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Selling a junk Toyota 4Runner

Any 4Runner sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Toyota 4Runner

NHTSA has 7,196 owner complaints on file for the Toyota 4Runner, model years 1995 to 2022, the 72nd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are body and structure (1,800, 25%), suspension (911, 13%), other (851, 12%). 484 complaints involved a crash, 57 a fire, and 161 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 120,912 miles. The 2004 model year has the most complaints (923). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is body and structure, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling for parts or whole: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Toyota 4Runner by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
1995201Engine and cooling1504119,000
1996203Body and structure2115179,300
1997363Suspension5524167,800
1998303Body and structure2654161,000
1999446Body and structure3972160,000
2000638Body and structure4422145,000
2001240Body and structure1233125,000
2002306Body and structure2733130,000
2003906Body and structure2303125,000
2004923Body and structure3962120,000
2005574Body and structure2535113,000
2006521Body and structure3435107,553
2007204Body and structure94580,357
2008134Transmission and drivetrain152560,000
200933Transmission and drivetrain81667,237
2010175Air bags1121261,000
2011182Air bags411046,720
2012112Air bags71847,100
201348Air bags10680,000
201491Electrical system61761,000
2015116Other150940,000
2016106Electrical system102829,922
201748Other31514,500
201878Steering111522,000
201988Fuel system63419,000
202046Other80113,000
202156Steering521—
202255Driver assistance513—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Toyota 4Runner recalls

NHTSA lists 42 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for equipment (13), air bags (8), lights (4). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2020 model year, equipment (campaign 22V480000, Jul 2022): Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2020-2022 4Runner vehicles equipped with 20-inch Black Gunner Wheels. The load carrying capacity modification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fa…
  • 2022 model year, equipment (campaign 22V310000, May 2022): Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can fade, becoming illegible. …
  • 2022 model year, lights (campaign 21V963000, Dec 2021): Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2022 Toyota 4Runner vehicles. The driver's side high beam may be inoperable after the installation of accessory fog lights. As such, these vehicles fail to co…
  • 2018 model year, fuel system (campaign 20V682000, Nov 2020): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 T…
  • 2014 model year, fuel system (campaign 20V012000, Jan 2020): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500,…

What a Toyota 4Runner is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk 4Runner on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Toyota 4Runner worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same 4Runner gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Toyota 4Runner that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Toyota 4Runner?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Toyota 4Runner numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.