YearToAvoid

2005 Toyota 4Runner Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA has 191 owner complaints about body and structure problems in the 2005 Toyota 4Runner, 45% of all 425 complaints for this model year. That is the highest body and structure complaint count among 21 4Runner model years. These complaints report 4 crashes and 2 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 126,500 miles.

Structure & Body complaints
191
45% of 425
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
2
Median mileage
126,500 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2005 Toyota 4Runner body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 6, 2005, latest May 14, 2026.

2005 Toyota 4Runner structure & body complaints: complaints filed per quarter192005 Q12011 Q32014 Q32016 Q42018 Q32020 Q22022 Q12025 Q1
191 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2005 Q1 to 2026 Q2; peak 2018 Q4 (19).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2005 Toyota 4Runner

  1. NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    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.

    Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: 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.

Structure & Body complaints by 4Runner model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2005191 (45%)
  2. 2006149 (39%)
  3. 200743 (28%)
  4. 200817 (18%)
  5. 20093 (14%)
  6. 201015 (10%)
  7. 201113 (8%)
  8. 20122 (2%)
  9. 20132 (6%)
  10. 20148 (10%)
  11. 201511 (13%)
  12. 20169 (11%)
  13. 20174 (11%)
  14. 20186 (10%)
  15. 20194 (6%)
  16. 20202 (6%)
  17. 20212 (6%)
  18. 20220 (0%)
  19. 20232 (6%)
  20. 20243 (38%)
  21. 20257 (12%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Toyota 4Runner have body and structure problems?
NHTSA has 191 owner complaints about the body and structure in the 2005 Toyota 4Runner, 45% of all complaints for this model year, including 4 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 126,500 miles.
Which Toyota 4Runner year has the most body and structure complaints?
The 2005 Toyota 4Runner has the most body and structure complaints (191), compared with 191 for the 2005.
Is there a body and structure recall for the 2005 Toyota 4Runner?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2005 Toyota 4Runner concerns the body and structure: 16V396000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.