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2020 Toyota 4Runner: engine and transmission complaints

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
8%
2 of 33 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2020 Toyota 4Runner. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 8% of relevant complaints.

Better than 98% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
2
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
33
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
4 crashes · 4 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER8 · 24%
SERVICE BRAKES5 · 15%
AIR BAGS5 · 15%
STEERING4 · 12%
SUSPENSION4 · 12%
BACK OVER PREVENTION3 · 9%

The years either side

2010
18%
9 of 145
2011
25%
13 of 163
2012
23%
6 of 96
2013
22%
6 of 36
2014
17%
12 of 77
2015
24%
16 of 85
2016
24%
16 of 79
2017
12%
4 of 36
2018
22%
11 of 58
2019
26%
15 of 64
2020
8%
2 of 33
2021
6%
2 of 36
2022
10%
3 of 39
2023
16%
4 of 32

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

What owners reported

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDAN12/09/2020
ON DECEMBER 8 , 2020, THE ABOVE REFERENCED VEHICLES ENGINE STALLED THREE TIMES WHILE IN DRIVING MODE. ON ALL THREE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AT A SPEED LESS THAN 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER EACH STALL, WHEN THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED IN PARK. THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND/OR HAVING F…
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES09/30/2020
BRAKES ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, THE PEDAL GOES WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR BEFORE ENGAGING ANY BRAKES. AT IDLE THE BRAKES SEEM TO FUNCTION FINE, AFTER DRIVING AT ABOUT 10MPH THE BRAKES GO BACK TO NOT WORKING AGAIN. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE BRAKES ARE "NORMAL" AND I WAS TOLD TO DRIVE IT HOME EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STILL HAVING TH…

Three of 2 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (1)

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2020-2022 4Runner vehicles equipped with 20-inch Black Gunner Wheels. The load carrying capacity modificati…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2020 Toyota 4Runner

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.