2009 Toyota 4Runner Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
BestComplaint Index
10/100
#19 most-complained of 21 4Runner years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2009 Toyota 4Runner has 22 owner complaints and 6 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 10 out of 100 — #19 highest of 21 4Runner model years (verdict: Best). The most reported problem area is transmission & powertrain (10 complaints, 45% of the total). Complaints report 4 crashes, 1 fire, and 1 injury.
- Complaints
- 22
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes / fires
- 4 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 1 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 17
- 15.5 city / 19.5 hwy
Top 2009 Toyota 4Runner problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain10 (45%)
- Electrical System4 (18%)
- Engine4 (18%)
- Structure & Body3 (14%)
- Airbags2 (9%)
- Fuel System2 (9%)
- Other2 (9%)
- Steering2 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (9%)
2009 Toyota 4Runner recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2009 Toyota 4Runner a reliable year?
- Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Toyota 4Runner ranks #19 of 21 among 4Runner model years (Complaint Index 10/100, verdict: Best). It has 22 complaints and 6 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Toyota 4Runner?
- The most reported problem areas are transmission & powertrain (10 complaints), electrical system (4 complaints), and engine (4 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 21,500 miles.
- Does the 2009 Toyota 4Runner have any recalls?
- Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2009 Toyota 4Runner, most recently reported 2016, covering structure & body, engine, and other.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Toyota 4Runner?
- EPA rates the 2009 Toyota 4Runner at 17 MPG combined (15.5 city / 19.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,800. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.