2015 Toyota 4Runner: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
85 NHTSA owner complaints · 9 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. 2015 specifically: a year the record favours — 85 complaints, score 71/100. 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 2015 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 85 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 7.73
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Drove the car on empty tank and I had issues the following day after I refilled $60 gas.Car stalling/ hard to turn on, doesn’t stay on.
Front Coil Spring Cracking (TRD Pro Models) I observed cracking of the front coil spring, a design defect in the spring's termination and how it sits on the top hat and bottom perch. This can lead to a sudden loss of control and a crash. Furthermore, pieces of the broken spring coil can fly out underneath the vehicle and cause serious injury to person and/or damage property, when vehicle is driven at highway speed…
My transmission went off with no warnings and my vehicle has been serviced at the Toyota dealer since I bought it and they never mentioned to me there was an issue with my transmission which is very odd. So I was wondering is this is normal or if there others owners with the same problem. Now I don’t have a vehicle because the transmission is in back order and I can’t even get a rental car because it wasn’t an accide…
Recalls: 9 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. |
| 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,… |
| 20V012000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020,… |
| 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… |
| 16V228000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured September 22, 2014, to March 23, 2016 and equipped with accessories installed by Gulf States. |
| 17V763000 | Structure:Body:Hood | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Toyota 4Runner vehicles equipped with an accessory Billet Grille Overlay installed by SET or provided by SET and installed by SET dealers. The U-nut that secures the overlay grille may fracture, allowing the Billet Grille Overlay to detach from the vehicle. |
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.
- Air Bags17 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other14 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System13 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Suspension10 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
- Fuel/Propulsion System8 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Steering8 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
Other Toyota 4Runner years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Toyota 4Runner?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (17 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2015 Toyota 4Runner a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 71/100, computed from 85 NHTSA complaints and 9 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2015 Toyota 4Runner's most common problem?
17 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2015 Toyota 4Runner sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 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 2015 Toyota 4Runner cost to run per year?
About $5,606 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,030 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 2015 Toyota 4Runner have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for the 2015 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 2015 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.
Moderate evidence — 85 complaints, 9 recalls on record
- 85 NHTSA complaints on record (7.7/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (7.1/yr)
- 9 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems