Problems · by component
2006 Toyota 4Runner power train problems
30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Toyota 4Runner cite power train, 8% of all 381 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
30
8% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“MY TOYOTA 4 RUNNER ENTIRE FRAME AND CONNECTING COMPONENTS IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND CRUMBLING. THE CAR ISNT SAFE TO DRIVE AT ALL. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS AS ITS COMMON AND NO RECALL IS IN PLACE. WHEN DRIVING, ONE TIRE IS COMPLETELY BARELY HANGING ON AS THE FRAME IS FAILING ALL OVER. THE CAR WOBBLES AND SWERVES AND FEELS AS IF IT WILL COME APART AT ANY TIME. THIS FRAME WAS NEVER TREATED PROPERLY WHEN INSTALLED. IF YOU WENT OVER 50 THE CAR COULD FALL APART AND WOULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL WAS DISCOVERED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TARBOX TOYOTA (3671 QUAKER LN, NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI 02852, (401) 884-5438) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING AND THE FRAME WAS ROTTED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,595.”
“I JUST PURCHASED MY 2006 4RUNNER AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP WHERE I WORK TO HAVE THEM DO AN OIL CHANGE AND FLUID CHECK, THE MECHANICS BROUGHT ME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT MY FRAME IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND THEY THINK THAT IN A MATTER OF 2 YRS TOPS THE FRAME WILL BE ROTTED AND COLLAPSE . I WAS TERRIFIED AND IN A PANIC MY HUSBAND HAD TAKEN MY 4RUNNER IT TO HIS FRIENDS GARAGE AND HAD THE WHOLE UNDERNEATH UNDERCOATED. I CALLED A TOYOTA DEALER AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT TOYOTA CAN DO AND HE TOLD ME THAT A LOT OF 4RUNNER OWNERS HAVE BEEN CALLING ABOUT THEIR ROTTED FRAMES AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT'S OMLY A MATTER OF TIME WHEN THE 4RUNNERS WILL BE RECALLED BECAUSE THEY SHARE THE SAME FRAME AS THE TACOMA'S I AM SO SICK WITH FEAR AND I JUST CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD DELAY THIS RECALL WHEN IT IS A RISK OF HUMAN LIVES I DRIVE MY KIDS IN THIS 4RUNNER AND EVERY TIME I GO OVER A BUMP I AM SCARED PLEASE HELP US MAKE TOYOTA DO THE RIGHT THING BEFORE PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIVES I AM NOT RICH I SAVED UP ALL MY PAYCHECKS TO BUY THIS VEHICLE AND NOW I'M STUCK”
“AFTER ONLY A COUPLE OF YEARS STARTED RUSTING PRETTY BADLY ON FRAME, CROSSMEMBERS AND FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS. ALSO STABILIZERS SKID PLATES AND BASICALLY ANYTHING UNDER THE TRUCK. THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY SURFACE RUST UNTIL PARTS WERE CRACKING AND STABILIZERS FELL OFF TRUCK. REAR END WAS READY TO DROP OFF TRUCK! TRUCK ONLY HAS 81,000 MILES AND LOOKS BRAND NEW. WANTED TO KEEP ANOTHER 10 YEARS! MY WIFE AND KID USED THIS AND COULD HAVE CRASHED THEM BOTH! FRAME RUSTED FROM INSIDE OUT AND DEALER DEEMED UNDRIVEABLE THIS WEEK! TRUCK VALUED AT $13-15,000! DEALER WONT WARRANTY AND NOT UNDER TACOMA AND SEQUOIA RECALLS! SAME FRAME ISSUES TOYOTA! RECALL THE 4 RUNNER TOYOTA! MAJOR DANGER OF FRAME LOOKING OK FROM OUTSIDE BUT CRUMBLING AND FALLING APART WHILE DRIVING. HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC AND BODY PERSON ALL MY LIFE AND NEVER SEEN RUSTING AND CRUMBLING OF A FRAME IN CHUNKS FALLING OFF! WAKE UP TOYOTA, RECALL THE 4RUNNER OR FIX MY FRAME! CANNOT DRIVE TRUCK!”
“TAKATA INFLATORS,ABS. PURCHASED VEHICLE USED 08/12/2016 THE FOLLOWING MIL CODES WERE CLEARED BY SELLING DEALERSHIP. C1223, P0456, B1150, CR123, C1241, B1152. NEEDED REPAIR IMMEDIATELY, PASSED STATE INSPECTION EVEN NEEDING THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS, BOTH FRONT AXLES, SERP BELT, SWAY BAR LINK AND REAR BRAKES.08/24/2016 VEHICLE REPAIRED BY SELLING DEALER AND RETURNED WITH FLAT TIRE, I HAD IT TOWED TO TIRE GARAGE BECAUSE SPARE WAS TOO OLD AND INCORRECT SIZE. AFTER I PICKED UP FROM TIRE REPAIR I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN UNREPAIRED SAFETY RECALL FROM 2012 ON THE ABS AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. PRIOR TO SERVICE APPOINTMENT I WAS DRIVING OVER A SPEED BUMP AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE OVER BUMP, ABS LIGHTS CAME ON AND VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. HAD TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER FOR SERVICE(I HAVE RECEIPT FOR TOW) A COUPLE DAYS LATER DEALER SAID RECALL WAS COMPLETED BUT WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY DOCUMENTATION FOR REPAIRS. THAT DEALERSHIP BROKE A LUG STUD ON THE FRONT TIRE IN BUT DID NOT REPAIR IT. THEY SAID ITS OK TO DRIVE ON 5 LUGS ITS A 6 LUG RIM. I THEN BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS ON INCLINES AND NOT…”
“I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPING EXCESSIVE RUST FLAKING ON THE REAR AXLE HOUSING,BRAKE COMPONENTS, FRAME AND REAR SUSPENSION COMPONETS.WE HAVE HAD WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED APPROX. 1 YEAR AGO AND THE MECHANICS AT TOYOTA STATED THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE OR REPAIR VARIOUS TRANSMISSION LINES BEFORE THEY WOULD RETURN THE VEHICLE TO MY WIFE. I ASKED THEM WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO ABOUT ALL THE RUST PROBLEMS AND THEY REALLY DIDNT HAVE A ANSWER AND SAID I NEED TO TALK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT WAS NOT THERE AT THE TIME. I HAVE MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO RADICATE THIS ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. VEHICLE IS GARAGE KEPT AND WAS PURCHASED NEW AS WE ARE THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. MYSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE KNOW TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MY FEAR IS THAT WE ARE ON A TRIP AND HAVE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ONE OR MORE COMPONENTS AND GETTING IN A ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT YET.”
Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.