toyota 4runner as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.