2013 Toyota 4Runner: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
36 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2025 4Runner, the first year of a new generation, which scores 44 on 56 complaints at 56.0 per year on the road, with Service Brakes at 23. Buy a 2017 (89 on 36 complaints) or any year from 2020 to 2024, which score between 79 and 90 on 39 complaints or fewer. Read the full note on the model page. 2013 specifically: a year the record favours — 36 complaints, score 84/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Toyota 4Runner and Tundra: the years to avoid, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 36 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 2.77
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I was traveling on [XXX] returning home and felt the steering wheel pulling strongly to the right so I immediately pulled off to the side of the road and noted the right front passenger tire was deflated. This tire is a 245/60 R20 107HSL BSW Procontrol Cooper tire. The tire at the top portion was bulging out in several areas. Within a couple minutes a truck with 3 men stopped to help and they removed the flat tire a…
The component that failed is the air back clock spring. It’s preventing the horn form functioning properly. In turn can result in an accident from lack of warning other drivers and/or air bag might not go off. It seems to be a known problem on the 13 model year of the 4Runners. It has not been inspected as I’m not knowledgeable on what to do in that situation and the dealer says that I’d have to pay for it anyway. No…
The problem is the reproduction of a vehicle illegally by a dealer. My federal information & later my vehicle & home were obtained after my phone was cloned. Vehicle has airbag recalls from takata. Vin- [XXX]. (It’s and emergency vehicle) INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Recalls: 6 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V425000 | Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle. |
| 16V577000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured September 3, 2009, to December 1, 2014. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them while they are standing behind the vehicle. |
| 18V024000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP (Saipan), and the U.S. VI or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling… |
| 19V005000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico,… |
| 15V515000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured March 29, 2010, to July 30, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them while they are standing behind the vehicle. |
| 19V741000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 19 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,250
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Unknown Or Other10 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Air Bags9 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Service Brakes5 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System4 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System4 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Engine3 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Toyota 4Runner years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Toyota 4Runner?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (10 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Toyota 4Runner a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 84/100, computed from 36 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Toyota 4Runner's most common problem?
10 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Toyota 4Runner sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Toyota 4Runner cost to run per year?
About $5,652 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,262 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Toyota 4Runner have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Toyota 4Runner, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/07/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Toyota 4Runner really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 36 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 36 NHTSA complaints on record (2.8/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (7.1/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality