CarComplaints.com Notes: Although the 2003 model year is the "worst" model year for the 4Runner, it's not really bad at all -- mainly it's just that the other 4Runner model years are even better. Howver the 2003 model year has no major problems & no unexpected problems for a 17-year old vehicle. We award the 2003 4Runner our Seal of Awesome, since overall versus other comparable models of the same age, it's very reliable.
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.
1.4
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
120,000 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.
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota 4-runner. The contact stated the master cylinder was leaking. When applying the brakes, the brake warning light would illuminate followed by a warning chime. The dealer advised replacing the master cylinder but the part was not available. The dealer advised the part would be available within twenty-four hours. The contact stated the part was still not available after five weeks. The failure persisted and became progressively worse. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000 and the current mileage was approximately 140,000.
- West Harrison , IN, USA
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- West Harrison , IN, USA