YearToAvoid

2009 Toyota 4Runner Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2009 Toyota 4Runner has 22 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 10, ranking 19th out of 21 model years. It carries a Good verdict, though that rating is capped because complaint records for 2005-2009 model years are less complete.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
10/100
#19 of 21 4Runner years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
22
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
6
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
4
reported in complaints
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Top issue
Transmission & Powertrain
Best nearby year
2013
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
17
15.5 city / 19.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
1 / 0

Top 2009 Toyota 4Runner problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain10 (45%)
  2. Electrical System4 (18%)
  3. Engine4 (18%)
  4. Structure & Body3 (14%)
  5. Airbags2 (9%)
  6. Fuel System2 (9%)
  7. Other2 (9%)
  8. Steering2 (9%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (9%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Transmission slips or hesitates when shifting up at low speeds, especially when decelerating for a turn or speed bump.
  • Some owners report the transmission stays in drive when trying to shift to reverse, requiring hard braking.
  • An electrical fire started in the center console area while the vehicle was being driven.
  • Sudden unintended forward lurching was reported when the driver applied the gas at low speed, resulting in a crash.
  • A steering/frame complaint describes a control arm separating from the frame at highway speed, causing loss of control.
  • One owner reported airbags failed to deploy in a low-speed collision with an animal.
2009 Toyota 4Runner complaints: complaints filed per month2Nov 2009Jul 2010Dec 2010Aug 2013Sep 2014May 2019Jun 2024
22 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2009 to Jun 2024; peak Feb 2010 (2).

2009 Toyota 4Runner recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  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.

  2. NHTSA 14V743000Nov 19, 2014Structure & Body3,233 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    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.

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  3. NHTSA 13V014000Jan 16, 2013Structure & Body3,235 vehicles

    Seats

    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.

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

See all 6 recalls for the 2009 Toyota 4Runner →

2009 Toyota 4Runner fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15.5 MPG
Highway
19.5 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2009 compared with other 4Runner years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Caution60154517
2008Caution5596517
2009Good1022617
2010Avoid851451219
2011Avoid801631019

All Toyota 4Runner years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Toyota 4Runner reliable?
NHTSA data shows the 2009 4Runner has a complaint index of 10, the second-lowest among 21 model years, and carries a Good verdict relative to other 4Runner years.
What is the top problem area for the 2009 4Runner?
Transmission & Powertrain complaints lead, making up 45% of reported issues, with a median mileage at failure of 19,750 miles.
Does the 2009 4Runner have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2009 4Runner, covering structure and body issues like seat heaters and label defects, plus an accelerator pedal recall affecting the engine.
Why isn't the 2009 4Runner rated Best?
Its verdict is capped at Good because NHTSA complaint records for the 2005-2009 model years are considered less complete, even though its complaint index of 10 is low.
How does the 2009 4Runner compare to other years?
With 22 complaints and a complaint index of 10, the 2009 ranks 19th worst out of 21 years, well below high-complaint years like 2005 and 2006, which scored 90 and 100.

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.