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2011 Toyota 4Runner Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 163 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota 4Runner, most often about the air bags (69% of complaints, typically around 62,500 miles). It is 8th of 27 4Runner model years by number of complaints and has 10 recalls.
Most common 2011 Toyota 4Runner problems
Air bags
112 complaints · 69%Half of these problems showed up before 62,500 miles.
Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). A recall was issued for the takata airbags in my 2011 Toyota 4Runner and I was advised in the notification that no passengers should be allowed to travel sitting in the front passenger seat of my vehicle. I shared this…
Takata recall. Notified in may of the problem with the passenger side airbag. Have made several calls to the dealer legacy Toyota, in tallahassee, florida on the status of receiving the replacement part. They cannot give a date on when the part will be received. I am in zone a which is supposed to have a high priority…
Body and structure
9 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Toyota high lander, 2011. The power liftgate arm on the real trunk is detached from the liftgate. It looked to me as if the screw became stripped and came out of the hole. And they said it isn't covered and they will charge to the owner and it costs around $3500.00, please investigate this case and how it detached…
2011 Toyota high lander. The power liftgate arm on the rear trunk became detached from the liftgate. It looked to me as if the screw became stripped and came out of the hole.
Other or unspecified
9 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 88,000 miles.
Passenger side lower door seam is rusting. Noticed recently. Vehicle is garage kept & frequently washed. Premature rusting. Only has 88,000 miles on it. Rust is also present on rear liftgate hatch. Vehicle stationary.
Rear frame cross memeber that also supports a bolt on hitch receiver and attaches to each of the vehicles side rails, that run the length of the vehicle is rusting. I have found several 1/4 inch rust created separations (holes) in the steel with surface rust crating future failues.
Brakes
8 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 14,500 miles.
Brakes applied at 45 MPH,vsc activated,rear brakes locked on and would not release. Vehicle was driven to a safe location off the highway and was transported to owners home via flatbed. The rear brakes were very hot and grabbing as I exited the highway. The parking brake light in the console lit. And the audio beeper…
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while decelerating from 60 MPH, the brakes failed to engage. The contact continued to depress the brakes with force until the antilock braking system engaged. The vehicle continued to move and the contact was able to turn the vehicle to the right and…
Transmission
6 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 9,000 miles.
Purchased vehicle new and the 5 speed automatic transmission operated smoothly. Around 9,300 miles the transmission started shifting gears harshly. The harshness is intermittent but happening more frequently. Also, while at highway speeds going downhill, the rpms bounce everywhere from 1500 rpms to 3000 rpms. Its…
Just as I put my new Toyota 4-runner in reverse in a crowded parking lot, the engine races wildly. Fortunately my foot was firmly on the brake, and I was able to get it back into "park" - whereupon the engine raced even more wildly, until I turned off the ignition. I checked to make sure that nothing was against the…
Engine
6 complaints · 4%Just as I put my new Toyota 4-runner in reverse in a crowded parking lot, the engine races wildly. Fortunately my foot was firmly on the brake, and I was able to get it back into "park" - whereupon the engine raced even more wildly, until I turned off the ignition. I checked to make sure that nothing was against the…
The contact owned a 2011 Toyota 4Runner. While driving 25 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming front the vents inside the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, checked under the hood, and did not detect any smoke. The contact opened the driver's door and saw flames coming from the…
Electrical
6 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 49,500 miles.
On 8 april 2013, there was a burning smell coming from the drivers seat. The heating switch to the heated seats would not turn off. Its smelled like something was burning and the drivers side seat was real hot like it was on fire. This vehicle is only 18 months old and there should not be any problems with it. As to…
Drivers side tail light shorts out repeatedly while driving.. This has been ongoing since 2015. Bulbs have been replaced, tail light has been replaced twice and the light continues to short out.
Steering
5 complaints · 3%Steering wheel started jerking abnormally in the am or after it has not been driven for a while. Now it can happen at any time but not all the time and it occurs between 60 and 70 MPH. I have taken it to the dealer eight times. They replaced the tires but it didn't correct the issue. I have been told Toyota is aware…
Steering wheel vibrates lightly at 60 MPH or more, once the speed lowers to 59 MPH or less it steady. I ask the dealer for the situation and they said that the steering alignment is perfect. Tires were rotated but didn't worked.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Toyota 4Runner recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began november 20, 2019. Owners may contact toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are j0a, j0b, and j0c. Lexus' numbers for this recall are jli, jlj, and jlk.
Full defect summary
Toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4runner, 2003-2006 tundra, 2003-2013 corolla, 2009-2010 corolla matrix, 2004-2005 rav4, 2002-2007 sequoia, 2011-2013 sienna, 2008-2012 scion xb, 2008-2009 lexus is-f, 2007-2012 yaris and lexus es350, 2010-2017 lexus gx460, 2002-2010 lexus sc430, 2006-2012 lexus is250 and is350 and 2010-2015 lexus is250c and is350c vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began february 15, 2019. Owners may contact toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "zone a" toyota: g0p, lexus: glg; "zone b" toyota: g0r, lexus glh; "zone c" toyota: h0a, and lexus: hla.
Full defect summary
Toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 toyota 4runner, 2014-2015 scion xb, lexus is350c, is250c, 2014 toyota sienna, lexus is-f, and 2014-2017 lexus gx460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands or "zone a." toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 toyota corolla, corolla matrix, lexus is250, is350, 2011-2016 4runner, 2011-2015 scion xb, lexus is350c, is250c, 2011-2014 toyota sienna, lexus is-f, 2011-2017 lexus gx460, and 2011-2012 lexus es350 vehicles ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north car
Equipment
Risk: If the hood scoop detaches, it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on september 1, 2017. Owners may contact set customer service at 1-954-429-2000. Set's number for this recall is set17b.
Full defect summary
Southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain 2011-2016 toyota tacoma and 4runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by set or set dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle.
Engine: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
Risk: Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.
Fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall began september 15, 2016. Owners may contact set customer service at 1-866-405-4226. Set's number for this recall is set16d.
Full defect summary
Southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 toyota 4runner vehicles manufactured september 3, 2009, to december 1, 2014. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by set or set dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them while they are standing behind the vehicle.
Seats: seat heater/cooler
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on july 14, 2016. Owners may contact set customer service at 1-866-405-4226. Set number for this recall is set16b.
Full defect summary
Southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4runner, highlander, sequoia, and sienna, 2005-2010 avalon and tundra, 2006-2008 camry solara, 2006-2010 highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 rav4 and tacoma, 2007-2010 fj cruiser, 2007-2011 camry hybrid, 2009-2010 venza, 2010-2012 prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify the toyota and lexus owners. General motors will contact the pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on december 6, 2016. Owners may contact toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for interim notification for this campaign are g1p (toyota zone a), g1r (toyota zone b), g2g (lexus zone a), and g2h (lexus zone b). Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are g0p (toyota zone a), g0r (toyota zone b), glg (lexus zone a), and glh (le
Full defect summary
Toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 scion xb and lexus is f, 2009-2011 toyota corolla and corolla matrix, 2006-2011 toyota yaris, lexus is250 and lexus is350, 2010-2011 toyota 4runner, lexus is250c, lexus is350c and lexus gx460, 2011 sienna, 2007-2011 lexus es350, and 2009-2010 pontiac vibe vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 scion xb and lexus is f, 2007-2008 toyota yaris, 2006-2008 lexus is250 and lexus is350 and 2007-2008 lexus es350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, distric
Engine: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
Risk: Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.
Fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall began on september 22, 2015. Owners may contact set customer service at 1-866-405-4226. Set's number for the recall is set15d.
Full defect summary
Southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 toyota 4runner vehicles manufactured march 29, 2010, to july 30, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by set or set dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them while they are standing behind the vehicle.
Seats: seat heater/cooler
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in january 2015. Owners may contact set customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Full defect summary
Southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 prius and corolla, 2009-2011 venza, 2006-2010 avalon, 2007-2010 fj cruiser, 2005-2011 sienna and sequoia, 2006-2011 tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, camry, highlander, tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 rav4 and 4runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Equipment: labels
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Fix: Southeast toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on may 28, 2013. Owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Full defect summary
Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 toyota tundra, 2010-2012 rav4, 2012 toyota sequoia, 2010-2011 toyota corolla, 2010-2011 toyota camry and camry hybrid, 2010-2013 toyota highlander and highlander hybrid, 2010-2013 toyota fj cruiser, 2011 toyota land cruiser, 2010-2013 toyota venza, 2010-2011 toyota 4runner, 2010-2013 toyota tacoma, 2011-2012 toyota sienna, 2012 toyota prius, 2013 scion fr-s, 2011 scion xd, 2011 scion xb, and 2012 scion tc vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 110, "tire selection and rims."
Seats
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Fix: Southeast toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on march 21, 2013. Owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Full defect summary
Southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 tacoma, 4runner, camry, camry hybrid, prius, and rav4; model year 2009-2010 avalon, fj cruiser, and highlander hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year corolla, sienna and tundra; model year 2009-2013 highlander and venza; model year 2012 prius v; and model year 2010-2012 sequoia. During modification by set to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest dvd systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Questions about the 2011 Toyota 4Runner
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Toyota 4Runner?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (112 complaints, typically around 62,500 miles); body and structure (9 complaints, typically around 30,000 miles); other or unspecified (9 complaints, typically around 88,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Toyota 4Runner have?
- 10 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from October 17, 2019 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Toyota 4Runner?
- It is 8th of 27 4Runner model years by number of complaints, with 163 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.